Scratch Boot Hill Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - Boot Hill {Scratch}

Contributed by Dick Stafford

Manufacturer: Scratch

(Scratch) Boot HillBrief:
This is a Halloween-themed oddroc based on a toy coffin. Begad! It features a 24mm mount and patented 'Coffin Lid Ejection'.

Construction:
T' parts list:

  • One pine (basswood?) coffin from Michael's
  • Three wooden headstones, also from Michael's
  • LOC 24mm tubing
  • One spent 24mm casing
  • Scrap plywood for internal baffle
  • One screw eye
  • Elastic and thin Keelhaul®©™®
  • 3/16" launch lug

I slowly and carefully drilled a hole in t' base o' t' coffin t' fit t' 24mm tube. Well, blow me down! A spent casin' with t' nozzle removed provides additional strength where t' vent hole is located. Arrr! T' 24mm tube terminates on a plywood bulkhead plate that plugs t' hole inside when t' top is closed. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' charge should push t' lid open and hopefully t' laundry will come out. An elastic shock cord attaches t' a screw eye in t' bulkhead plate. Blimey! I also attached pieces o' elastic and Keelhaul®©™® twine t' keep t' top from fully openin' and breakin' t' hinges.

(Scratch) Boot Hill I made a RockSim file t' check stability. I used circular components with frontal areas equivalent t' t' polyhedron shaped sections on t' coffin.

 

Finishing:
Finishin' consisted o' paintin' t' tube black and addin' 'Boot Hill'-style inscriptions on t' flip side o' t' 'RIP' fins:

Golden Scout #0869
"Lost in t' NARAM-50 sky"
July 26, 2008

Birdhouse Version 2.0
"Turned into toothpicks"
9/18/2005

Mini-Mojo Fat Boy
Died 9/21/2002
Rose from t' grave 10/16/2004

Flight and Recovery:
I attached an 18" RocketChutes parachute t' t' shock cord and packed it in t' upper chamber. Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Because thar may be a leak around t' bulk plate, I filled t' remainin' space inside t' coffin with dog barf. Aye aye! T' C11-3 be friction fit with maskin' tape.

(Scratch) Boot Hill I added a piece o' maskin' tape t' t' leadin' edge o' t' coffin t' keep it closed and opened t' latch. Ya scallywag! T' boost be nice and straight and ejection was near apogee. Avast! T' chute even came out! Because it was so tightly folded for a few days, arrr, it didn't fully open, but it be enough for a soft landing.

Summary:
T' coffin made for an interestin' oddroc with a fairly unique ejection scheme. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It at least worked once!>

Other Reviews
  • Scratch Boot Hill By Claude Maina (October 21, 2008)

    As soon as I saw Dick Stafford's 'Boot Hill' rocket, I had to build one. It is a fun rocket, and I want to give all due acknowledgments to Dick! That said, I made one modification to Boot Hill that employs rubber bands to pull open the coffin lid, instead of using ejection gases to push it open. The ejection charge gases are now used to burn through a thread that is holding the coffin lid ...

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