Simple FTC nosecone construction tutorial

Discussions about rockets, construction materials, adhesives, nozzles, nosecones and fin design.
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Asupremeflight
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Simple FTC nosecone construction tutorial

Post by Asupremeflight »

This is how I construct my basic nosecones for my ftc rockets.
first you will need a form to shrink the bottle top. (I also use this form to construct my bulkheads.) The specs on this tool are on this forum somewhere.
first you will need a form to shrink the bottle top. (I also use this form to construct my bulkheads.) The specs on this tool are on this forum somewhere.
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A cool tool I created is this egg form. Just put epoxy putty inside the elongated end of an easter egg and JB weld it to 1 1/4 x 4 galv pipe nipple. (I cut off one end of the threads to seat the egg for onto.)
A cool tool I created is this egg form. Just put epoxy putty inside the elongated end of an easter egg and JB weld it to 1 1/4 x 4 galv pipe nipple. (I cut off one end of the threads to seat the egg for onto.)
IMAG0454.jpg (503.76 KiB) Viewed 119 times
I use a 20 oz water bottle top
I use a 20 oz water bottle top
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Shrink it over the bulkhead maker. (Not tight! Just enough to get the general shape.
Place it over the egg former and shrink it tight around .
Place it over the egg former and shrink it tight around .
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Cut off the bottom leaving aprox. 1/2 - 3/4 in before the egg part starts.
Cut off the bottom leaving aprox. 1/2 - 3/4 in before the egg part starts.
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cut off the top as well
cut off the top as well
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Place it over the egg form again.
Place it over the egg form again.
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Shrink the top where you cut tight to the form.
Shrink the top where you cut tight to the form.
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Take your easter egg and slide it into the sheath.
Take your easter egg and slide it into the sheath.
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slide onto ftc payload bay. Nice tight fit.
slide onto ftc payload bay. Nice tight fit.
IMAG0473.jpg (418.45 KiB) Viewed 119 times
There you have it. 5 minutes time to make a fairly streamlined nose cone / payload bay.
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Asupremeflight
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Re: Simple FTC nosecone construction tutorial

Post by Asupremeflight »

Here is a simple payload bay with tomy timer deploy and camera
Here is a simple payload bay with tomy timer deploy and camera
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It just gets seated at the top of the rocket with this configuration. (ftc tube ends that come with the tube. )
It just gets seated at the top of the rocket with this configuration. (ftc tube ends that come with the tube. )
IMAG0478.jpg (408.9 KiB) Viewed 117 times
That is about it. Sorry if the pics are large. Hopefully this will help someone.
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Asupremeflight
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Re: Simple FTC nosecone construction tutorial

Post by Asupremeflight »

http://www.waterrocketpop.com/

This is where you can find how to make the bulkhead form. All I added was some epoxy putty to form a more streamlined bulkhead.
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U.S. Water Rockets1
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Re: Simple FTC nosecone construction tutorial

Post by U.S. Water Rockets1 »

Asupremeflight wrote:http://www.waterrocketpop.com/

This is where you can find how to make the bulkhead form. All I added was some epoxy putty to form a more streamlined bulkhead.
That's a pretty good tutorial showing how you do it. We were lucky and found a plastic egg that fits exactly on the T-8 FTC... that saved a lot of work. Your tutorial will be a help because we are running out of the perfect eggs and we can't find the same size eggs anymore.
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Asupremeflight
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Re: Simple FTC nosecone construction tutorial

Post by Asupremeflight »

Some of the eggs I have (like the ones in this tutorial)are the exact size of the T12 FTC. The don't fit inside or outside they rest nicely on top of the tube. This is not a lot of work. ( aside from the epoxy shell form) It took about 5 minutes including the use of the heat gun.