Insulin Syringe 6.25

by Jim Myers & Eric Myers

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After me son be diagnosed as a type I diabetic (on April 1st, no less), We decided t' upscale an insulin syringe, as comic relief from the new daily routine of carb counting, finger poking, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, arrr, blood glucose monitorin' and injections.  

T' syringe is a 625% upscale o' a BD Ultrafine 3/10 CC.  It is made from a 1 1/4" polycarbonate T-20 fluorescent tube slip cover for t' main body tube. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' 1/8" acrylic fins are t' shape o' t' finger pads o' t' original syringe.  T' plunger is made from BT-20 with foamcore centerin' rings and 18mm engine mount. T' cap is balsa, me hearties, me hearties, turned and strips glued on t' make t' ribs. Aye aye!  

Recovery is an 18" mylar chute, with a semi-pop pod/plunger design.  T' ejection pops t' plunger back to deploy t' chute, and ejection ventin' pops t' (kevlar tethered) cap off the needle.  T' plunger is stopped 1/2 way back by two cotterpins, catchin' a centerin' ring. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty!

It has flown, on a C6-3. It is heavy, me bucko, so altitude be limited to about 100 ft. Aye aye! T' pop plunger recovery worked so-so. T' chute deployed, arrr, but the plunger popped past t' stop, me bucko, matey, ya bilge rat, It eventually came free and separated about 2/3 t' way down. Broke a fin and cracked t' cap on landing. Ahoy! We will be making more solid centerin' rings o' masonite and go again. It worked well enough to prove it works, ya bilge rat, just needs beefier CRs. Begad!