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Good point Adrian.Ken, I only got to skim the link, but I hadn’t realized just how much less fire there is with pyrodex, good to know as well. I have a ton of 3F at home AND some other stuff….   Read more»

Surgical tubing works waaaaaaaaay higher than 25K. The Q project had surgical tubing charges that provided separation at over 59,000′. Unfortunately, the rocket was coming out of mach right about that time (doh!!). I have seen several clean recoveries from…   Read more»

Here is good link on the subject//www.alaska.net/~aleckson/rockets/smokless.htmlKen.

Exactly Adrian. Best explanation I’ve heard is the surgical tubing keeps the burning and unburned BP in contact longer allowing for more complete combustion.Warren

Keep in mind there will be very little pressure acting on the surgical tubing to cause an increased burn rate. You would probably have to add in a catalyst to the pyro to get the burn rate up. Or stick…   Read more»

I’m not a pyrodex user, nor likely to be. I’ll probably go to CO2-based systems for serious altitude shots if I head that way.The idea of the surgical tubing is to contain the burning BP until it burns completely in…   Read more»

Funny, it took me longer to type this that Adrian’s, his post wasn’t there when I started mine…. I concur with him….The pyrodex is a slower burning powder, by quite a bit @ atmospheric pressure. Under high chamber pressures it’s…   Read more»

Adrian,so you leave any air space in there? When I run out of the little plastic cups I have, I want to try this method.I didn’t think Pyrodex burned fast enough?????When Pyrodex is sufficiently contained, it pops with a nice,…   Read more»

Someone mentioned Pyrodex (Pyrodex P I’m assuming).Does it work with ematches (Quickburst home grown) and surgical tubing?Getting 4F isn’t trivial.Pyrodex is much easier to get, and you don’t have to order $125 bucks worth.Yet, I’ve heard of some lawndart Pyrodex…   Read more»

Scott,I would kick your but falling, I have a lower profile belly. 😛 But, the screaming like a little girl all the way down may slow me some…. BTW, still waiting for the ins co to give us the $$$…   Read more»

Tim at the launches generally carries the real stuff…I’ve not had a problem of late getting it – let me know.Edward

Someone mentioned Pyrodex (Pyrodex P I’m assuming).Does it work with ematches (Quickburst home grown) and surgical tubing?Getting 4F isn’t trivial.Pyrodex is much easier to get, and you don’t have to order $125 bucks worth.Yet, I’ve heard of some lawndart Pyrodex…   Read more»

Watch out using glue guns… you CAN get the glue hot enough to melt the insulation of the e-match, thus causing a short. It will show continuity, but no bang. Bad day for all. Another good thing to do is…   Read more»

Scott,Terminal velocity is based on the weight and drag. Something that weighs little will have less downward force on it from gravity, so, no biggie. Here’s a cool NASA thread on it… http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/termv.htmlAdrian, what are the dimensions of the cardboard…   Read more»

I use the 1/4″ launch lugs from Apogee for my charges. I make a 5-minute epoxy puddle on a piece of plastic, fold the wires of an ignitor 90 degrees and set the wires into the puddle with the head…   Read more»

Scott,Terminal velocity is based on the weight and drag. Something that weighs little will have less downward force on it from gravity, so, no biggie. Here’s a cool NASA thread on it… http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/termv.htmlAdrian, what are the dimensions of the cardboard…   Read more»

I just don’t want to get hit by one of your hose clamps falling from 10,000 feet. I’ll be more worried about being hit by the rocket attached to the surgical tubing that was sealed with a tie wrap that…   Read more»

I don’t do anything different under 20K. Above that, I use two zip ties at each end (4 ties total per charge) just in case one ruptures. I would worry a wee bit about a hose clamp cutting a tiny…   Read more»

I just don’t want to get hit by one of your hose clamps falling from 10,000 feet. I’ll be more worried about being hit by the rocket attached to the surgical tubing that was sealed with a tie wrap that…   Read more»

I just don’t want to get hit by one of your hose clamps falling from 10,000 feet.I’ll stick with zip ties.