G'day from Oz

[MajorTom]

G'day fellow builders, modifyers, scroungers, tinkerers, man cave dwellers, and mad scientists,

Here in Australia in the pioneering days, we were known as a bunch of blokes who made do with what we had and modifyed what we didn't have to make it work so it's natural when you think about it that I should wind up making a rocket from old drink bottles and unused ( don't tell the misses ) hose fittings from the shed.

I have always liked the idea that there is a way to modify mostly everything into something else and this has become a problem as everyday I see a way to use something that would be thrown out, so nothing gets thrown out any more.

I have made/modifyed so many things over the years that have morphed into something else that everything here has multiple stories to tell and it has been a great ride.

So now I have not slept properly for many nights thinking about new ways to send my drink bottles into weightlessness.

I have a new way to set up a 2 stage rocket using just cheap gardena fittings that will be tested in the next few days so watch this ( outer ) space for success or failure ( learning ) news.

Love to get in touch with any rocketeers in south east Queensland and looking forward to catching up with all you soon.

MajorTom.

[WRA2]

Welcome to the forum and the WRA2.

We look forward to seeing the results of your experimentation.

[bugwubber]

G'day fellow builders, modifyers, scroungers, tinkerers, man cave dwellers, and mad scientists,

Here in Australia in the pioneering days, we were known as a bunch of blokes who made do with what we had and modifyed what we didn't have to make it work so it's natural when you think about it that I should wind up making a rocket from old drink bottles and unused ( don't tell the misses ) hose fittings from the shed.

I have always liked the idea that there is a way to modify mostly everything into something else and this has become a problem as everyday I see a way to use something that would be thrown out, so nothing gets thrown out any more.

I have made/modifyed so many things over the years that have morphed into something else that everything here has multiple stories to tell and it has been a great ride.

So now I have not slept properly for many nights thinking about new ways to send my drink bottles into weightlessness.

I have a new way to set up a 2 stage rocket using just cheap gardena fittings that will be tested in the next few days so watch this ( outer ) space for success or failure ( learning ) news.

Love to get in touch with any rocketeers in south east Queensland and looking forward to catching up with all you soon.

MajorTom.

Howdy and welcome to the forum! A lot of what you said rings true for me as well. I haven't thrown away an intact coke bottle in over a year now. My launcher was made from fence posts and bed frame parts, and we just drag raced a cut up fence panel. Next up for launch, a fence spindle on an old cross county ski that they don't make the boots for anymore. After that I'll return to our vertically oriented challenges. Good luck on your two stager!

[MajorTom]

Thanks for the welcome messages.

One of the interesting things about me taking up this hobby is that we have always encouraged our kids to have a healthy diet so we don't drink fizzy drinks very often so I have had to go out and buy some 2 litre bottles of pepsi and drink them to get some old bottles for my rockets.

My teenage son thinks this is the best hobby so far.

Rain has set in here for a few days so some mods in the shed are in order. Just made a gravity parachute deployment system for my small rocket ( 2 x 600ml water bottles spliced together) as per this video.

I have seen lots of negative comments about gravity deployment but this system might have solved some of those problems. We'll know when the rain stops.

Keyring camera should be in the mail soon so might have some onboard video to share in the future. Looking forward to some aerial shots of our house.

Total cost of hobby so far is about $10 for the pepsi bottles so She Who Must Be Obeyed is still happy for me to tinker a bit more and as we alll know... A happy wife is a happy life..

To the back yard.... and beyond..

MajorTom.

[Water Rocket Expert]

The way I get my bottles is going through peoples recycling bins the day before the guys pick it up in there truck. My dad drives me around and I hop out at every bin and check. Most have nothing but after going through a neighborhood for a half and hour, I have a trash bag full of at least thirty good, undamaged bottles that just need cleaning. I have purchased a bunch, but even just 10 bottles costs like $7 at 79 cents each or I have gotten them for 59 cents each. I normally by just the tonic water or the club soda so I don't feel like I am wasting soda. Besides, you don't have to clean them out.

[bugwubber]

Thanks for the welcome messages.

One of the interesting things about me taking up this hobby is that we have always encouraged our kids to have a healthy diet so we don't drink fizzy drinks very often so I have had to go out and buy some 2 litre bottles of pepsi and drink them to get some old bottles for my rockets.

My teenage son thinks this is the best hobby so far.

Rain has set in here for a few days so some mods in the shed are in order. Just made a gravity parachute deployment system for my small rocket ( 2 x 600ml water bottles spliced together) as per this video.

I have seen lots of negative comments about gravity deployment but this system might have solved some of those problems. We'll know when the rain stops.

Keyring camera should be in the mail soon so might have some onboard video to share in the future. Looking forward to some aerial shots of our house.

Total cost of hobby so far is about $10 for the pepsi bottles so She Who Must Be Obeyed is still happy for me to tinker a bit more and as we alll know... A happy wife is a happy life..

To the back yard.... and beyond..

MajorTom.

Interesting design. I haven't tried an airflap yet. Should work as long as you are launching vertically. Heavy wind or angled launches may send it on a ballistic trajectory. I'd swap out the metal bits for wood dowels, thin birch plywood and or plastic. Just in case it CATOs and the launchpad. Good luck on your launches!

[kitestring]

Gday tom.
Good to see post from a South East Queenslander.
I live down near LOTA on the bayside. Are you still into water rocketry?
cheers
kitestring.