Water Rocket Construction - Splicing Tutorial

[fatpeople249er]

Well only 1.5 liter bottles but I'm trying to make a 3 stage rocket

[fatpeople249er]

Hey gorge I made a new launcher check it out

[gk123434534]

@fatpeople249er Thanks for the update. The launcher looks pretty good, have you launched any rockets with it?

[luisal1895]

Hi, what kind of bottles do you recommend to use? Coca cola are not the best and I don't know of a good bottle, can you recommend me one?

[gk123434534]

@luisal1895 The best bottles are ones with straight sides. You just need to go down to your local supermarket and see what they carry. You may need to check several stores for different brands. Make sure you get bottles that were meant to carry soda / soft drinks, as ones that only carry water aren't designed for pressure.

[xtremesqueesie]

my ears are bleeding!!!  but over all good video

[OgreProgrammer]

I hate how there is always music in tutorials. I would prefer silence over a song mismatched to the content.

The tutorial itself is excellent however.

[richardwernst]

Ditto on the music.

[dvebvgz]

The song is terible. Please, stop it.

[Decaff2010]

amazing tutorial. I've been looking for a good set of instructions on how to do this for a while.

[cjgan80]

I actually lol'd at the frying pan xD

[carnahant]

I look forward to seeing your 2L bottle splicing tutorial. I am drinking soda like crazy and have a large supply of 2L bottles waiting for me to start work.

My initial goal is very modest ... get onboard flight video. Later, I would like to go for altitude.

[MrTomcarnahan]

George -- this is a very well done tutorial based on the number of comments and responses. Thanks for doing it! Question: I am primarily working with 2-Liter bottles. From your videos, it looked like some are 2-Liter bottles. If I am correct, how do YOU splice 2-Liter bottles? Do you get a 3-Liter bottle and shrink it over the 2-Liter ones? Or do you stick with the smaller bottles. Looking at your line of rockets, I noticed the last one was FTC vs. PET bottle. Is FTC the better way to go?

[gk123434534]

@MrTomcarnahan Hi Tom, We are working on a 2L bottle splicing tutorial at the moment that only uses the same size bottles. I will post it in the coming weeks. Whether you go for FTC or PET bottles will depend on what you are trying to achieve. FTC has low drag so the rockets can go fast, but have a small volume so are not suitable for lifting heavy payloads or as lower stages on multistage rockets.

[MrTomcarnahan]

George -- I realize you are working on a 2-Liter spliing video ... no rush. I was experimenting and it seems possible to cut a 2 liter sleeve and slide it over the curled ends of two 2-Liter bottles. Is that the idea you have found works best?

[Me102288]

bah, cyanoacrylate would bind those into one piece faster. cut ends off 2 bottles put a balloon in the small end of one bottle, put the other outside that bottle end bow up the balloon until it seals all the way around, drip tiny bits of ca glue around till both are permanently sealed, deflate balloon/ take it out of the bottle end, wrap whole bottle with bowstring (like carbon fiber paintball tanks). I use for 800psi potato gun.

[josephdupont]

THE REAL QUESTION IS, HOW MANY COULD YOU SPLICE TOGETHER?

AND WHAT IS THE WORKING PRESSURE OF THIS "TANK"

IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT PERHAPS A LOT OF THESE COULD BE USED FOR A COMPRESSED AIR BICYCLE OR TRIKE OR CAR.

I'VE SEEN WOUND BOTTLES THAT BURST AT CLOSE TO 1000 PSI..

NORMALLY THEY LET GO AT 190

[gk123434534]

@josephdupont You can splice as many as you like this way. The splice turns out to be stronger than the bottles. We now wrap them with fiberglass and they hold 300psi+

[apledex]

why are you makeing rocket science out of glueing two bottle-..... waaaaait a secon,

[twolate2l00k]

u should make a video in HD

[twolate2l00k]

@ekitoo2 can i use PVC glue or HOT GLUE

[twolate2l00k]

can i use PVC glue or HOT GLUE

[twolate2l00k]

can i use PVC glue or HOT GLUE becouse i cant find any pl premium glue

[gk123434534]

@twolate2l00k No. Your best bet is to look for polyurethane glues. They stick fairly well to PET.

[twolate2l00k]

@gk123434534 no but can i use hot glue cause i really cant find any hot glue

[twolate2l00k]

Respond to this video... but can i use hot glue if i really cant find any pl premium or polyurethane glues

[gk123434534]

@twolate2l00k Well, I won't stop you from using hot glue. But be aware that it won't hold pressure very well.

