Tip Sanding Burrs

Ever tried to sand into a tight corner and found the sandpaper won't conform? That's where these special metal files, technically called "Sanding Burrs" come in. We commissioned a special set of five diamond coated files that allow you to sand with the tip of the tool, so you can get into hard-to-reach areas. They can be used by hand, or with a rotary tool like a Dremel. The fine grit of the tools allow you to get that smooth surface even in the tightest corners of your rocket. Perfect finishes are now more easily achieved than ever before.

T2 Tether and Release Device

From Tinder Rocketry, the T2 is a tether-release mechanism for high-power rockets. It allows dual-deployment to occur out of a single parachute bay by preventing the main parachute from deploying out of a deployment bag until a preset altitude. It replaces the old Tender Descender.

Piranha Line Cutters

The stainless steel Piranha Cable Cutter is used to delay the opening of your main parachute, so it acts as a streamer initially, and delays the time at which the parachute opens. This prevents the rocket from drifting as far because the main parachute opens at a lower altitude.

Chisel Tip Knife Blades

One of the lesser-known, but really practical tools for hobbyists, is the Chisel Tip Blade for a hobby knife. It can do things that you can't do with a regular #11 blade hobby knife nor a razor blade. What makes it really useful is that you can mount it in the handle of an ordinary hobby knife. That gives you a way of holding it that you can't get with other wide blades like a razor blade. Because it is in a handle, you can get it into hard-to-reach spaces that you can't normally access easily.

Make Carbon Fiber Tubes

Here is an extensive and detailed video course on how to make Ultra-Lightweight Carbon-Fiber Rocket Tubes. They're so light, they give you an unfair advantage in competition. These are the ones that my daughters, Allison and Ashley used in Romania last September at the 2021 World SpaceModeling Championships. Allison was part of the senior Silver Medal winning USA team, and Ashley took home the Bronze Medal in the Jr. Division. The girls were taught how to make their own tubes, so if they can do it, so can you.

The training course consists of 5 hours and 42 minutes of video instruction, covering everything I know about how to make a successful tube with a glass-finish using a 2-piece mold. It even includes all the secret techniques and materials, and where to buy them, including where to get the 2-part mold.

This course is on the Udemy website, not at Apogee Components.