These instructions on how to build a bottle rocket includes making the launching pad.
Required Tools and Materials
String
Steel bar (1/8 in wide)
Electrical knockout junction box
Screws
Air pump
3 cups of water
Drill
Hose clamp
Paint thinner
2 x 4 wood boards
Copper tubing
Test tube stopper (number 4)
2 liter bottle, empty and with label removed
Tape
Manila folder
Several balsa wood sheets
Sandpaper
Rubber cement
Wash the bottle if necessary. Use the thinner to get rid of any label residues.
Step 2
Shape the balsa wood into fins. Create four fins from the balsa wood. Make sure the wood grain and the fin edge are parallel. Sand the fins.
Step 3
Put some rubber cement on the bottle. Stick the fins on it. You can put some tape on to keep the fins steady as the cement dries. Make certain the fins are set at equal distances. Remove the tape once the cement has stiffened up.
Step 4
Cut the manila folder into a cone shape. Put cement on the cone. Stick this on the bottle.
Step 5
You have just learned to build a bottle rocket. Now you have to make the launching pad. Cut off the 2 x 4s. It should be six inches wide. Saw another portion, this time 1 ½ ft long x 6 inches wide and 1/2 in thick. Secure the smaller blocks on the large one. You should have something that looks like a table made of wood.
Step 6
Fasten the junction box into place using the screws. Make a hole that passes from the box into the table.
Step 7
Cut off the copper tubing. Put it in the test tube stopper. Secure the tube onto the air pump with the clamps. Put a string on the metal. Place this in the junction box.
Step 8
Drill holes in the launching pad. Place a hail through it.
Step 9
Pour three cups of water in the bottle. Put the bottle onto the launching pad. Enable the air pump and configure the psi to 45. Pull the string and the bottle rocket will fly into the sky.
Tips and Warnings
You can paint the bottle rocket if you want. Just make sure you allow the paint to dry off first. You can set the psi up to 75 so the rocket flies higher.
After you build a bottle rocket, you can reuse it as many times as you want. You can also make several bottle rockets for your friends.
