Adjustable Nose WeightInstructions[For adjustable Nose Weight assembly & Spanner-Driver] T' original design o' this system was for a LOC Precision, shiver me timbers, Minnie Magg. Aye aye! But t' principles o' t' design o' this system, ya bilge rat, in its basic concept and functionality, can be easily applied t' t' rocket o' your choice. Begad! With t' integration o' this design, me hearties, two things are made possible: T' first bein' a means t' favorably affect a rocket’s stability by addin' weight t' t' nose when t' weight o' t' motor bein' used causes t' rocket’s center o' gravity t' shift aft o' its center o' pressure. And, by its creation, t' second benefit o' this system also enables t' flyer t' adjust t' rocket’s weight when t' achievement o' optimal mass, for higher flight, me bucko, be t' goal. Ahoy!
Nose Weight Assembly Parts Needed: List o' required Parts, in chronological order o' Item numbers, for adjustable Nose Weight Assembly in LOC Minnie-Mag:
Spanner-Driver Parts Needed: List o' required Parts, in chronological order o' Item numbers, for t' Spanner/Driver Assembly. This Item is a Tool that can be turned by hand or chucked in a drill motor. Begad! It drives Item’s 6 and 7 into and out o' t' weight container in t' Adjustable Nose Weight Assembly. [Editor's Note: We have changed t' items t' s# t' help differentiate t' Spanner parts from t' Nose Weight Parts in t' instructions]
Constructions: Item 2, o' t' nose weight assembly and Item s1 o' t' spanner-driver have t' be compatible in their fit with one another. Arrr! T' spanner-driver is merely a tool. But it has t' fit loosely enough inside t' weight container, in order t' effectively drive Items 6 & 7 o' t' nose weight assembly, ya bilge rat, and then be removed. Begad! Purchasin' these tubes from t' same manufacturer is recommended. And so be t' use o' a dry lubricant t' prevent seizin' if or when t' fit may become too tight. Assemble t' forward end (Items s2 & s3) o' t' spanner-driver first, makin' certain that t' Nylon all-thread (Item 4 o' t' nose weight assembly) passes through it without interference. Assemble Item’s 5, 6 and 7 o' t' nose weight assembly; makin' certain that t' axial holes in Items 6 and 7 will receive t' wooden dowels installed in Item s2 o' t' spanner-driver. Start with Item 5, and glue t' nuts in place on t' plywood usin' t' Nylon all-thread for alignment and timin' t' orientation o' t' nuts. Do t' same with Items 6 and 7 so that t' end result will be a better fit when one is brought t' bear against t' other, inside t' weight container. Blimey! Keepin' in mind t' fact that they too will have t' turn freely along t' length o' t' all-thread (Item 4) and inside t' weight container tube (Item 2) o' t' nose weight assembly. Avast, me proud beauty! Assemble t' weight container o' t' nose weight assembly as follows. Takin' t' Nylon all-thread in hand, thread it all t' way through t' nuts on Item 5 until t' length o' all-thread protrudin' from t' nut on t' opposite side is at least ½ o' its outside diameter. Then put t' assembly inside t' weight container tube, deep enough t' provide a shallow well for an epoxy fillet t' be applied soon after. Ya scallywag! Next, at t' opposite end o' t' weight container, thread either o' Items 6 or 7 onto t' all-thread into that end o' t' weight container. –This operation is very important, me bucko, as it aligns t' all-thread within t' longitudinal axis o' t' weight container tube at each end. – With CA, tack Item 5 in place and t' all-thread as well. But do nay tack anythin' else at this time. Allow t' CA t' cure, shiver me timbers, then remove whichever Item is bein' used t' hold t' opposite end o' t' all-thread at t' other end o' t' weight container tube. Aye aye! Stand t' tube on end and fill t' well in t' forward end with epoxy. Set it aside t' cure. Next, we move on t' t' completion o' t' tool, t' Spanner-Driver assembly. Item s1 o' t' spanner-driver assembly, me bucko, aside from t' necessity o' a free fit that rotates and slides within t' weight container tube, should also be o' a length that is at least one inch greater than t' length o' t' weight container tube used in t' nose weight assembly. Assemble Items s4 and s5 o' t' spanner-driver assembly, me hearties, then glue them in place with epoxy or CA, or both. After that, you may permanently install their assembly at t' other end o' t' spanner-driver tube, with epoxy or CA, or both. Ahoy! Blimey! Now, matey, since Items s2 and s3 o' t' spanner-driver have already been assembled, their installation will finalize t' assembly o' t' Spanner-Driver. Aye aye! Blimey! Install each assembly accordin' t' t' drawin' provided, and set t' completed tool aside. In t' next phase o' this particular plan, t' nose weight assembly will be nearly complete as it is introduced t' t' inner sanctum o' t' rocket’s nose. Moreover, thar be a certainty that is often found in t' necessity for any implementation o' modifications t' commercially manufactured noses for amateur rockets when t' end user’s consideration toward over-building, for t' sake o' safety and success, precludes all else.
