18 replies to this topic

[alany]

Fast nitrate flashes work for nozzleless end-burning rockets.

4 Potassium Nitrate
4 Magnesium (100 mesh, granular) (coated - DUH!)
1 Dextrin

Dark Aluminium may work, 16um bright flake doesn't, never tried magnalium.

The obvious cautions apply to flash mixtures, but they can be pressed by hand moistened slightly. I wouldn't make more than a few grams at a time, and I'd stick to bottle-rocket scale devices. The result is a rocket as bright as an illumination flare which incenerates its case and stick very rapidly.

I've never tried vanilla Al/perchlorate flashes, but I don't see any reason why you couldn't get them to work, and result in a cheaper and perhaps safer mix. Probably a lot more messy to deal with though.

BTW: Most whistle rockets have a core, and you can press smaller devices by hand quite easily.

[chim-chim]

I've never tried vanilla Al/perchlorate flashes, but I don't see any reason why you couldn't get them to work, and result in a cheaper and perhaps safer mix.  Probably a lot more messy to deal with though.

BTW: Most whistle rockets have a core, and you can press smaller devices by hand quite easily.

Being afraid of Flash, well, cautious, No, afraid, as we all should be, I use very little. As a result I've had several rockets designed to report, but using too little flash, they instead had a fraction of a second of incredible thrust and a visible Al tail just before burn out. This would lead me to believe Perc/Al would work, wereas the case came down undamaged.
Not scientific I realize, but until then I never would have considered that a cardboard tube would stand up to flash, in any amount, nozzle-less or otherwise.

With the KNO3/Mg/dextrin, will linseed oil (have it) work or would you suggest Dichromate (don't)?

I didn't remember Whistling bottle rockets having cores, but I haven't taken apart (or even seen really) a whistling bottle rocket in 15 years, and now that you mentioned it, I realized 15 years ago, I didn't know what a core was to recognize and remember it. I am regularly reminded of dumb I used to be, it makes me worry, because if it's still happening in ten years, it's means I'm still dumb now.

I was thinking, "wahoo, cool little rockets I can make with paper tape and pen tube" I guess I'll have to get off my lazy butt and make some little B.R. tooling, and if I do that, may as well drop back to the relative safety of BP. I'll give it a try though, every little test is something learned.

"I haven't failed, I've found 10,000 ways that don't work."
- Thomas Edison

As Always, Thanks and Keep Safe.

[alany]

Oil/wax coated Mg should be fine. I tried it using fine magnesium filings coated with a little candle wax dissolved in a solvent, like making whistle mix or treating clay.

I've had bottle rocket size devices jet rather than report too. Adding a little pulverone to fluff up the flash seemed to solve that, as did cab-o-sil, or just using more and being careful not to pack it solid.

Many whistle bottle rockets are coreless, but larger ones seem to use cores. I've tried small end-burner whistles with nozzles, quite loud, spluttering sound at at times too, seems to be a complex function of their geometry.

[newtoolsmith]

Where will I find DJ?s hidden pages?

I searched on http://www.angelfire...kets/index.html but I have found nothing and some of the pictures seem not to exist any more.

Any ideas?

MfG
newtoolsmith