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1/2 inch (12.7 mm) Black Powder or Sugar Rocket Tooling!


GG2014

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Hey guys! I have been searching for so long trying to find a simple PVC rocket nozzle kit that I may use. I can't seem to find 1/2 inch rocket tools and its really frustrating. I want to use it with PVC and all I get as results when looking for the 1/2 inch tooling are 1/4 inch or 3/4 inch tooling. Never 1/2 inch! I don't want those huge kits with over 2 rammers since they cost over $100. I been looking for one thats hopefully under $75. Would anyone know where I could find such tools?

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Look at wolter pyro tools, they do custom ones. Just mailthem.

Also go and buy paper tubes, pvc is suited for rockets. First it is expensive, second it's dangerous, at it will becomme a pipe bomb if the engine cato's.

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Thanks for the advice. I noticed that site had a 1/2 inch whistle rocket kit for only $70 but had the same kit with slightly different tooling for black powder rockets for $120... why is this? I dont see much of a difference between each kit. Cant I use the $70 kits for black powder or sugar rockets?
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The whistle and BP tooling may look ostensibly the same, but they're not.

 

You can probably just make your own simple tooling for rockets of this size if you wanted. A brass rod or nail the right diameter will work for the spindle, and a piece of thick walled aluminum or steel tube/pipe will work for hollow rammer. The solid rammer can easily be purchased as metal rod.

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Why not contact my friend hunter and he can send you some 1/2" (4oz ) tooling , and if you want end burner tooling and if he cant get you endburner tooling , look at wolter pyro , or email firesmith and send in some paper for custom tooling , there is a program out there for making tooling , if some one could link it :)

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Thanks for the idea mumbles, ill do that if I become hopeless haha. And wow thank you pyroman2498! So the 4oz coreburner rocket tooling translates into tools for making motors out of 1/2'' PVC? And what do you mean by end burner tooling? Isn't the 4oz "coreburner" tooling all I need to make the 1/2 inch motor?
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I actually understood what you meant now pyroman2498. Thank you all for the feedback! I really appreciate it.

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Please don't use PVC pipe as a motor casing. It is a brittle material and will send sharp pieces of shrapnel flying if you have a CATO. You will also have difficulties getting the nozzle and fuel grain to properly seat inside the tube.

 

In my opinion, your best way to start making rockets is with a 4oz (1/2" ID) black powder coreburner set. These rockets can fly with a nozzle and a simple screen mixed and granulated BP fuel. They are fairly safe to make and small enough to not attract too much attention in areas where consumer fireworks are legal. They are much more forgiving than whistle rockets and easier to make than end burners.

 

The reason the tooling is more expensive than whistle, is because the spindles and rammers are longer, using more materials and time to turn. Tubes for these motors are 1/2" ID and usually 5" long. You should be able to lift a 1.5"-2" ball shell to a safe height. I prefer the New England Paper Tubes (NEPT) available from Jim at Hobbyhorse.com

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the advice. What I found out was that the 4oz (1/2" ID) black powder coreburner set did not correlate with the measurements of 1/2'' PVC. One half inch PVC I bought was too big and the another half inch I went to go buy after was too small. They were different types of 1/2'' PVC pipe which makes no sense anymore when trying to find accurate measurements for stuff. I got the 4oz (1/2" ID) black powder coreburner set from amazon and I'm hoping to return it and get a 3/4'' Rocket tooling set but I didn't find the 3/4'' inch set on amazon. Only in the UK Amazon but i don't think i'm allowed to use the gift card I got in there and also the set is unavailable. It's a bit frustrating since there are no 3/4'' sets in that website.

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Why do you want to return it. You have some bettr options. An 4oz is known to be a god starter size.

 

Now go and buy 1/2 inch paper tubes or buy a 1/2 inch (metal) dowel and roll your own tubes.

The build rockets with these.

If you go and buy / find a dowel, just take one rammer with you to be sure you buy the right size. But stop trying to use pvc. Pvc isn't suited to be used for rockets.

 

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Yeah I guess im being kind of ignorant with this. Having PVC so accessible all the time made it sound convinient but I should stick to buying paper tubes online.
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