Homemade Rocket With Rocket Fuel and Engine

by fishik in Outside > Rockets

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Homemade Rocket With Rocket Fuel and Engine

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I really like and enjoy estes rocket, and I decided to make one myself. 
I also made the fuel and the engine. All is made from the materials you can easily obtain or even have at your house right now. 

They can go up to 300 meters (1,000 ft) on this fuel. 

Making the fuel involves working with the ammonium nitrate, please before you do it, read this article - http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/emergency/chemical_terrorism/ammonia_tech.htm
Especially the "What are the immediate health effects of ammonia exposure?" paragraph, so you realize the risks you are taking and I am not responsible for the consequences.

Material for the Fuel

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At first lets make a fuel of our rocket. 
What we will need:
1. Ammonium nitrate (how to get described in the next step)
2. Baking soda
3. Water
4. Sugar
5. Jar/bucket
6. Measuring cup 
7. Newspaper

How to Get Ammonuim Nitrate

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Ammonium nitrate is commonly used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer. It is also used in instant cold packs, as hydrating the salt is an endothermic process.
So, the easiest way to get it is to buy a cold pack. Open it and remove water from it. 

I am pretty sure you could also order it online, but for me the cold pack seems the easiest way.

Mix

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Use the measuring cup to add 2 cups of ammonium nitrate and 2 cups of baking soda. 
In this step it is important to keep the proportion. 1:1. The size of measuring cup may 
slightly vary, but its important to use the same one for adding everything. My cup was about 200 mL

Mix

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Add 17 measuring cups of water into soda and ammonium nitrate. 
Use the same cup you used in step 3. 
Mix everything together. 

Boiling

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Boil the solution for about 30 minutes. Stir gently while boiling. After 8-10 minutes ammonia gas is going to produce,  after 15 minutes there is going to be a lot of gas producing, after about 25-30 minutes the reaction is going to stop, and no ammonia gas is going to be producing, that's how you know you are done. 

It very important that you boil this OUTSIDE. 
DO NOT boil it inside, because as you boil, ammonia gas is going to produce. Ammonia gas is very toxic if inhaled, so try not to breather it in, and its good to wear a mask as you are doing this. 

Please before you do it, read this article - http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/emergency/chemical_terrorism/ammonia_tech.htm
Especially the "What are the immediate health effects of ammonia exposure?" paragraph, so you realize the risks you are taking and I am not responsible for the consequences. 

Cooling

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After you are done with boiling, let the solution cool for 5-7 minutes.
Then add one cup of sugar and mix. 

Dunk

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Put newspaper in the solution and let it soak in there for 3-5 minutes 

Dry

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When you newspaper is fully impregnated with the solution, take it out and let it completely dry. 
Your rocket fuel is finished. 


Rocket Engine

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1. Fuel (newspaper made in previous steps)
2. Paper
3. Tape
4. Pen
5. Scissors 

Folding

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Take half of the newspaper sheet. 
Fold it twice in half.
Then in half one more time.
Roll it up. 

Tape

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Tape the newspaper you rolled.
Tape one end completely, and leave another untapped. 

Folding

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Take a piece of paper.
Fold it in half. 
Then roll the tapped newspaper in it. 

Tape

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Tape the newspaper inside the paper. 
Leave about 0.5 inch gap on one side.
Cut the left over part on the other side and tape it. 

Hole for a Wick

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At the side you left a 0.5 inch gap put the rod from the pen inside. 
Fold the sides and tape them. 

Wick

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Roll the newspaper and insert it into the previously made hole. 
Your engine is ready. 

Rocket

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Now there is different ways you could launch it.
1. Tape a stick to an engine and launch it just like that (step 17)
2. Make a rocket yourself (step 18)
3. Insert this engine into estes rockets and launch it.

Launching the Engine

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Take a stick, preferably really light one and tape it to the engine. 
Put the end of the stick into the ground, light up the wick and enjoy. 

Homemade Rocket

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Materials:
1. Bottle
2. Cardboard
3. "Airborn" or "M&M" flask, or anything with that round, "rocket" shape. 

Rocket

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Cut cardboard into triangle shape and glue these "triangles" around the body of the rocket.
Make another hole at the other end of the rocket body.
Cut off the top of the bottle, roll it, and glue it inside the rocket body. 
Also, if you are going to launch it from the estes launching platform, take a little piece of paper roll it and tape to the side of the rocket. (Thats how you will secure your rocket on the platform)

Lauch

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Now go out and launch your rocket. 
I will soon upload the videos.