Just a note of warning. Zylitol is dangerous for dogs. Just so you know.
Michael
From: Nikolai Nielsen <nielsen.nikolai86@xxxxxxxxx>
To: sugpro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2017 5:46 PM
Subject: [sugpro] Re: help
ive been seeing Xylitol popping up on the shelves of the health foods section
of my supermarkets and i think i should give it a go :) it is a lot more runny
when cast if im not mistaken.
Nikolai Nielsen
On Thu, Jun 29, 2017 at 10:58 PM, Richard Nakka <richard.rocketry@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Nikolai, I can understand your reasoning for using sugar, yeah, sorbitol can be
kinda expensive and hard to find. Two other options are fructose and xylitol,
both are excellent alternatives and may be cheaper and more readily available
(as is the case where I live).
Or check out Jimmy's recrystallized method. I am not that familiar with it, but
I do believe it's much less messy and is more safe than your current method. I
believe Jimmy packs his propellant as a putty-like material, nice.
Richard
On Thu, Jun 29, 2017 at 3:01 PM, Ayson Baxter <donperry1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Have you tried the boiling/recrystallize method on that scale?
Glucose is good in the boiling method, and corn syrup also.
I tend to prefer that method, i used it in this rocket
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ysWPlV6gMlE - I or J class rocket 5.5 lb or so ;
total weight, 4950 ft.
Sugpro guys here are responsible for steering me in making that rocket fly. :)
On Thu, Jun 29, 2017 at 2:52 PM, Nikolai Nielsen <nielsen.nikolai86@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
i am very giddy right now that you, Richard Nakka, the (to me at least) Wernher
von Braun of experimental rocketry, enjoyed my amateur tutorial. i have spent
many hours and nights inhaling the information off of your website to try and
get as much info to make my rockets as good as possible.i knew i had to get
this video made because i saw there was a lack of tutorials that could relay
the information without being an hour of footage or be so short that there was
a lot of vital information missing so that was the purpose of this tutorial,
provide free, important information that gives the most info in the least time
on how to make a rocket engine for someone that has finnished experimenting
with rammed sugar motors and wants to go bigger without spending buckets of
money on materials like end caps for holding nozzles.
im honoured that you say that i appear that ive been working on this motor for
5 years, but ive actually been working on this pvc motor for something like 2
months and have gone through about 11-13 prototypes, though ive been making
rockets for 5 years (since i was 12, im 17 now) and only started making rockets
that actually work for 2 years, i never gave up and plan to take this into a
career(aerospace engineering, i love making anything if im able and desperately
want metal working machinery, especially a lathe).
about the safety, yes i acknowledge that holding a blowtorch over rocket fuel
might not be the brightest idea but i do make sure that there is something
between the fuel and the flame and i always make sure i point the flame 90
degrees to the engine and about a rulers length above it when im dripping the
wax in, and this is the fastest method i could think of to deliver the wax.
this motor is definitely not entry level, i need to find a way to add a
disclaimer, which will be difficult seeing that there aren't annotations
anymore and people probably won't go and read the description.
about the sorbitol, i looked into it for a while and cannot find a resource
where it doesn't cost an arm and a leg or come in a syrup. ive become contempt
with using sucrose and have leaned how to tame its properties but if a more
reliable and easily accessible option comes along, ill give it a go. ive also
come up with a method to solve the difficult-to-handleness of the fuel, which
ill be posting in a follow up video of improvements next month(soon).
you mentioned a surfactant, to be honest i had to go google that but i would
like to give it a go so what would you recommend i use?
one last thing, ive been in contact with Johann Grober and he is curious to
know if you have heard of him (we both live in South Africa).
i really want to thank you for showing some love for what i do, i rarely manage
to find an ear that will listen to what info i provide here.kind regardsNikolai
Nielsen
Nikolai Nielsen
On Thu, Jun 29, 2017 at 8:50 PM, Richard Nakka <richard.rocketry@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Nikolai,
I viewed your tutorial video, there are many things about it that I like. It is
well made, you clearly put a lot of effort and thought into it, and you provide
instructions in an orderly well-explained manner (sadly, a rare quality when it
comes to You tube videos). And I can tell you have a lot of experience under
your belt with PVC rocket motor making. You present a lot of good ideas (your
dessicator is better than mine, I'll have to get one of those rubber sealed
containers).
There are certain things that make me cringe, regarding safety, you probably
know what I am referring to. So on one hand, your tutorial is a good for
entry-level rocketry, but I hesitate to recommend it to anyone without a fair
degree of experience with sugar motors, who would have the needed awareness of
hazards.
As such, I do have one suggestion to make the process better and safer.
I would ditch the sugar (sucrose) based propellant for a safer, and far less
messy one, such as sorbitol or dextrose (KNSB or KNDX) and use the conventional
casting method. Safer and neater. If casting poses a problem with small
diameter casings, a surfactant (commonly available) will eliminate that issue
by making the propellant pour like water. I expect that since you've been
working on this for 5 years, you probably have gotten comfortable with the
materials, and that propellant choice, but maybe its time to consider my
suggestion. I'll bet you will like it and can make an even better and safer
version 2.0 of your otherwise very good tutorial.
cheers
Richard Nakka
On Wed, Jun 28, 2017 at 2:59 PM, Nikolai Nielsen <nielsen.nikolai86@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Ive made a tutorial of the sugar motor I make, I want to see if it can give you
any ideas and mabe you could give me some tips and tricks
https://youtu.be/fEyk-Mj1xHUNikolai Nielsen
