Model rocket recovery wadding

Love launching model rockets but don't love the cost?

Here's a way to cut costs a bit by making your own recovery wadding

The point of the recovery wadding is to provide a shield between the recovery charge from the engine (hot gases and sparks) and the parachute or other recovery system for the reason of preventing damage to your rocket and/or on board fires Recovery wadding is just fireproof paper

This does NOT require any special tools or materials that are not found in the average household
This sells at hobby shops for about 8 dollars for 75 sheets You can make over 100 sheets for under 1 dollar

Step 1 What you need

Saucer
Toilet paper (as many sheets as sheets of wadding you want)
Wax paper
Borax or baking soda
Water
Measuring cup
Spoon

Comments

[rmilliken]

Something that we use is cellulose insulation, known as "dog barf" among serious rocketeers. It's cheap and easily obtainable and works better than the paper type of wadding. Check out The Rocketry Forum for more information. If you haven't alreay, look for a rocketry club near to to launch with. It's more fun than launching alone. nar.org will list local clubs.

[joebobII]

Will this work as "dog barf"?

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&productId=202522876&R=202522876

[rmilliken]

yep, that 's the stuff. If you go to a club launch, they will most likely have a box full of it you can just grab some out of.

[ToddisI]

This is definately gunna save me some money! Thanks!

[A flyin muffin]

I know this may be pretty stupid, but I just use tin foil.

[Madkart]

I use Christmas paper garland. At my place they need to be fireproofed to be sale on the market. There will on sale just after Christmas. With one roll I could do a lot of launch.

Madkart

[lulu10]

lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalaalalalalalalalalalalaalalalalalalalalalaalalalalalala

[lulu10]

you are bumb

[nbsmith]

This worked great! I had promised a pile of kids that I would set off a rocket on Sunday, and picked up the engines on a Saturday. No one at the hobby shop mentioned wadding and this was my first launch. Sunday morning at 7:00am I discovered that I needed flame retardant wadding. You and Google saved my bacon. I used baking soda and kleenex, and dried the stuff in a shelved drying cabinet above my tumble dryer because I was short on time. The launch was amazing and the rocket recovered unharmed. I can see sending stuff into the sky being addictive.

[NaesDraw]

I'm gonna show this to the person who runs the rocketry contest at my county fair, thanks!

[Uthallan]

Heh, i wonder if you could dunk a whole roll of toilet paper and just rip a peace off wyhen you need it after it dries

[Gollandarr]

 Not easily.  when paper gets wet or damp it tends to bond together.  just drop any spiral notebook in a puddle for about 5 seconds, let it dry, then realize nearly all of the pages rip to bits as you try seperating them

[Pyro the maniac]

not sure, probly!

[Pyro the maniac]

Glad i could be of use!!

[Pyro the maniac]

you dont have to. just make sure there is no borax powder on the bottom

[crazyboy007]

did you mean "scrape"? 'cause i dont want to throw away the measuring cup

[Ohm]

Looks promising, I am sure I well touch off a few rockets this summer, usually do it at least once a year now, not too heaving into the the hobby any more so not having to spend so much for recovery wadding well be nice.

[randofo]

(removed by author or community request)

[admin]

(removed by author or community request)

[Pyro the maniac]

I dont have access to a camara right now so if you could post my instructable now that would be great!