[Lab] Rocket nose cone

[Darcy Whyte]

1) Have you considered vacuum moulding? Might work for very clear or tinted
material. Also might be pretty light.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.




Message: 2
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:06:49 -0400
From: mike Jans <mjans at live.com>
Subject: [Lab] Rocket nose cone
To: <lab at artengine.ca>
Message-ID: <COL118-W5162B0409B5818529744FDD8BC0 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


Hi,
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.
The nose cone will be about 10" long (with 1" inside the body tube) and
about 2" in diameter.
Thanks,
Mike
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