In the next month sometime I'm going to test my first homeade rocket motor. I'm using a commercial case and nozzle (which is made of aluminum), but I can't find any specs on the maximum internal pressure the case can withstand. The best I can do is calculate the pressures commercial rocket motors create and try to keep my homemade ones in that range.

 

I want to build some sort of CHEAP box that will withstand a small blast and contain flying aluminum shrapnel. The tops and bottom of the box will be open (I don't care if it flies up, I just don't want a razor sharp chunk flying at my head).

 

Any suggestions? It needs to be as cheap as possible!

In the next month sometime I'm going to test my first homeade rocket motor. I'm using a commercial case and nozzle (which is made of aluminum), but I can't find any specs on the maximum internal pressure the case can withstand. The best I can do is calculate the pressures commercial rocket motors create and try to keep my homemade ones in that range.

 

I want to build some sort of CHEAP box that will withstand a small blast and contain flying aluminum shrapnel. The tops and bottom of the box will be open (I don't care if it flies up, I just don't want a razor sharp chunk flying at my head).

 

Any suggestions? It needs to be as cheap as possible!

some steel drum filled with sand, that should hole out,

some steel drum filled with sand, that should hole out,

I'd just use sandbags and plywood. Create a wall of sandbags 1 bag thick just like one lays bricks, then get some old scrap sheets of 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick plywood and lay it vertical against the bags, then put another wall of sandbags around that plywood, so you're basically sandwiching the wood between two walls of sandbags. If it can contain an RPG explosion, it will contain whatever you can throw at it.

I'd just use sandbags and plywood. Create a wall of sandbags 1 bag thick just like one lays bricks, then get some old scrap sheets of 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick plywood and lay it vertical against the bags, then put another wall of sandbags around that plywood, so you're basically sandwiching the wood between two walls of sandbags. If it can contain an RPG explosion, it will contain whatever you can throw at it.

CHEAP??? i had a friend who useto do simmilar things, very int guy. built his first teslacoil when he was 11. his parents had about 20 acres out in the middle of nowere which was were his bunker was. lol he dug a hole about 3 feet down sarounded by cement walls. there was a 2X6" hole (aprox) covered with 1" thick plexiglass. it stood up to a piece of PVC 1' X 2" filled with Flash power. @ 10 ft. lol.

 

for cheep you could always dig a hole and lay in it lol. its cheep and effective!!! good luck

go with the sand bags and plywood, it really does work!

 

Pumice is also a good liner for it, but expensive.

build it in a hole in the ground too, with the sandbags stacked up a little higher around the edge.

 

don`t forget your tin hat too

if you really want to go cheep insted of ply wood go with partical board. its not as strong but is about 1/2 the cost. one other option is wafer board. its just about as strong as ply wood but about 3/4 the cost. good luck let us know what you go with...

or you could go with JUST ply wood : ) depends how much you care about yourself...

Do you know the Richard Nakka site? He might be able to help I haven't checked all his articles so I wouldn't know. It's a great site though.

 

http://www.nakka-rocketry.net/