24 replies to this topic

[fire_fighter_mike2]

Hey guys, a friend and i are doing a project for school this year, we decided to make a rocket! I don't know much about these things, but would like to know more. Where could i learn how to make the rocket, the fuel, and etc to make it go up, THanks!
Michael

[bernie]

Do a simple search of the forum and read the threads. Black powder and teleflite rockets should be your focus. Don't be afraid to ask intelligent questions. You are expected to dig for it a bit.

[adamw]

Yeah, do a search.

Which school would let their pupils make an explosive device for a project? None. The survey says: XX - Bad excuse!

[Richard H]

Although some schools do make biro rockets using a mix of zinc and sulphur...

Generally such experiments would be done as a teacher demo these days...too much health and safety red tape to let kids make rocket motors I would have suspected.

Is this project really for school?

[adamw]

There is also the pop bottle + water + bicycle pump version. It's an age-old excuse, like "Im doing a film for a school project, and we need to blow a car up"...no you're not!

[Matt]

Dont let em' get to ya mike. Its ok, you dont need to make excuses here. You will also find that there are a few good pages floating around the web which give a good description on rocket construction......... there may even be one right under your nose, right now, in this topic, on a button, under someones name. Thats as many hints as i can give out for one day

-Matt

[Stuart]

But what ever you do, dont ask Bernie what Parlon is or he will break your fingers:P

[Robbie414]

Probrably one of the best known ameature rocket scientists is a guy call Richard Nakka, personal hero of mine!

His site is http://www.nakka-rocketry.net/

The guy is pretty awesome at what he does...and possibly makes the most well engineered engines around.....read ALL of his site before even contemplating the production of a composition.

Richard casts his grains which make them a lot less prone to explosion, but is fairly risky in itself.

A very safe composition to produce would be the epoxy/oxidiser fuel grain which is cast at low temp, however you require a fairly high pressure within the motor to get these to burn efficiently, but it conceptually could be acheived with a good home rolled paper tube.

This is serious stuff...treat it with respect...and for god sakes start with paper tubes!!! NOT PVC!

You also need to set some objectives first. For instance is your rocket going to carry a payload, or is it purely and altitude attempt? And remember if you are not using 'chute's then the thing is going to come down.....and fast! Launch in a very very open space, as others will agree one of the most scary sounds is the noise of a large rocket hurtling towards the ground with a failed parachute when you can't see it!!!!

have fun, and let us know how you are getting on...and if you are in doubt for gods sake ask!

[mrpyromx]

i remember when i was in middle school like 7th grade we did rockets, the school actualy brought in a guest speaker for the subject and we all built rockets. it was cool.

[bernie]

Hey Robbie, you ever been around the morning after many large bp rockets have been fired? Looks like an upside down rocket garden. Some big ass sticks my friend. Five foot long or better. Takes a little grunt to get em out of the ground. Imagine walking into the emergency room with one of those stickin' out of your head.
(mrpyromx, hope you faired well during the power outage)

Edited by bernie briden, 15 August 2003 - 10:55 PM.

[mrpyromx]

yea my neighbor has a 7500 watt genorator, we put it between our houses and ran12/2 house wire with plug ends on them to each house ,shut the main breaker off and back feed the power to each house. just couldnt run anything that was 220v, just enough to run the AC, fridge and lights. but then we all ended up outside having a bombfire and a few beers

[adamw]

Thats quite crappy aint it, a vast area of America being stopped by a power failure! Time to dust those cobwebs off your grid! I suppose you could always blame the Canadians...

[mrpyromx]

we could blame them, but our power company i guess is now owned by a british company.i dont knoww how much truth is in that, but its what i was told.

[PanMaster]

you wish

[Stuart]

LMAO