[taneorox]

@gk123434534  what about using epoxy glue?

[gk123434534]

@taneorox We have tried epoxy, but it just doesn't stick as well to PET as polyurethane glue does. The glue needs to be a little flexible aswell as the bottles stretch under pressure.

[gk123434534]

@ekitoo2 Look for polyurethane glues as they stick the best to PET. Though PL premium is usually 2-3 times stronger than other PU glues.

[Frank11768]

Fantastic tutorial - Thank you! Just used your exact technique with the bottle caps on the board, and it greatly simplified matters.

Regards,

Frank

[THISNAMEOWNS]

question regarding parachutes: does a hole in the center make it easier to open? In my trials (as the max pressure is limited to 40 psi) the parachute doesn't open until its very close to the ground. I'm trying to squeeze out as much flight time as possible.

Also, for a single bottle rocket, is a primary chute overkill? Keep in mind, this is for a competition.

[gk123434534]

@THISNAMEOWNS No, a hole in the center will make the parachute a little more stable, but come down quicker. Make sure you fold the parachute properly and only wind the string around it once or twice to make it open sooner. If you are deploying using a timer, set it to deploy prior to apogee so that by the time the parachute is fully open, the rocket has reached apogee.

[THISNAMEOWNS]

@gk123434534 thanks a lot. I'm having a bit of trouble as the chute gets stuck in the cone very easily. Luckily, the nose was absorbed all the impact from a 50 meter free fall with no damage. Right now I have to squish the chute bundle right before launch to make sure it falls at all. Perhaps my folding method is wrong, so please direct me to a parachute making guide.

Btw, due to the low psi allowed, I've discarded fins. Is this sensible? The rocket still flies somewhat straight.

[deskmations]

is there a way to make the bottles bigger? like to heat it while it is under a bit of pressure?

[gk123434534]

@deskmations It may be possible, but quite hard to control the amount of stretch you would get. The better option is to use hot water to shrink one of the bottles a little. You just need to briefly dip the end of the bottle in water that is about 72 degrees C. and it will shrink a couple of mm.

[Gonnatam84]

I love Björk

[StopMotionMind]

I have access to all of those (large shop compressor, and an acetylene torch), but I was surprised when all of those items came in the list.

Very innovative!

[Abalancedproduction]

i understand everythig but here in sweden we dont have 125 cl bottles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so do you think i can take a piece of thicker plastic and use that?

[gk123434534]

@Abalancedproduction This technique will work for various kinds of straight walled bottles. You just need a slightly larger bottle for the sleeve than what you are splicing together. We are working on a new tutorial that lets you use the same bottles for everything.

[Abalancedproduction]

@gk123434534 yes, but every bottles is almost the same diameter! it is so hard to make now, it would be great if you could upload that soon! thanks!:)

[Abalancedproduction]

can i use a hairdryer to heat the sleeve?

[gk123434534]

@Abalancedproduction Yup. That should be warm enough.

[chinookking97]

@Abalancedproduction

yes

[KoN312]

Nicely made informative tutorial! Thumbs up!

[projektforlife]

okej, here is my problem!! in sweden we only have PL 200, PL 400, PL 600. Not PL Premium! can i order it from the us? can you send me a webpage?

[DotCmaker01]

i make the splices with polueurethane based glue it works well, but the glue turns into very hard foam. is this normal? or should i look for other glue?

[gk123434534]

@DotCmaker01 Yes, polyurethane glues will often bubble up. How much they do depends on the glue and how humid it is when curing. As long as it is holding the splice and not leaking then there shouldn't be an issue.

[eirmanz]

I had use the nails epoxy but its doesnt working..

i used the x bond contruction also..but its doesnt working also..

then i used a mix epoxy (2 ton epoxy+cilicone+ and strenght epoxy) its ok..

try it!

[ubc780]

Nearly 90000 people have seen this clip(100513) , plz answer the comments !!

[TheTigertruck]

can i use hot glue gun instead of PL premium?

[gk123434534]

@TheTigertruck Nope. It just is not strong enough. You really need to use a polyurethane based glue.

[eirmanz]

try mix the epoxy

I had tried mix with 2ton epoxy + cilicone + strenght epoxy..

its work! try it..

[TheTigertruck]

how much pressure can i insert?? is it possible t put in 120 psi?

[gk123434534]

@TheTigertruck 120psi should be good if you use PL premium. Other glues may not be as strong. Always do a hydro-test first to make sure.

