Adam Savage Glue Guide

Charley Nash posted this link on the Estes Mocel Rocket page on Faceboook:

Adam Savage (Mythbusters) gives a rundown on different glues and their use.
To read the article: CLICK HERE

In the comments, Robert K. Wingate added: 
"BTW, what he says about hot glue is good, but he doesn't mention why we in the rocketry hobby avoid it like the plague. A friendly word of advice to teachers instructing kids in a rocketry unit...hot glue is a crafter's glue. You can't get away with using it to attach rocket fins to the body tube. The heat from the motor will cause a hot glue joint to soften and fail. Fins will fall off, every time."

Letter from N.A.R.

Wow, I wasn't expecting this!

Last year I wrote an article on how to "beef-up" the newer Estes Starter Igniters using Beacon Fabri-Tac glue and 4F Black Powder. 

I had used a igniter dip before but it continually dries out. You can thin it again by stirring in Acetone, but it is messy and takes a bit of work.

I have written a dozen articles for the Apogee Peak Of Flight newsletter, but Tim at Apogee didn't show an interest in this one. 

I knew the Sport Rocketry magazine offers N.A.R. membership for printed articles. I thought my article would have been too short (only 2 pages with plenty of pictures) to qualify.

Still, a great surprise and my NAR membership dues are good through January of 2020.

Sport Rocketry Igniter Article

I picked up the mail today and the Sept./Oct. issue of the NAR Sport Rocketry Magazine.
I had submitted an article on beefing up the Estes Starter Igniters.
In the past I've had a some articles in the Apogee Peak Of Flight newsletter. This time it was in print!

The Estes clear tip starters are a lot like using old school bare nichrome. Starter ignition is slow and not practical for clustering.

I came up with an easy way to improve the reliability of the bare wire Starters without dealing with dip mixes that always seem to dry out.
With this method you coat the starter end with black powder. You make them up as you need them with no remixing of the liquid  dip coating.

After the issue has had it's run, I'll share the steps on this blog for those who aren't yet members of the N.A.R.

Seam Filling Article in Apogee Peak Of Flight

I have a new article in the current Apogee Peak of Flight newsletter.
This time it's about Seam Filling on body tubes, launch lugs and plastic nose cones.

On the forums, builders have written about multiple applications of filler on body tube seams. My method is one pass with Carpenter's Wood Filler and sanding then one coat of primer/filler and sanding. Photos show a different way to direct the filler into the body tube seams.
To see the article, CLICK HERE

That Star Blazer Canopy (Plus Two More) Apogee POF Article

Instead of the build post on the Goony X-15 I'm going to refer you to the newest online issue of the Apogee Peak Of Flight Newsletter.

This article shows how to do a step by step carving of the old Estes Star Blazer canopy. The techniques shown in the article can be applied to a one of a kind carved canopy on your rocket design.

On the current Goony X-15 a canopy had to be carved from basswood to make a master for the vacu-form process. That canopy took much more work carving out the concave bottom to fit over the nose cone curvature.

To read the P.O.F. article: CLICK HERE

The Estes Star Blazer was covered on this blog earlier in the month: CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE

Magazine Article Submission

I just submitted a new short article to Sport Rocketry Magazine.
If accepted (and looking at the submission deadlines) it might end up in the May/June issue.

Why not post it here or submit to the Apogee Newsletter?
Apogee was concerned it could hurt sales of a certain product.
I would reach a larger audience in the NAR Sport Rocketry magazine.
This simple technique could make for faster, more reliable LPR ignitions.

Why am I being vague about the submission?
It's a magazine article and the content is first reserved for the customer.
If the article isn't accepted and published it'll be posted here.

Past Apogee Peak Of Flight Articles

Sometime I don't go into a lot of detail when I repeat a building technique on the blog. That information has been printed before, sometimes in the Apogee Peak Of Flight newsletter.
The recent "TIPS 1 & 2" were my eleventh and twelfth articles published in the P.O.F.

Here's some links to past articles.
They are listed in what I think would be the order of importance.


REPLACEABLE KEVLAR LINES IN LARGER DIAMETER MODELS
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter338.pdf

REPLACEABLE KEVLAR LINES IN MINIMUM DIAMETER MODELS
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter343.pdf

SHAPING NIKE STYLE FIN TAPERS
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter357.pdf

MAKING A SUPER SHROUD
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter349.pdf

ACHIEVING A EVEN, GLOSSY PAINT FINISH WITH SPRAY PAINT
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter421.pdf

MAKE AN 18mm ENGINE RETAINER FROM A WATER BOTTLE
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter317.pdf

MASKING AND PAINTING A NOSE CONE TIP
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter306.pdf

ADVANCED FINISHING TIPS - Lexx Jet
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter281.pdf

BUILDING A ROCKET WITH JUST A TEXTBOOK
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter391.pdf

BUILDING THE SKY CONDOR BOOST GLIDER
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter269.pdf

MRN Article from 1964

Here's an old favorite I found on a recent trip to California. 
I didn't have a scanner, enlarge them for easier reading. 

Favorite quote on fins: "I cut mine out with scissors. It’s real fast and leaves a sort of splintery edge that’s real good for gluing."

Peak Of Flight Article, Part 2, Tips

The Apogee Peak Of Flight TIPS article, Part 2 is now online.
To see it, CLICK HERE

Apogee Peak Of Flight Article - TIPS

Tim at Apogee asked me to come up with two articles for the Peak Of Flight e-newsletter based on TIPS from this blog. To see the first article: CLICK HERE

If you've been following the blog you've probably already seen some of these ideas. There are always new blog readers and an item in the two articles might give you something new to think about.
The second TIPS article will be published in two weeks.

New Apogee Peak Of Flight Article

I have a new article just published in the Apogee Peak Of Flight Newsletter.

Over spray areas (outside the area you are currently spraying) can end up dull. You end up with a rocket that is glossy in most places and duller finish in others. The article explains a methodical way to get a better overall gloss finish on a model rocket using regular spray cans.

To see the article - CLICK HERE