Nikolai,
Xylitol is readily available where I live and its "reasonably" priced. I
just recently started experimenting with it and so far I really like it,
for three reasons. It has a low melting point (92-96 C.), has lower
viscosity so casts easier. And most significantly, the resulting propellant
(KNXY) is NON-HYGROSCOPIC, at least at the humidity levels that cause other
sugar propellants to get wet and sticky and hard to light.
The burn rate of KNXY is slower than any other sugar propellant and so
makes for longer burn time motors.
However, as Michael pointed out xylitol is TOXIC to dogs, so be very
careful if you have a dog. We have a dog (who likes to eat anything) that
we cherish so I am very careful to clean up all scraps or spillage and to
"lock up" my xylitol supply.
Richard
On Thu, Jun 29, 2017 at 4:45 PM, Nikolai Nielsen <
nielsen.nikolai86@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
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 regards
Nikolai 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-Mj1xHU
Nikolai Nielsen