[never4getthis]

i did it a different way that i tested and it works pretty good. you get your 2 cut bottles and you thenjoin them together bu preasure. after that you light a candle and you then pas the 2 joined pieces of bottle over it just about 10 cm, this will melt the plastic bottles abit. then you add one layer of tape and you do the same. the tape will stick perfectly onto the shape of the bottle. the add another layer anddo the same process and do this about en times. IT WORKS PERFECTLY!!

[DotCmaker01]

are there any other glues that work with the splice?

in the NL the don't seem to sell PL Premium glue........

[gk123434534]

@DotCmaker01 Other glues will work, but perhaps not as well. You want to look for polyurethane based glues, ones that are not too runny. Glues like epoxy don't stick well to PET plastic.

[DotCmaker01]

@gk123434534 thanks a lot. i've made a spliced pair from 2 1.5L pet bottles. they seem to work with the sleeve so i hope it works under pressure ^,^

[MrBittersweetaddict]

this step by step tutorial rocks! i got an a for my school project thanks to you! =]

[buckfushes]

Nice Bjork!

[UsmanDM786]

hey well i failed at school cuz after i stick it so hardly the two bottles and the sleeve but when i was pumping air it broke in two two bottles again well still thank you and peace.

[UsmanDM786]

i have 3 same bottles of 2.25L and i have problems in sticking both of them together becuz i cant put the bottle over the other 2 bottles im sticking plz help

[gk123434534]

You can shrink the bottles slightly but submerging them in hot water (~72 degrees C) up to the level you want to insert them in the other bottle. Submerge them only for a couple of seconds and then see if they fit. If not repeat it for a few more seconds. You can then curl the ends as normal. If you would like more info send me a PM there isn't enough room here.

[Si3z3]

@gk123434534 i know i hate the 500 character limit ever sense google got there hangs on youtube shits been fked

[bsam20uk]

Impressive piece of work with materials that were never designed to do that, real innovation.

[c0ssu1]

nice gun ^^

[741741]

Whats actually the glue?

[gk123434534]

PL Premium. It is a polyurethane based glue that has excellent adhesion to PET plastic.

[maxiiimusIII]

i used 2 - 2L bottle of coke, 3 - 1.5 bottles, some adhessives and helium gas,.

i wonder how it came to fly around 50ft above! :))

[xXYannuschXx]

@maxiiimusIII

only 50ft?

my rocket flys with a 1l tank 90ft :/

[Danielastronomo]

And I got the wood base, the release head and the guide rail :).

[Danielastronomo]

Thanks for the answer George,

I must study more that type of coupling, now I got the glue and I will serch for the bottles :)

I make some progress in the water rocket with boosters, I got the 50% of the main stage finished. I got a 7mm nozzle, three 9mm metal nozzle for the boosters, this boosters will got 3l of capacity each one (I will join two 1.5l bottles in each one with 9mm robison coupling)

I got a 6mm aluminium tube for the retention tubes and the nozzle sits for the boosters.

[gk123434534]

Hi Daniel,

Sounds like you are progressing well with the rocket! :) Are you using brass nozzles on the boosters? You may want to consider using plastic ones if you can. That will reduce the weight of the rocket.

I'm looking forward to seeing your rocket fly! :)

[Danielastronomo]

Hi George,

I got a problem because here, the only bottles that I find are of 1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5l , I find one of 1.25 of CocaCola, but it is not straight.

Could I do this with only 1.5l bottles?

[gk123434534]

Hi Daniel,

You can use the technique with any sized bottles as long as they have straight sides. You may be able to find two 1.5 L bottles from different manufacturers that fit inside one another. You then would not need to shrink the sleeve.

[ciscotie]

Nice, nice. I am new into this hobby. Video was very instructional. By the way, what background song was that? It was very emotive and contagious....reminded me of the old Simon Templar or Avengers shows....and even Sean Connery´s early James Bond movies. Can someone tell me the song´s title and signer name?

Thanks

[Scorge120]

Thanks alot! This is really helpful!

I'm just wondering though, I have this home-bond "super strength epoxy adhesive", and I was wondering if that would work as well to attach the bottles?

My friend used some hot glue on his rocket and he thinks it's going to hold up under pressure. Lol.

[gk123434534]

You can try the epoxy. Someone has mentioned before that it can work. Generally though you want to use a polyurethane glue that has a flexible bond. The bottles will stretch when pressurised and rigid bond glues like epoxy can crack and break the seal.

