How to Make Rockets

Building and flying model rockets is a hobby that both children and adults can enjoy. If you want to makes rocket it’s not difficult. At the same time, experienced model rocket hobbyists design and build rockets that are very sophisticated, have multiple stages, and carry instruments for measuring altitude and taking aerial photographs. The steps below explain the basic steps to design and make rockets. From there your imagination is the only limit!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• hobby knife set
• measuring tape/rule
• artist’s paintbrushes
• 1” diameter tube 12-15” long
• 1 short tube 7/8” inch diameter
• 1/4" thick sheet balsa wood
• balsa wood block
• small eyelets screw
• parachute, plastic or rubber o-rings,
• large rubber band
• epoxy glue
• doping (paint)
• fine grain sandpaper
• wadding
• engine

1. Start off with a model rocket kit to become familiar with the steps needed to build and fly a model rocket. Dealers are easy to find online or you can go to a local hobby store. The steps to make a simple rocket from a kit are the same, except you will have precut parts to work with and a proven design.

2. Shape a block of balsa wood into a nose cone 4” long with a flat base exactly the diameter of the cardboard tube. Trim the base for about 3/4” along the nose cone just enough so it will fit tightly inside the end of the tube. Gently sand the reminder of the nose cone smooth.

3. Cut a short (1 “ is enough) length of the smaller cardboard tube and glue it in place far enough up the larger tube to allow the engine to just fit completely inside the tube. You should then glue 2 plastic or rubber o-rings into the tube below this inside tube. These three components will hold the engine in place.

4. Glue the fins in place on the cardboard tube at the same end as the engine mount. Whether you use three or four fins, make sure they are evenly spaced and point directly out from the tub. Allow the glue to dry overnight.

5. Spread a thin coat of the dope (paint) over the entire outer surface of the nose cone, tube (which is now the rocket fuselage) and fins. You may need several coats. If you make a rocket without painting it will still fly. However, the paint reduces air friction and your rocket will fly higher and straighter. Painting also makes the rocket a lot more attractive and you can choose from a variety of colors.

6. Screw two eyelet screws into the base of the nosecone and attach the parachute to one. Cut the rubber band so it is a long strip and tie one end securely to the other eyelet screw. Glue the other end to the inside of the rocket fuselage (tube) at the top end.

7. Prepare the rocket for launch by inserting a rocket engine into the base of the rocket. Place wadding inside the tube, then the parachute and rubber band connecting the nose cone and the rest of the rocket. Finally put the nose cone in place at the top of the rocket. Your rocket is now ready to fly!

8. Test your rocket. You will need a launch kit. This is necessary since model rocket engines are designed to ignite only with an electric current for safety reasons. Choose a large open area and test fire your rocket.

Tips & Warnings

• A model rocket engine is designed to expel a small amount of hot gas into the body of the rocket when it burns out. This creates high pressure that forces the nose cone to pop out, allowing the parachute to deploy. The wadding keeps the hot gas from striking and damaging the parachute
• While model rocketry is extremely safe, to make a model rocket requires the use of sharp knives and handling model rocket engines. An adult should supervise both the construction and the actual launching of a rocket.