Although model rocketry is usually not considered a true pyrotechnic undertaking by those who spend their days blowing up small out-buildings in the back woods of Montana using C-4 that their ex-marine brother Burt happen to bring back from the Gulf war, it can nevertheless has a lot of potential as an experimental hobby whether you are just starting to blow things up or have been doing it for years.

    Once you have become proficient at blowing things up on the ground the logical next step is to blow things up in the air. this is when the rocket comes in.

• a tube (for engines A-C a class 125 1/2" PVC pipe. for size D engines 3/4" class 125 PVC pipe) These can be purchased at any hardware store.
• cardboard: to cut out the fins
• Glue (I recommend using a hot melt glue gun)
• model rocket engine (This is the expensive part of the rocket and they can cost as much as $3 an engine for the D size they come in packages of 3. Smaller engines can be purchased in bulk for as little as $1 an engine.)

Total cost: Home built rocket + C engine $ 2.50 Store bought Rocket + C engine $15.00

Building your own rocket is the economical choice and the PVC is strong enough to be used many times.

Now that you have all of the necessary materials to build your own rocket You can begin.

1. Take your class 125 pvc pipe (either the 1/2" for the "C" engine rockets, or the 3/4" for the "D" engine rockets) and cut of anywhere from 6"-12" off of the pipe using either a hacksaw or a PVC pipe cutter.   Note: making your rocket longer will increase stability but decrease maximum altitude attainable by rocket. longer rockets may also need larger fins.

2. After your tube is cut to length use sandpaper to clean the ends of the cutoff pipe.

3. Next you will have to make the fins for you rocket.  I recommend using thin but strong cardboard like the type that most pizza boxes are made from.  The fins can be cut out in any shape that you want, but they should be of ample size to stabilize the rocket. I recommend that the fin be at least 1/3 the length of the rocket and 3 times as wide as the rocket tube.  Simply draw a fin on the cardboard and cut it out, then use that fin as a template for the other fins.  It is a good idea if you are building many rockets to keep an extra fin as a template so that you can be more consistent with the fins.  Rockets may have 3 or 4 fins.

4. Now you are ready to glue your fins on to your rocket tube. I recommend using a hot glue gun to attach the fins to the tube because it solidifies in a matter of minutes.  (Caution: Hot glue can burn always follow manufacturers directions when using a hot glue gun.). If a hot glue gun is unavailable you may use any glue but extra care must be taken to allow the glue ample time to dry before launching.  Glue the fins on radially around the rocket tube (i.e.: if you are using 3 fins they should be 120 degrees from each other and perpendicular to the tube.).

5. Now you are ready to insert the engine into the rocket.  Insert the engine into the bottom of the rocket (The side closest to the fins). In the case of the class 125 PVC pipe the engine may be smaller than the inside of the pipe  if this is the case use some masking or duct tape to wrap around the engine until the engine fits snugly into the pipe.  To assure that the engine is not blown out of the rocket by the ejection charge you may want to glue it in place.

6. Once the engine is in you can put a nose cone on.  The nose cone can be made out of paper or it could simply be an end cap for the size pipe that you are using.  The end cap can be glued on or not depending on the application that the rocket is being used for.  If you do glue on the end cap use PVC to assure a strong seal. Note: For the purpose of  launching rod clearance it may be necessary to cut out a piece of the end cap. See. Launching the Rocket

7.  Take a drinking straw and glue it on to the tube of the rocket. This will act as a guide for the rocket when it is launched. If you have cut out part of the end cap make sure to glue on the straw so that it lines up with the cutout.

8. If you actually want to recover your rocket (I personally never really do since they are so cheap to make) You may use a plastic bag as a parachute.  Cut out a circular piece of a plastic bag and tie strings through holes in the edge of the bag then make just as many holes in the top of the rocket.  Fill in the rocket with some fire retardant paper or cotton and stuff the chute into it. Put the end cap on but don't glue it on.  The ejection charge should blow out the chute and the rocket should come down slowly to earth. (Caution: The end cap will not come down slowly and may cause injury stay clear of the falling rocket and end cap.)
 

The surface to air missile - This rocket is built in exactly the same way as the one above except that the tube of the rocket is filled with some form of pyrotechnic material.  (I.e.. gun powder, black powder, or flash powder.) If you want a big explosion make sure to glue in the engine and the end cap well otherwise the engine will just be ejected with a little pop. This makes a lot of noise and should not be launched near people. (Caution: The rocket gets blown to bits, and pieces go flying everywhere watch out for falling rocket pieces and if possible take cover)

 In order to launch your model rocket you will need three things a launch pad, 2 wires and a 9V battery.  The second one can be bought at any hardware or electronics store (I recommend using speaker wire since it is 2 wires in one.  you will need about 50 ft of it) and the battery can be bought in any store period.  That leaves us with the launch pad which can be bought in a hobby shop for $15 or made yourself for $2 it's your choice.

The home made launch pad is simple to make and consists of only 3 parts you will need: a metal rod 1/8" diameter (available at hardware stores and hobby shops) a piece of wood for the base. any board should work well plywood will too.  some aluminum foil

1. Cut out a piece of wood for the base Large enough to be stable (at least 6" wide)

2. Drill a hole in the center of the wood board that is the same size as your rod.

3. Put glue in the hole and insert rod into hole.

4. Wrap base in aluminum foil. (To prevent fire as a result of exhaust gas)

5. Wrap some tape about 1"-2" from the bottom of where the rod goes into the wood. This will prevent the igniters from shorting out on the foil.

You are finally ready to launch your rocket. Now just follow the engine
manufacturers instructions on inserting the ignitor now insert the launch rod into the straw that you have glued on  to the rocket and let it down slowly to the tape that you wrapped around the rod. now you are ready to connect the two wires to the ignitor get back about 20 ft, more if you are firing a dangerous payload and touch the wires onto the battery terminal and the rocket will fire.

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