Compressed Air Bottle Rocket!

Hey my first instructable! yeah!... whatever but this bottle rocket took a couple hours to make and goes really high! sweet and fun.

Use just compressed air, or fill it about half full of water and it will really go high.

So just have fun with it.

ok lets look at the materials I used:


2 bottles(2nd one is optional but i used it as a stand and nose cone)
2 Pop Caps(again only one is needed other is optional)
Pencil
Marker
Drill(with bit)
Knife(sharp)
5 Minute Epoxy(can be any kind but i like speed)
Card Board(or somthing to mix epoxy on)
Mr. Duck Tape
Compressor connector
Paper
Thread Seal Tape(optional but it ensures a seal)



Lets get constructing!

ok take your cap and place the connector on top of it.

then trace around it, making sure it is centered on the cap. Fill in the circle.

Then drill out the shaded area(dont drill out too wide or it will be harder to seal).

use a knife to cut off plastic that sticks up.

Note: the seal on the incide of the cap may cause a break in the seal so I removed it.

Wrap the threads(not too mush) with the sealer tape(this is optional).

Screw the connector and the cap together.

Now you are ready to epoxy.

Get it out and you cardboard(or other surface but be warned it will harden to what ever you stick it on).

Alot of people will use the stuff that disperses the resin and hardener at the same time so you cannot mess this up.

Put even ammounts on the cardboard and mix toghther(might become whitish and it might and probably will smell) not a whole lot is needed, just enough to make a seal. but dont be cheap with it, too little is just as bad.

After it is mixed put it on the incide at the bottom of the cap, all around it.

TRY NOT to get any on the threads or you will make it harder on yourself. I have too, to show you how to get it off.

Then put your finger over the nossil and blow(lips on the rim of the cap and all) into it. this should make any gaps between the thread and the cap fill with epoxy.

Wait for it to dry. My epoxy is a liar, it took twice as long to harden!

Ok now take bolth bottles and use the marker to make a ring around the top of the lable so that half of the marker is on the bottle and the other half is on the lable.

ok if you did not get any epoxy on the threads.

YEAY HURRAY.

If not, Awwww.

Its ok dont panic. just take your knife and get most of it out then twist the cap on the bottle. that will crush any epoxy that is hidden or hard to reach and either break it out or the cracks will be very visible so you can get it out.

Ok now remove the little ring that used to connect to the cap.(i used a flat screwdriver but you can use your imagination)

ok now mix up more epoxy beacuse we are going to make a perminate seal.

After the epoxy is mixed up put it all over the threads of the cap and bottle(i know you just got the cap epoxy free and now.. sigh).

put the cap on the bottle and get it on tight, its ok if some blobs out the bottom just make sure the seal is good. what I did was right under the cap i made sure that there was a seal.

Wait till hardened.

Ok you don't have to have fins but I did beacuse it looks more like a rocket.

To make the fins take a piece of paper(I used computor paper) and fold it.
look at the diagrams for the dimentions and how to cut it.

I had four on my bottle

Make sure the maker line is there or else you will have a problem.

Now it time to attach them. first get in your happly place. now cut off the lable(Note: with mine i cut straight up and down opposite the glue then i removed it from the glue, from top of the lable to the bottom, it all came right off, cool).

Now line the bottom of the fin up with the marker line and duck tape it into place. add another on the other side, and add more as wanted(I eye-balled the level and the location of the fins).

I did it and it came out ok so, so can you.

Ok now take your other bottle with the maker line on it. Cut along the line after removing the lable.

This makes a nosecone you can ducktape on and a stand the rocket can stand in.

If you do not want to make the nosecone out of another bottle then you can make one out of paper or whatever. most people will make one out of a bottle so, so did I.

Well how does it look, want to paint it or do whatever? I say do it. mine looks like this. for now.

I thought it looked a little sloppy so i painted it with spray paint

SILVER!!!

Bling! Bling!

and gave it a little advertisement.

Thease bottles are not ment for this.

Regular Polyethylene terephthalate bottles are designed that the threads of the bottle or the cap threads will shread around 150 psi. and we have epoxied them.
not all bottles are the same, so the may not be within 150 psi, so I play it safe and stay way below 150 psi.

we are basicly making compressed air bombs with a nossil.

So remember that you are doing this at your own risk blah blah blah... lest get to shooting them.

You can add more to your rocket like a led in the nosecone.
I just thought of that. i used a phillups screwdriver to punch the hole and the led just slid right in.
i used the perfect sized screwdriver so that the led fits perfectly and does not move, you might need to hot glue. also i used a cr2032 battery but any the work are fine. AAA might be too big.

Nice right?

Also fill it about half full of water and it will go ALOT higher!

Sweet!

umm yeah if there are any errors in this instructable or if you got any questions post them.

I was asked to make a video and so I did.