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Play-D'oh rocket engines


Errol

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This opens the new era in space exploration, instead of attempts to reuse rockets.

A single-use SSTO made of rapeseed or palm margarine frozen with a liquid oxygen - Margalox fuel.
It melts and drips while it flies - and this replaces a multistage scheme.

(Coconut shell is also a natural combustion chamber for auxilliary propulsion units).

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3 hours ago, DerekL1963 said:

The makers of the video do not grasp that a rocket motor is just a bit more than an impressive torch.

Sure. But the concept isn't terrible. With casing and proper nosle, a playdoh rocket is completely doable. Of course, it is far from ideal due to low melting point, but for short burn time it should hold shape well enough.

For cheap home built engine, plexiglas (acrylic) works impressively well. It has enough strength to forego casing. You do still need a nosle, though. Can't beat carbon for that.

@munlander1 Yeah, hybrid motor.

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What if they mixed the playdough with sand so that the heat, assuming it's enough, melts and cools into glass in a way to make a solid structure without melting the playdough fast enough.

Do an initial burn/stage to melt the sand and then cool it to let glass form. then launch at lower heat. Then as you go higher you can increase thrust and heat as the atmosphere cools until space!

Edited by Arugela
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Couldn't you burn the glass initially at higher heat with the rocket held down and then use lower heat so it doesn't melt afterwords. Or use some other combo of glass and possibly ceramics combined. It may only need a thing layer at first.

That or simply get/make a kiln and heat it up and cool it before launch. I think melting the glass in the rocket would be cooler though. Glass can be rather thick and stick so it might not drip while cooling. or you could probably control the heat so it doesn't get all over the place.

I don't see why you can't do a messy burn to let it just get to melting point and then cool it before trying to get a lower heat greater thrust burn for launch. Or burn it a few times slowly to build up the layering. Or is that impossible?

Edited by Arugela
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9 hours ago, DerekL1963 said:

The makers of the video do not grasp that a rocket motor is just a bit more than an impressive torch.

Barely.  And in some places there are regulations that prevent using effective nozzles at rocket grades you would consider play-doh.  I have to admit, I really don't think anyone is going to build a compessed gas/liquid hybrid using play-doh as a fuel, but you never know.

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That would be a cool thing to add in if they added stock parts. They could do a section for gears and older mechanics dating from the renascence and back! Could make fun boats and old fashioned mechanized robots!! ><

Although that is a little junkier than I was thinking at first. The picture made me think something made by Leonardo Da Vinci. Those wings are giving me flashbacks of LightHouse!

Edited by Arugela
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On 6/29/2017 at 6:40 PM, Errol said:

Play d'oh vs. LEGO

Googling said Play d'oh costs $5/lb, while LEGO is a bit more (and certainly used prices).  Personally, I couldn't bring myself to burn LEGO.

Note that assuming a $100 Saturn V kit (it is more like $140 from LEGO [sold out] and $193 from Amazon) and the 5.6 lb shipping weight is all LEGO (right), that is $20/lb (and generally considered a good value by brick, although "classic" [simple brick collections] can be had for $16/lb).

Edited by wumpus
check your units (and sorry for the obsolete units)
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  • 2 weeks later...

I must admit that i am proud to be finnish. :)

After watching the whole clip and laughing my butt off, i am concerned that this guy is going to orbit earth on Legos once.

Or at least goes on a ballistic trajectory along with GF, House and neighbourhood.

Good luck man! Keep up the finnish rocket program!

Edited by Mikki
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