Water Powered Rocket

This project is a fun way to recycle a 2 liter bottle and one of those old clothes hangers in your closet.

you will need:
-one-two wire clothes hangers
-one #4 rubber stopper, it is 1" at the top, 1" tall and tapers down
-one wood board at least 1" wider than the bottle and at least 1/2" thick
-approximately 10" of wire tubing or straw 5/32" wide (I suggest using a drill bit sizer card thing to measure the straw)
-cardboard
-Scissors
-1/16 and 5/32 drill bits
-sandpaper
-a foot pump with a needle that you would put in a basketball to re fill it with air
-glue (referable one of the more powerful types, but you can use anything waterproof)

First, try pushing the stopper into the bottle. if you can push it halfway in, don't sand it. if you can't, sand it until you can. Sand it for a little bit, and then check again. If you sand it all in one go, you might sand it too much, you'll have to buy a new one. The reason for sanding it is that the farther you can push it in, the better the seal, the more higher you can pressure it up to, and the higher it will go.
Second, drill the holes into both ends . Drill the smaller hole first, because you can use it as a guide for the bigger hole. Anyway, drill the 1/16 as close to the middle as you can. then drill the 5/32 MAKE SURE YOU DRILL THE LARGER HOILE IN THE THINNER END. You have to stick the tubing/straw into that end. The thinner end goes into the bottle.
Finally, you have to stick the tubing/straw/whatever into the wider hole.
You have successfully completed the stopper assembly.

All you have to do in this step is straighten out the hanger with a vice or something, and then use a hacksaw or really powerful scissors to cut it into three rods of equal length

First, center the bottle on the wood.
Then, make three marks around the bottle using one of the wire rods.
Third, drill holes on the marks.
Finally, glue the rods in the holes.
The wire rods will probably rust if you use this really often, or are like me and accidentally leave it out in the rainIf this happens, drill out the rust, flip the rod, and glue the new end in.
P.S. again, the wire rods will pop stuff, I have had that happen

This is probably the simplest step, because you only have to cut out three triangles of the same size to be the fins. Then tape them on

Cut three 1" lengths of the tubing/straw/ whatever and slide them onto the guide wire rods that you made in the 4th step.
Put the bottle between the guide wires and tape the guides to them.
Slide the bottle off of the guide wires. You now have the guides taped in place.

Fill the bottle with water. It shouldn't exceed 1/3 of the way up. try out different heights. you could even graph the results, if you're into that. Personally, i just enjoy the show. (sorry, i don't have a photo. I'll add one when i can)

put the stopper assembly into the bottle as far as you can. You can also hold the neck of the bottle with your thumb and index finger, and tap it in a little further with a hammer

Put the needle in the outside hole, put the end of the foot pump on that, put the launch pad over it, invert the whole thing, and pump the foot pump until the rocket blasts off. You really can't tell when it's going to blow, so someone will get wet.