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The Right Stuff - Hints and Tips from APOGEE, the official
newsletter of the Miami Valley Rocket Society.

Questions or comments? Send E-Mail to Bob Hegwood, CIS: 76276,2552

Or write to: Bob Hegwood
             31 Pagett Drive
             Germantown, Ohio 45327
             (513) 855-7105
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Flight Prep

1. This tip is a variation on the tip I offered in the February,
1990 issue of the APOGEE. To use standard Estes microclips with
the new Aerotech "Copperhead" igniters, you can also apply small
strips of standard masking tape to each side of the igniters
themselves. In other words, put a small piece of tape at the
top of the igniter on one side, and put another piece of tape
at the bottom of the igniter on the other side. Then, just attach
your clips normally, with one at the top of the igniter and one at
the bottom. (Randy Gilbert)

2. Ok, I finally found something I didn't like about the new Aerotech
kits. The 'F' motor adapter which comes with the new kits can be a
real pain to remove from the engine tube after it has been used. To
get around this problem, you need to do a little extra work on the
adapter before you push it into the engine tube. Use a small drill,
or your X-Acto knife to create two 1/8-inch holes in opposite sides
of the adapter tube. Place the holes directly across from each other
in the middle of the tube. Bend a coat-hanger (or similar piece of
wire) into a "U" shape, and use a pair of needle-nosed pliers to bend
the last 1/8th inch of each tip outward at 90 degrees. After you've
flown your Initiator with an 'F' motor, you can use this tool to remove
the adapter easily. Just push the tool down inside the adapter until
the hooks are lodged inside the holes you drilled. Then, simply pull
the adapter out by pulling on the tool. (B.H)

Finishing

1. To make life easier when painting nose cones, make yourself a
nose-painting jig. Just get an old body tube which is the same
diameter as the body tube of the model you're working on, and
install the nose cone in one end. You can hold the body tube
while you paint the nose cone, and you don't need to do any
masking before you paint. (Ron Schultz, LOC/Precision. From the
LOC video; used with permission.)

2. For finishes which do require the use of masking tape, try using
"Fine Line" automotive, 1/4-inch, pin-striping tape. You can find
the stuff at any Main Auto Parts store for about $8.00 a roll. It's
expensive, but you can twist it around curves, and you can even mask
off a "Figure-8" if you want to. When you pull the tape off after
spray-painting, you're left with some nice, sharp edges. (Steve Lubecki)

Supplies

1. For larger, higher-powered rockets, try using unbacked, fire-proof,
fibreglass insulation for wadding material. You know, this is the same
stuff they put into the walls of your house when it was built. It's a
lot easier to work with than Estes wadding, and it completely fills
large body tubes. I've been able to find plenty of this "wadding" at
construction sites (unused insulation is usually thrown away), and it
can also be purchased at most hardware stores. (Jim Breckenridge)

(All tips from Volume 3, Number 3)