Rocketeer Rocket Pack from Trash

Who needs Howard Hughes or Peevy when you can build your own Rocketeer rocket pack from little more than the contents of your recycling bin?

Step 1: What you'll need

I was able to find everything I needed lying around the house, but if you don’t have a large stock of craft supplies you might need to pick up a few items.

From your recycling bin:
• two 2L pop bottles (I used Coke Zero)
• mouth was bottle
• two shampoo or conditioner bottles (plastic deodorant containers may work too)
• round plastic dip or spread container
• thin cardboard from cereal boxes or something similar
• paper towel tube

From the thrift store or the back of your closet:
• old purse with brown faux-leather straps

From the craft store, hardware store or your supply cabinet:
• scissors and x-acto knife
• glue gun and glue sticks
• white glue
• masking tape
• wire
• spray primer
• spackling paste
• silver spray paint
• craft paint in bronze, pewter and black
• paint brushes

Comments

[J-Five]

Darn, I thought it was a working jet pack.

But it still looks great!

[DreamWalker08]

Excellent idea!
The only thing I could criticise would be the suggestion of deodorant cans. Even when empty, these are still under pressure and can explode if you're crafting with them and they accidentally get punctured. Believe me, the bruises from a deodorant can flying at high speed can take ages to heal.
Safety first!

[ModMischief]

I was thinking of solid or gel deodorant containers like Speed Stick (http://www.wekenshop.com/images/43797.jpg). Do they even sell deodorant in cans anymore?

[DreamWalker08]

oh, then most certainly go ahead! Yeah first thing I thought of was the aerosol ones.
In Australia (where I'm from) the aerosol versions are more common than roll on or stick versions... I've never seen Speed Stick (but I have heard of it) at my supermarket

[abadfart]

i use the stick because its easier to put on when you are dressed making it ideal for freshening up right before work

[ModMischief]

Thanks DreamWalker. I've added "plastic" to the description to hopefully avoid any possible confusion.

[rdelvacchio]

This is great. I just finished making this for my son's kindergarten class play. He is so psyched to get the play over with so he can play with it anytime he wants. Thank you for the great guide.

[pheenix42]

How does she look...?

Like a hood ornament!

[jscholey]

I do love this concept, I think the pack's structure looks great, but one critique is the paint job.

The flat silver looks very fake and I think if it had a black wash over it to darken the silver paint, and perhaps a little corrosion around the bottom it would really finish it off.

[CementTruck]

both thumbs....wayyyyyy up!! Great reduce/reuse/recycle.

Loved the Rocketeer movie as a youngster and just watched it with my kids this year.

[chaitanyak]

wow thats brilliant!
wish we celebrated halloween here, i'd wear this!

[Little Mom on the Prairie]

Very cool,thank you for sharing! LOVE that movie!

[annoyingfeatures]

i think we're gonna need a lawyer. I think we're gonna need a helmet!
seriously, make the helmet

[i_am_joey]

THIS IS AWESOME!
now if you can just make a JENNIFER CONNELLY replica, id be your slave forever :D

[aeshem]

WOW!!!!! =D THIS IS WAY COOL!!!

[Sharaz Destler]

I'm trying to create a replica of the Bell Textron rocket-belt, myself. You know, the one from "Thunderball." So far, the main thing I have are the soda bottles, but mine's going to be attached to a backpack. PVC pipes/connectors, that sort of thing.

[prixprix]

This looks awesome! I love it.

[PenfoldPlant]

Hooray! Well done!

[suboxygen]

oh yeah the bubble gum haha. man that was such a great movie. I remember watching it in theatre. very nice costume! super creative :)

[lairdkeffer]

That is amazing it just needs one touch ...A chewdpeice of bubble gum :)

[timmy01]

You've totally inspired me!!!!!!!!....

[itgasht]

he he he. is lol. thanks

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Very well done!

[thepelton]

That would make a neat thing to show at a sci fi convention.

[bennelson]

I am SO jealous of that hip belt. Love the jacket style too!

I went to Halloween for a couple years as the Rocketeer.
My helmet was made from an old hard-hat. I made the fin from foamcore. The face part of the helmet was tagboard, with black screen for the eye lenses. Then the whole thing was painted with Rustoleum Hammer Finish Bronze colored spray paint.

(And I can't find a photo of it right now!)

[Honus]

Awesome job! Mucho creative. Love the Rocketeer- I even have a blueprint of the jetpack on my wall. Someday I'll get mine done...

[Toram]

I would like to start this by saying I love your style and quirkiness Allison.

I've read your whole blog over the weekend and really love the way you and Chris love life and crafts.

I've been following instructables for over a year now and yours have been the most fun and interesting to read because of your passion.

Please keep it up, maybe one day I'll go to Burning Man and see you guys there.

[agis68]

this is amazing, very well job 5/5 lovely movie

[Allonsy]

this is epic. nice job!

[Wasagi]

This is amazing!

Also, I found this through your blog, but I found your blog through your instructables, which is all very confusing. I feel like subscribing to you would be the easiest route from here on in.

[ModMischief]

I'm glad you like my projects enough to follow both my blog and my instructables!

I tend to post full instructions on instructables only when I have a totally original project or I don't see any previous instructables on something that I'm making.

I'll usually blog about everything that I'm making, doing or that I find interesting. If there's already an instructable about it, I might briefly explain how I did it on my blog or link to the how-to, but I won't bother posting a duplicate instructable (like when I made ice cream in a jar or hacked a kitchen table into a coffee table).

I try to also blog about on-going projects before they are finished (like my dinosaur) but I won't make the instructable until I've got it all worked out and finished.

I hope that makes it less confusing!

[sunshiine]

I have not seen the movie but I love your ible.

[eulaliaaaa!]

OMG! I LOOOOVE that movie! Stick a piece of gum on it for effect!

[thomaskovac]

this is geeky!

[scott!]

Welcome to instructables! :P

[Tinworm]

I really liked the Rocketeer, less for the fairly crummy story-line than for the terrific outfit...and yours really does it credit. Well done!

Have you made a helmet? I nearly did....out of a fibreglass aeroplane wheel-spat salvaged after a plane crash (nobody hurt). The spat had a nice aerodynamic fairing look....so it was half-way there in terms of design. The guy I bought my plane from has a Rocketeer helmet a friend made him...not sure what for!

I also like the movie guy's leather jacket and your suggestions about khaki etc are spot on.

[The_Monkey_King]

Peevey would be pleased as punch! So where did the lower harness come from, with the pockets?

Cheers!

[ModMischief]

I'm wearing a yak leather utility belt from Fairies Pyjamas.

When my boyfriend wears the rocket pack, he's going to clip the straps to his pants like suspenders.

You could also loop the straps through a normal belt or cut them shorter and attach them to the back of the pack.

[CamButton]

Its Madonna

[techsean]

That is a great build. I'm going to put it on my list of thngs to do. Well done!