First, we have t' modify t' base o' t' nose so that it will accept a rather large piece o' plywood. This particular piece o' plywood, me bucko, referred to, as Item 3 in t' nose weight assembly drawing, will serve in three purposes. Begad! (1.) It provides a far superior hard-mount for t' shock cord. Ya scallywag! (2.) It centers t' aft end o' t' weight container tube. (3.) It also strengthens t' lower end o' t' shoulder o' t' nose. Begad! Which also raises t' question o' how t' get that big thin' inside there, once it’s been built. Ahoy!
Please refer t' t' drawin' o' t' nose weight assembly while holdin' t' rocket nose o' your choice in hand, and then take careful note o' what part o' t' nose that has been set aside in one illustration named as “Cut-away, shiver me timbers, Aft end, Nose”. First, measure t' outer diameter o' t' shoulder. Then subtract 1/16 inch. T' result o' that calculation, rough as it may seem, will be t' outer diameter o' Item 3. Arrr! Start cuttin' t' shoulder o' t' nose cone right about where t' radius meets t' taper, and go all t' way around. Remove burrs and sharp edges with sandpaper (heavy grit). Avast! At t' same time, rough t' inside o' t' shoulder too. Aye aye! Set t' nose aside. Now build Item 3. Blimey! Blimey! Before installin' t' steel U-bolt, test t' fit o' Item 3 inside t' nose. Arrr! Retrieve t' nose. Then, squeeze t' shoulder o' t' nose and slip Item 3 inside. Avast! Like puttin' a slice o' bread into a toaster. Once it’s inside, put a strong finger through t' hole in t' center o' Item 3 and relax your grip on t' shoulder o' t' nose. Begad! Flip t' dang thin' so that it is perpendicular with t' longitudinal axis o' t' nose, me hearties, and then brin' it t' bear against what’s left o' t' aft end o' t' nose’s shoulder. A slightly sloppy fit is OK! Blimey! But a tight one is not. In t' event o' a fit that seems too tight, check t' outer diameter o' t' shoulder again. Ahoy! Blimey! If its diameter is larger than was previously measured, ya bilge rat, you need t' remove a little bit more material from t' outer diameter o' Item 3. Blimey! Take it out t' same way you put it in, me hearties, do what you’ve got’s t' do, and try it again. Once t' fit is deemed t' be 3D and cooperatively aesthetic in your personal standards, shiver me timbers, take Item 3 out and install its U-bolt assembly. Re-install Item 3. Begad! Then insert t' weight container assembly. Blimey! Push t' weight container assembly all t' way into t' nose until it can go no further. Hold it in place with your thumb while pullin' on t' U-bolt with t' index finger and thumb o' your other hand. Now, yell for help. When t' Cavalry arrives, instruct t' first member approachin' you from that group t' apply a bit o' CA around t' base o' t' weight container tube where it mates with Item 3. Arrr! And be sure t' tell them that t' digits o' your hands are nay t' be included with t' fastenin' o' these parts o' t' assembly. [By t' way: children will listen t' instructions and are fully capable o' followin' them. Well, blow me down! Girlfriends, wives, me bucko, and/or a significant other, arrr, however, me bucko, are quite tempted in bein' given t' opportunity t' make a slight mistake.] Once t' CA has cured, me hearties, mix a small batch o' epoxy and make fillets around t' end o' t' weight container as well as inside t' radius o' t' shoulder o' t' nose, me hearties, on Item 3. Avast! Wait for t' epoxy t' cure. Through one o' t' ¾” holes in Item #3, shoot just a little bit o' a