plastic garden hose quick disconnect

[Water Rocket Expert]

This may sound dumb, but this week was the first time I ever have tried a garden hose quick disconnect nozzle. I am in the process of building a launcher although it is partly jerry rigged it will do the trick. Some wire ties around the slide on the disconnect along with some rope going through a copper bracket as a pulley. Tent pegs are then used to make the entire thing stay in place when the string is pulled. I tried screwing the garden hose nozzle onto the bottle and after some frustration I figured the thread was different. Then checking air commands article on these nozzles I relized that I was not in the know how of how this worked. A bit of sawing the nozzle and PL gluing is getting me to the right place.

[bugwubber]

Correct. Carbonated beverage bottle nozzles have unique threads that don't fit standard plumbing thread sizes. Although frustrating at times, there are ways around it, such as drilling out bottle caps as you mentioned. Others have created special metal tools to heat and reform bottle threads to match NPT standards.

This is one of the main reasons I initially chose to go with "full bore" rockets.

Bugwubber

[Water Rocket Expert]

This is one of the main reasons I initially chose to go with "full bore" rockets.

Bugwubber

I have mostly used the full bore but I thought that giving it a try seemed like a good idea. This morning it looks like the nozzle I glued is almost done its curing. I keep forgetting that I can use faster curing glue rather than PL. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a 7mm rocket nozzle, the size of anti gravity's booster, what able to life a pretty big rocket I made (with only 60 psi and a lot of water) about 25' into the air. Not high but surprise it got off the pad.

[bugwubber]

This was the first nozzle I made. 3/8" id I believe. Yes that is an airhose quick connect. Then recognizing the danger to my windows and the slow launch speed, I started doing research. That's when I found this site among others.

CAM00739.jpg (3.15 MiB) Viewed 77 times

Bugwubber

[Water Rocket Expert]

Why your windows? Was it going to eat them???

[Water Rocket Expert]

I was a bit worried about a leak in one of my splices in a mostly fully spliced rocket I have constructed until I found the PVC screw connector weren't tight.

[bugwubber]

Why your windows? Was it going to eat them???

In a manner of speaking, yes. The bottle had no fins so the weight of the nozzle would swing around to the front. Ever throw a chunk of metal at a house window? How about a plastic bottle? One of these items won't cost you $100. Anyway rather continue with that, I chopped the end cap off my PVC sprayer and had an instant full bore stick launcher. So this nozzle was used maybe twice.

Bugwubber

[Water Rocket Expert]

Can you explain further in depth about the PVC sprayer launcher?

[Reptiglorandrockets]

Hey guys,

I've always made my nozzles by taking a tornado tube and a 'Gardena Nozzle' by epoxing the two together with JB Weld 24 Hour epoxy.

[bugwubber]

Can you explain further in depth about the PVC sprayer launcher?

Picture of it here:
http://www.wra2.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2189

Ugly but it got me started.

Bugwubber

[Water Rocket Expert]

I see. Doesn't the water just spew out the open end of the splitter?

[U.S. Water Rockets1]

You need a little more PL Premium on those fins.

[Reptiglorandrockets]

You need a little more PL Premium on those fins.

My fins?
I've always used the same amount of PLP for the fillets on my fins. There is also quite a bit of Hot melt glue under those fillets, while still keeping it lightweight.
Or are you being sarcastic? :-)

[bugwubber]

I see. Doesn't the water just spew out the open end of the splitter?

No, airhose hooked into one side, water into the other. Not safe by any means so I always kept the pressure around 50psi.

Launch procedure:
[start with both valves closed]
1. Cram on rocket (stick launcher had a swell type seal instead of a o-ring)
2. Open water side valve
3. Fill to desired amount
4. Close water valve (very important- don't want to pressurize the garden hose)
5. Aim rocket
6. Open air valve
7. Hold on to rocket until 50psi and let go.
8. Push with thumb if swell holds rocket in place

I cut it up after I made the Derby Launcher and use a portion of it as the screw on launch tube on station 1.

[bugwubber]

You need a little more PL Premium on those fins.

You mean like this?

image.jpg (2.18 MiB) Viewed 35 times

Notice that's a single bottle rocket too, one of our first.