Hey all. I’m Josh the originator and admin of the Facebook Shapeoko and Nomad User’s Group. I have had a SO3 XXL for a couple of years, but I now have a Nomad Pro in the stable. It joins my SO3 XXL with Jtech 7W laser, four FDM 3D printers, one resin printer, some aerospace machine running experience, a decade of fabrication experience, self taught CAD/CAM, a dash of madness, and a few tools out in the shop.
I actually contacted Carbide 3D with a potential opportunity for both them and myself. I’m way into amateur rocketry. Not only does this satisfy my need to have hobbies that challenge me from an engineering standpoint, it makes 12 year old Josh (about as far as I’ve progressed in maturity) happy to be a (crappy) rocket scientist. I have completed my level 1 &2 certifications and am in the acquisition, planning, and design phase for my level 3 rocket and certification. But assembling a kit is not what I consider fun and challenging…so time to over-engineer some rocket parts! I also have 3D printer mods/upgrades, custom parts for my vintage BMW motorcycle restoration and modification, and other projects planned that will fit nicely on the work envelope and ethos of the Nomad Pro. Amateur rocketry is a group of people that are very DIY and I have not seen any hobby CNC companies market to them. The Nomad Pro (and the Shapeoko for other parts) fits a lot of the needs of that group. Carbide 3D agreed that my planned projects would be a good opportunity for them, that my background/skill set can make it happen, and were kind enough sent me a Nomad Pro with a host of their peripherals to use as well. I am required to document my projects and share files, which was my plan to do regardless. I’m not required to give a review or praise, and they are happy for me to continue my strict policy of honesty and openness. I will share my projects, success, failures, opinions, data, and let you form your opinions while I share mine. Besides, how are pictures and videos from 25,000 ft (and MUCH higher planned in the future) not good marketing?
So look forward to some literal (amateur) rocket science in the group! I also plan to jump on some more SO3 projects as well and plan to keep both machines busy documenting projects, sharing files, and making sure the community we’ve built thrives and stays a useful place for us to get help and share information. Thanks go out to the Carbide 3D team for having faith in my abilities.
This is cool news, I have fond memories of doing a little amateur rocketry back in engineering school, I’m looking forward to hearing about your endeavours in this area.
Not sure if you meant [Facebook] group, but posting here also would be great as many people here want to stay away from FB slash evil corporations.
I look forward to challenging myself more and getting some cool videos while doing it.
I will be posting here as well as the FB group…because I fully understand people that don’t want to have an account.
Griff
(Well crap, my hypometric precursor device is blown…)
4
No experience with rocketry but I’ve toyed with the idea of air launching a rocket from a quadcopter.
It’d be an interesting challenge to figure out how to drop, light and go vertical, with a camera and recovery device. (There’s probably a YouTube already lol).
All parts produced on a Shapeoko and 3D printer.
In a non-populated area of course, I’m close to the desert.
The electronics for that wouldn’t be too much different than a normal air-start really. There is an event called LDRS (Large and Dangerous Rocket Ships) every year. I wonder if they would let that be tried…
1 Like
Griff
(Well crap, my hypometric precursor device is blown…)
6
When I was 12 my first job was building wood RC Plane kits. Having built a ton of rockets prior to that, it took about 2 days of spacing out on the sander before I’d worked out how to rig an igniter to a servo and launch an Estes solid rocket engine out of a tube through the planes cargo door, with an m80 taped in line with a nose cone ahead of that, with a wetted fuse routed into the engines backblast nozzle. You had to fly it high, but it would then launch the completely unguided missile in a crazy loop usually downward back at you, and then at some random point explode with a bang.
As it turns out, it’s quite illegal to launch rockets from other moving aircraft. It’s also very fun and exciting when it all works, and even more exciting when it doesn’t, and the rocket turns your plane into a fireball, explodes, and falls out of the sky. That was definitely the high water mark in all my summer jobs.
I do have some rocketry projects I’d love to get around to eventually. I’ll kerp an eye on your work, OP.
It’s nice to know I wasn’t the only 12 year old that seemed to be actively trying to constantly maim themselves. You sounded more technical that I was then. Don’t get me started on the Supersoaker/flamethrower experiment. It turns out that gasoline eats up all of the seals and it leaks with poor results.
This was at last year’s Hellfire event that the Utah Rocket Club puts on at the sale flats yearly. I got my Level 1 and Level 2 certification with this rocket at that event.