commercially manufactured “canned” expandin' foam into t' nose cavity. Give it plenty o' time t' expand and cure. It’s kind o' like shootin' paint, matey, because too much at once is NO GOOD. If you shoot too much, it’ll take forever t' cure because urethane foam needs exposure t' air in order t' cure. And you’ll probably be scrapin' turd-like extrusions o' foam for days after. Blimey! So go light, ya bilge rat, and wait for t' foam t' cure betwixt shots. Aye aye! Clean t' “shooter tube” and t' can’s nozzle betwixt shots, arrr, with Acetone. Ya scallywag! Please be advised that just one (1) can o' this stuff (the expandin' foam) will easily fill several nose cones like t' Minnie-Magg’s. Believe it or don’t, your very own “Adjustable Nose Weight Assembly” is now complete. TAH DAH! So, Congratulations and Salutations are t' order o' t' day. Here’s how it works, in t' field and on-site. -A rocket’s center o' pressure does nay change, but its center o' gravity does. Further, t' relationship betwixt t' two is a very important factor in t' properties o' stable flight. And thar be t' basic “rule o' thumb” that t' rocket’s center o' gravity should be at least one airframe diameter (or caliber) ahead o' t' location o' t' center o' pressure when it is made ready for flight. – Prepare t' rocket for flight, then tie a piece o' twine around t' airframe and suspend it above your work bench; movin' t' twine fore or aft along t' airframe until t' rocket is balanced. Avast, me proud beauty! If that balance point is nay at least one caliber ahead o' t' center o' pressure, you’ll need t' add weight t' t' nose. Stand t' rocket’s nose on t' pointy end, me bucko, and remove Items 6 & 7 from t' weight container tube. Aye aye! Pour in an ounce or two o' lead shot. Ya scallywag! Place Item 6 on t' all-thread (nut first) and carefully thread it into t' mouth o' t' weight container tube by hand. With t' Spanner-Driver chucked in a portable drill motor, me bucko, slowly turn Item 6 along t' length o' t' all-thread until it just touches t' lead shot in t' bottom o' t' weight container tube. Begad! Now introduce Item 7 t' t' all-thread but with t' nut facin' “UP”. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Slowly thread it into t' weight container tube until it just barely touches Item 6. Aye aye! Remove t' Spanner-Driver and reattach t' nose t' t' Rocket. Then perform t' balancin' act again. Once t' rocket’s balance point (center o' gravity) is sufficiently ahead o' its center o' pressure, me hearties, you’re good t' go. Comments from t' Author:Each time a different motor is used, shiver me timbers, take note o' t' amount o' lead shot required in achievin' t' aforementioned relationship betwixt t' rocket’s center o' gravity and its center o' pressure; either by volume or scaled measurement. Usin' lead shot instead o' steel shot requires less space t' be occupied by t' amount o' weight needed. And for consistency, usin' just one size o' shot when it is bein' measured by volume alone is recommended. In t' event that you are attemptin' higher flights with t' implementation o' Optimal Mass, you already know how much t' rocket weighs when it is prepared for flight and exactly how much more weight needs t' be added. That amount o' weight will however, vary. Because flight conditions at t' launch site, namely Weather and Geographical Location are variable factors too in pre-flight calculations or simulation. Contributed by Steven Pasquier
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