Thinwall PVC Tube cut to 4.15 inch length and marked
Ramming base used to recess clay plug
Ramming base holds tube
Thinwall PVC Tube cut to 4.15 inch length and marked |
Ramming base used to recess clay plug |
Ramming base holds tube |
 Materials and mixing tools |
 Powdered sugar is ground in mortar and pestle |
 Sugar is passed through sifter |
 Alternatively, coarse ingredients may be ground in an electric coffee mill.
|
 Ground KNO3 is dumped onto screen... |
 .... and sifted. |
 Sugar and KNO3 measured by weight. |
 Sugar and KNO3 mixed in mortar |
 Sugar and KNO3 sifted for thorough mixing |
 A tablespoon of kitty-litter clay goes into tube |
 Wooden dowel rammer is inserted into tube |
 Hammer is used to compress clay |
 Rammed clay makes a fairly solid plug |
 Tube with clay is placed on scale, weight recorded |
 Sugar/KNO3 mix added to tube, a spoonful at a time |
 Each spoonful of mixture is rammed. When tube is filled to proper level, more clay is rammed into the open end. |
 The "nozzle" end is drilled with a 1/8th inch bit, through the clay and into the KNO3/sugar mixture. |
 1/8th inch is a common size for safety fuse |
 Ignitor is made by attaching a section of safety fuse to an electric squib and a bit of fuse paper. |
 The fuse goes easily into the 1/8th inch hole, all the way down to the now-solid KNO3/sugar mixture. |
 The Q1 device is now ready to test. This time it's on a test stand to measure thrust. |