[keiontaybrown]

This Tight

[Danielastronomo]

Hi George,

I think that this type of water rocket construction gives a lot of more performance to the rocket because the air and the water can get out easyly.

I saw in your web site that you use the tornado coupling for this kind of rockets. Where can I find the black piece of plastic for make the coupling?

Thanks for the video, is great.

[gk123434534]

Hi Daniel,

Yes, that is exactly why we like to use the technique because it allows water and air to pass through easily.

We make the tornado couplings out of 3/4" BSP sockets used for irrigation plumbing. We have to re-thread them on the lathe to fit the bottle type thread. We also machine in an o-ring seat to seal them up. You can buy commercial tornado couplings for a couple of dollars on line.

[S2Kwerty]

thanks, the video was great, the only problem is, on a simpler rocket ( or any rocket ) what do you use as the cap? where air can go in, but water cant come out.. do you know what i mean? please help...... thanks

[TirianB]

Why can't you drop that annoying music, and tell what you are doing instead. This is too confusing to watch.

[techonman]

wow how is a normal person suposed to get that stuff???

[limhanxian]

the glue that u using is that some kind of silicon glue or sumthing can u tell me pls? coz i cant find a glue that can match the plastic properly.

[gk123434534]

The glue is polyurethane based. If you can't find PL look for a similar PU based glue that cures with a flexible bond.

[bikerbob1980]

too hard

[crazyguy1998]

can you make a list of items and directions to make a robinson coupling the one on your website is confusing

[gk123434534]

There is a link on our website (can't post URL here) just under our Robinson coupling video, to another site that describes how to make Robinson couplings the traditional way with a hollow threaded lamp rod. Those instructions are a much clearer.

[harihays13]

can you teach me how to make

a more simple water rocket...

b`coz i`m a student ....don`t have those things that you did and this is 4 my physics project......

i`m grateful if u can,,,,

[gk123434534]

If you visit our main website, there are detailed instructions on how to build simpler water rockets.

[Microman171]

Me Again :-P.

What's your opinion on TimbaTak by sika?

It's a polyurethane adhesive, super strong, water proof, expands as it cures, bonds pretty much everything.

What you think?

[gk123434534]

I have no experience with that glue. Would be interesting to hear what your experiences are with it, if you choose to give it a go.

[AjamXM]

hey there...

i got problem here..

i got 2 bottle of 1.25L..and 1 bottle of 1.5L..

both 1.25 n 1.5 has same diameter but different length..

should i shrink the 1.5 little bit n connect to 1.25 botle?

any suggestion?

[deathafterlive]

hey gk123434534 u told me to looking for couplins for the water rocket i found a good 1 on the internet build it and its working fine now only wait for the boosters for the rocket they only need to dry now maby i make a video and will put it on youtube :D

[deathafterlive]

hello gk123434534 i want to build the graviton rocket that u build but the problem is that i dont now how to make the robinson coupling i also dont got th right machines for it i hope u can help me further whit this :)

[gk123434534]

You can make Robinson couplings easily the same way as Bill Robinson made them initially with hollow threaded lamp rod and a couple of nuts and washers. Do a Google search for ' "Robinson" Coupling' and it should be one of the first on the list. (can't post url here) There is also a link to it on our main website under Construction / Robinson coupling.

[josanjosan]

Where can i find PL Premium glue?

[gk123434534]

As far as I know, it is only available in the US, but you can order it online and have it delivered.

[josanjosan]

Can i replace PL Premium glue with [Selley's Liquid Nails]

I tried it and its the strongest type of glue i can find in the DIY store.

It takes 7days to cure though.

[gk123434534]

Depends on the type of glue the Liquid nails is. I believe there are different formulations. If it is polyurethane based it may work, but I think I remember others trying it, and they didn't have much luck with it.

[cjcfyyy]

complicated but cool!!!

[MS57KB]

is there anything else I can use to shrink the sleeve other than a blow torch?and what kind of foam do you use for your rocket?

[gk123434534]

You can use virtually any heat source such as heat gun, in front of heater, over the stove or BBQ. We used a blow torch because we didn't have a heat gun at the time. You only need to heat the plastic to around 80-90C. You could potentially use hot water but the risks of a pressurised bottle going POP inside a tub of hot water is too dangerous.

The foam we use is simply 1-2% of kids bubble bath dissolved in the water.

[switchtre18]

does this work the same way for two 2 liter bottles?

