<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">1) Have you considered vacuum moulding? Might work for very clear or tinted material. Also might be pretty light.</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br></span></div><div>I'm supposing a nose cone is pretty pointy and might be a challenge for that technique but you could do it in two parts and then join them in the worst scenario. Even if the joint isn't transparent. </div>
<div><br></div><div>I think you could make the moulds on a cnc machine. There are lots of diy instructions on it if you google stuff like "molding canopy" and such (from model planes).</div><div><br></div><div>
2) Perhaps a clear pop bottle can be used to make it. You could cut, bend and join till it looks like what you want.</div>
<div><br></div><div>3) You could carve it out of balsa or some other light material. Then drill it to be partly hollow. Drill into it to mount LEDs. It would come out looking like it has freckles but there might be a creative way to line up the LEDs or arrange them. </div>
<div><br></div><div>4) There is this plastic stuff that melts easily. Emily has some (I got some from mail order too). Its sort of translucent and I'm supposing you could make a cone out of that stuff. If it's thin it would be a bit light.</div>
<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br></span></div><br>Message: 2<br>Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:06:49 -0400<br>
From: mike Jans <<a href="mailto:mjans@live.com" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">mjans@live.com</a>><br>Subject: [Lab] Rocket nose cone<br>To: <<a href="mailto:lab@artengine.ca" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">lab@artengine.ca</a>><br>
Message-ID: <COL118-W5162B0409B5818529744FDD8BC0@phx.gbl><br>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"<br><br><br>Hi,<br>I'm building a model rocket from scratch. I want to make a nose cone that is lightweight, but also translucent as I plan to pack it with LED's so it can glow/flash etc. I was thinking of making it out of fiberglass but I would then need to make a mold to cast it on. Any suggestions on what to make the mold out of, or how to make it? I'm open to alternative materials too, as long as it's translucent.<br>
The nose cone will be about 10" long (with 1" inside the body tube) and about 2" in diameter.<br>Thanks,<br>Mike</span>