How to Build a Bottle Rocket
Introduction
It is thrilling to watch rockets at work. There is just something about launching a giant machine into space with a controlled explosion that really gets the adrenaline pumping. While it would be great to be able to build your own full sized rocket at home, that is a pretty cost prohibitive project. But you can still enjoy the thrills of rocket launches by building your own bottle rocket out of materials that you probably already have around your house. This tutorial will teach you how to build your own reusable bottle rocket and its launch pad.
Materials
For the rocket, all you need is a soda bottle that is two liters in size, thin sheets of balsa wood, rubber cement, and a manila folder. Considering the complexity of the project, the materials list is very short. However, you will also need parts for the launcher. These materials include a 2 by 4 piece of wood, an electrical knockout junction box, copper tubing, a #4 test tube stopper (with a hole), a hose clamp, a thin piece of steel (1/8 inches thick), an air pump, string, and two long nails to stabilize the launcher on the ground.
The Rocket
Before you build your rocket, you will need to prepare your materials. Start by emptying out the bottle. Remove the label from the bottle and use some paint thinner to get all of the excess glue off. Take your balsa wood and cut out four fins. They do not have to be fancy – just functional. A good tip when you are cutting your fins is to make sure that the grain in the wood is parallel to the edge of the fin for extra stability.
Sand the fins to make them smooth and aerodynamic. You can mount the fins at equal distances with rubber cement. It is a good idea to mark out where you will mount your fins before you apply any glue or cement. Everything has to be perfect or the rocket will crash, so take your time when mounting the fins. Use a piece of tape to guide the fins and keep them stable while the rubber cement sets. Finally, cut the folder into a nose cone and cement your cone to the top of your rocket.
The Launch Pad
Now for the tough part of building a bottle rocket – making the launch pad. Start by cutting two blocks from your 2 by 4 wood, each of about six inches (small pieces). Cut another piece that is about one and a half feet long, six inches wide, and half an inch thick (large piece). Use some wood screws to screw the small pieces into the ends of the large piece so you form a wood table shaped launcher. Now take the junction box and screw it right into the middle of your wooden table, then drill a hole all the way through the junction box and the wood table so that you can fit the test tube stopper through it.
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The Launching Mechanism
The launching mechanism requires copper tubing. Cut the copper to a workable length and force it through the test tube stopper. Secure the tube to your air pump with a hose clamp. Bend your steel into a small U-Shaped pin, which can be used to release the rocket when it is time to launch. Tie a string to the U part of your pin and slide the pin into the holes on the side of the junction box. Drill holes on both sides of the launch pad and run your very long nail through each of the holes and into the ground for extra stability.
Lift Off
Pour about two or three cups of water into the bottle. Place the bottle on the launch pad and slide your pin directly over the notches at the neck of the bottle. Turn on your air pump to pressurize the rocket to approximately 45 psi the first time for a test run. You can use up to 75 psi for subsequent runs for one heck of a rocket launch. When you are ready to let the rocket take off, simply yank on the string to pull the pin and launch the rocket.