Blackthumb Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 SAWDUST SCOOTERSAfter cutting all those hundreds of cedar rocket sticks, I was about to vacuum up all that great sawdust...that I knew was flammable! My theory is if it is combustable, I want to see fire and smell the smoke! I wasn't about to toss it out!I was in the process of milling 10-6-1 fuel when I thought of adding this wonderful by product to my BP as a rocket fuel. After 4 test shots, I found that some of my best milled 75-15-10 BP with the addition of cedar dust worked great in my 5/8 by 3" little guys. 10BP:3Sawdust worked out well and I couldn't stop loading and firing them! Think they will produce tails a bit better than just BP. Will know after dark.Try it.....quite a savings in chems....My 'little guys' are now dubbed "Sawdust Scooters", cause that's just what they do.....scoot and a sustained thrust!Now out to retrieve all the "stix". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shagaKahn Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 What a kool idea BlackThumb. Got a lotta balsa sawdust; will have to try adding some to my BP. Thanx for the notion,s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackthumb Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 Shot 3 of 'em last night...only 3" long and my distant neighbor said he heard the roar....no boom. Didn't put a header on them....illegal you know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 No video-never happened... Do you have a camera phone? We need to see this sucker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackthumb Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 Dagabu...haven't used my video camera for years...sits in a box.....will try to get some footage. Shame on you for doubting me....works great...surprised no one has tried this before.... ShagaKhan...balsa sawdust should work also, maybe even better. Try a 10:2 mix and then go from there. I will have time this weekend do do some more tests and I will try to get a video...just got another 200 tubes!Wife has been outa town for 3 weeks.....great fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbobaker Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 You're just milling the wood dust with the BP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Dagabu...Shame on you for doubting me.... Shame on you for not taking video... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackthumb Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 Run the dust thru the finest screens you have...mix in with the milled BP. Going to get a new battery for my old video camera today....will have some video this weekend.... OK Dagabu, you win.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Ahhh, haaaa! Wood Meal! I get it now, I thought you were saying to use regular saw dust, I was just a little skeptical there, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackthumb Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 I screen it very fine but it still "flows". Not dust as from a sander......just cut about 200 more cedar sticks....of course I saved the dust...Will video a close up of a static firing this weekend and also try to catch one in flight.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I just cut 65-1/2" X 5/8" 6' long cedar sticks and screened all the dust as well, that were cut on a band saw so there was only 2# of saw dust, 12oz of >20 mesh, 13oz of >60 mesh and 9oz of >100 mesh, whisc one should I use in the fuel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackthumb Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 Try the 60 then the 100.......gonna try several binders this weekend with the sawdust....Let me know your success.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Binders? Why? Is the dust too spongy? 10:3 with BP ought to be interesting... I will press one tonight with the larger dust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackthumb Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 I pack all my small tubes by hand...ram and mallet...seems to feel OK...I dampened the mix with some gum turpentine and rammed 2 rockets and a few 5/8 stars. When I tamped the stars, it felt a bit spongy...will see if they fall apart when dried.Anxious to fire the tubes when dry.Going to try raw linseed oil rhis weekend.Can always go back to a bit of Dextrin and water...My milled BP rockets are tamped without any binder and do well.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 OK, so I used 100g of my 75:15:10 BP and added 30g of >20 cedar saw dust, dampened with 50:50 alcohol and water, riced it through a 8 mesh screen , dried it and pressed it in a 3# Universal set. It is nozzleless and has no delay, just 1.5 ID of the fuel above the spindle and 1 increment of kitty litter for a passfire. Unless you all need a picture of the motor, I will post video of the bad-boy going skyward this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackthumb Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 Did you do any smaller tests? I have not used it in a larger rocket although it should work...anxious to hear about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackthumb Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 Dagabu.....out here I use birch bark to light my wood stove...burns rapidly on its own. Going to make some into sawdust this weekend and try that as I did cedar dust......it's all about experimenting! At least the smoke smells great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondogman Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Hmmm could i just ball mill some pine bedding to make wood meal?? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbobaker Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Hmmm could i just ball mill some pine bedding to make wood meal?? SteveI ball milled some fine BP with air float wood meal yesterday. Burn rate was nice but I think adding more Potassium Nitrate would totally improve it.So would a wee bit of iron oxide or AL diapered in into the mix in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Did you do any smaller tests? I have not used it in a larger rocket although it should work...anxious to hear about it Nope, just the one 3# rocket. Not lighting it tonight, taking the girls out for a birthday party!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackthumb Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 Bbaker...good idea re: more kno2 or AL.....needs more 'tweeking'.I just fired 2 that I pressed w/turpentine as a binder...no good. Steady burn and lift til burnout but no pizazz!!I'm firing small tubes 9/16 id x 3"....w/core.....using the rest of 1000 of those tubes I bought in the 60's......I just thought it would be a way to 'stretch' our BP without losing performance....Keep playing and post your results. I'm ready for a performance report from Dagabu and his 3# 'sucker'. I found a source for rocket sticks...will post later... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guntoteninfadel Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Ok guys the suspense is killing me....... what happened to the three pounder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 She is still sitting in the magazine looking contemplative at me every time I open it up. I will be taking her out along with her friends this weekend for the spring shoot. There will be video for you all. -dag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donperry Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Plz, keep us posted. I need videos man. You know this could make you popular right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackthumb Posted May 5, 2011 Author Share Posted May 5, 2011 Read my reply in the rocket/fuel for stingers/hiummers from yeaterday.You are missing a whole new sound if you don't try the BP/Sawdust mix.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts