[sdiy] DIY rocketry

[Paul Schreiber]

>
> >when I was 11yrs old, and nearly killed myself 3 times with Estes model
> >rockets.
>
> I wonder how many DIYers have NOT managed to nearly blow themselves up. I
> bet it's a minority. My friend put a home made rocket motor through his
leg.
> I was at a "safe" distance of about five feet away at the time.
>

There was a big news article yesterday where a NASA engineer blew himself up
in his backyard
mixing fuel for a home-made chemical rocket.

Rocketry is a classic case of "progressive danger syndrome" where each time,
you get crazier building a bigger,
more powerful one. Until common sense kicks in. I got scared with the
Centaur F-97 engines (shipped by
rail only) and decided I liked having 2 eyes and 10 fingers. I also shyed
away from high voltage and
carbon arc lights (my dad's personal favorites, with a meat loaf pan/salt
water rheostat. Trash can lid as
UV reflector).

Around 1973 rocketry was at a peak, and potassium chlorate was cheap. I'm
surprised I'm still alive. You
haven't lived until you put 2 cups sugar, 1 cup KCLO4 in a paint can and
watch yellow flames shoot 30 ft
in the air, as the can melts, THEN the asphalt melts. Who called the damn
fire dept.??!?

Paul S.