The Thrifty Rocketeer weblog continues....
Normally, this weblog tries to give you some useful, constructive suggestions.
But today, we'll have a look at a few issues To not attempt.
Just tonight, I used to be chatting with some rocketry associates by Zoom, and one of the extra senior guys holds up a couple of pieces destined for his high power rocket. He's asking for elastic webbing help and recommendation on tips on how to proceed.
He's received a medium sized carabiner in his proper hand, and in his left is a strip of what he is asking an elastic band. (It appears to be like extra just like the headband that Spock wears in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, but no matter.)
It's an extended length or skein of two inch large elastic band that appears like it'd both go in a truss, a bra, or some type of again brace.
And he is asking, "How do I attach this to that?"
The dialogue begins and rules out sewing (trigger the stitches won't stretch), rivets (cause they're going to pop each time it stretches), grommets (for the same purpose) and glue, (because it won't "give" with out cracking).
One rocketeer mentioned, "Dump it, just get a nylon rope or similar woven tube, and tie it on", simply as you'd in mountain climbing.
All of us just about agreed that the two inch width of the elastic band won't allow for a tight knot to be tied across the carabiner, so we settle on the nylon tube/rope concept.
Now this started me considering in regards to the time that I considered making my own shock cord out of elastic. I used to be doing a scratch build for a recycling show on how you may turn extraordinary trash into a quite simple rocket and nosecone with plastic Wal-Mart bag parachute. For a shock cord, I had settled upon an old pair of men's tighty-whitey briefs.
I satisfied my wife to lend me her pinking sheers, and i used a seam ripper to free the elastic band from the pair of shorts. In a short time, I bored with the seam ripper, and went for a straight sharp pair of fabric sheers, and simply lower as close to the waist band as I may.
Now that I had the loop of elastic free, I do not recall if I minimize across the appear or ripped it free, but I wound up with a single length of 1 inch wide elastic that still had plenty of stretch in it.
Deciding that the band was too broad, I took the fabric sheers and minimize down the center of the band leaving an equal width of elastic band on either aspect of the reduce. What I hadn't counted upon was the fraying, which began immediately. If you have any questions regarding where and how you can make use of woven elastic band (writeablog.net), you could call us at the site. The 2 elastic strips, while about forty two inches lengthy, curled and buckled, refusing to put flat.
This was symptomatic of how the elastic band would behave irrespective of how I lower it , stretched it, or steam pressed it. I realized that you Can't minimize an elastic band lengthwise had have it work. (Now, for the needs of my poster board display of the components of a rocket, it labored well sufficient, but for actually use in a rocket, my idea would not have worked.)
What WOULD work is the acquisition of about 3 feet of slim 1/8-1/4 inch elastic from Joann Fabrics or similar shop. Aside from the run on this materials to make masks throughout the pandemic, this might work for smaller, low-energy rockets in case you wanted to exchange a shock cord.