Launch Reports

Here's an attempt to capture some of our earlier launches and my 2021 re-launch of the hobby.
I will continue to update this page as I get additional pictures organized from old launches.

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3D printing a rocket no longer produced using OpenRocket

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Well, I finally decided to try merging my software skills with my new toy to try to recreate an out-of-production rocket, the 37 inch tall Estes Maxi Brute Honest John  (available 1975-1983; on page 31 of the Estes catalog at  https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0686/0220/0369/files/Estes_1975_Catalog.pdf ).  The nose cone is unique and no longer available, so I decided to try to take advantage of a new feature in OpenRocket version 23.09 that allows the export of parts of a rocket as an .OBJ file, suitable for 3D printing.  The OpenRocket team put together a great tutorial describing the process.   Luckily for me, someone posted a RockSim file for the Maxi Brute Honest John on RocketReviews.com in 2010, and OpenRocket supports the import of RockSim .rkt files so I thought I'd give it a try. OpenRocket displays the nose cone in two parts, a cone and a "transition" that inserts into the body tube.  Selecting each part in the OpenRocket design then choosing F...
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Printing something fun for my daughter

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My younger daughter asked me to if I could print something for her she'd originally seen on Reddit to help her decorate her fingernails using magnetic nail polish (who knew that was a thing?).  It was a 3D printed magnetic spinner that holds a horseshoe magnet .  The original posting directed me to the STL files I needed to print this gadget , designed by a user "destiny84" on cults3d.com. I printed the parts using different colored PLA filament I had laying around. After ordering the bearings needed to allow the handle to turn (they go in the two round openings above) I assembled it and glued on a washer to hold the magnet: Our daughter came home for the 4th of July but forgot to bring her nail polish so sent me the following pictures and video once she got home and used it.  I also uses a brand of magnetic polish called Mooncat (mooncat.com), and I printed a holder (below, left) to hold the square bottle of polish at a convenient angle. She didn't have enough hand...
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So, they sold out the big rocket I wanted (Mega Der Red Max) so I decided to print my own!

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Long time, no post ....  Here's some of what I've been up to in the past few months: Estes surprised everyone (at least me) when they announced at the end of July that they were selling a 4" diameter  Pro Series II™ Mega Der Red Max™ Model Rocket , using a 3-Engine Cluster.  I anguished for a couple of weeks about whether to buy one and they sold out before I decided to buy one.  I should have recognized the "Limit 2" next to the order button meant they hadn't made a lot of them. After a month or so had passed, I saw someone on The Rocketry Forum  discussing 3D printing the Mega DRM so I reached out to "frogglicker" (David Frey) who generously shared the STL files he'd developed .  He designed a custom 2 piece nose cone for me, based on a file I made with OpenRocket.  Estes was selling the 4" body tube used in the Mega DRM so I bought two (just for fun and possible future projects ). OpenRocket simulation of my Mega Der Red Max in flight w...
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