[gk123434534]

Yes it does, but you need to make sure you have a bigger sleeve. Here we have 2.25L bottles as well so we use the sleeve from those.

[MuroloFranco]

great! really good and accurate in simple

[LukeSkyscraper]

Has anyone tested clear silicone sealant in place of the glue for splicing the bottles?

[gk123434534]

Clear silicone sealant will not work. It just does not have the bond strength required. There is about half a tonne of force acting to pull the two bottles apart when they are fully pressurised.

[LukeSkyscraper]

Thank you very much, that's information which will save me some heartache :)

[lorionj]

HI,I live in Europe, France an there i'ts very difficult to find a bottle whit straight sides, i found a bottle 1.5 l whit straight sides and also one of 2 l bot no-one from 1.25 l is it possible to use the same type of botlle or do you realy need two diameters?

[gk123434534]

You could try the same diameter bottle and cut the sleeve down its length and then glue another cut sleeve over the top of that with the cut on the other side. Or you could try shrinking the bottles a little and then use an unshrunk sleeve.

[daffaduck]

use 2 litre bottle, cut sleeve and slide over another 2 litre bottle, may need to crumple slightly to get it to go over. inflate to about 80 psi and whilst inflated roll the bottle and sleeve in boiling water... in a shallow tray is fine... the sleeve will expand... let it cool naturally.. deflate the bottle.. the sleeve will slide with ease onto a standard 2litre bottle...hey presto!

[gk123434534]

Hi Chris, I'm not sure which glues are sold in Europe, but you want to look for Polyurethane based glues that end up having a flexible bond. Make sure you also lightly sand the surfaces for better adhesion.

[Motorhead900]

2 part Epoxy-glue!! I live in Norway and i use it for this and many other projects!

[VonBraun2000]

Congratulations. Excellent! Thanks.

Félicitations. Excellent! Merci.

Glückwünsche. Ausgezeichnet! Danke.

Felicitaciones. Excelente! Gracias.

[WRocketsCompany]

I cant buy a Blowtorch or heat gun.

What else I can use ?

[gk123434534]

You just need a heat source. You could do it above the kitchen stove, or BBQ, or in front of a heater if it is hot enough. You just want to be careful not to burn a hole in it since there is a little pressure inside the bottle.

[Lovecraft688]

Outstanding ! One of the most well produced, clear and informative DIY videos I have ever seen. 5 stars, for certain.

[promethium144]

This video is great very well done. I have tried this in the past with varying success but this has inspired me to give it another go. One question where do you source the PL Premium glue from haven't been able to find it down here in Victoria. Cheers and great vid

[gk123434534]

Thanks. We get our PL from the states. On my last visit to the states in December I brought back 15 tubes of the stuff. Hopefully that will last until the next visit. :) If you have friends in the US they can send you some. A flat rate box costing US$37 can fit 11 tubes. Each tubes costs in the order of US$5. Perhaps you can share shipping costs with some friends who also want some PL.

[promethium144]

Thanks allot for the info

[milom2000]

This is a fabulouse video. Jazzy, informative, well shot and thought out.

Have you ever seen the early video shot by scott chesnut? This is state of the art and the way it SHOULD be done!

Very impressive. I learned a lot.

[gk123434534]

Thanks. No I haven't seen Scott's video. Do you have a link to it? Is it available on the net?

[drsheikhjunior]

Is there any other types of glue that is good for spilicing bottles?

[gk123434534]

We have tried VISE glue which is polyurethane based, but is quite runny. We added a fine powder and made a thicker paste which worked quite well. It held up to around 180psi. Look for polyurethane glues and give them a try.

[drsheikhjunior]

Ok thanks for the info.

[danieldmcdelorean]

el video ta bien hecho, es una pasada pero vaya una musikita mas chunga le ponen, se repite un poco

[GibbonJabber]

1) You really should wear disposable gloves when using PL premium. Yeah you can be super careful but that stuff is nasty when you get it on your skin and accidents do happen.

2) Where I live Coke 2L bottles (and other beverages from that bottler) and Pepsi 2L bottles are of slightly different diameters such that one naturally forms a sleeve for the other.

[racerx007666]

nice,but cooking/burning plastic is really bad for your health.

[Jonathan6540]

i think it's poisonous

[gk123434534]

Certainly if you burn it, unpleasant gases can be given off. We only ever heat the plastic, not burn it so the potential to liberate gases is minimal. All the heating procedures in the tutorial only need to be 80-90 Degrees C.

Earlier comment about wearing gloves when handling PL Premium is highly recommended.