Easy to Make Super Fast Blackpowder Rocket Engines (448 Mph)

For now over 1000 years rockets have played a large part in our society. After being invented by the Chinese, the rockets and their uses have become more advanced as time goes on. Around the year 1380, rockets made their appearance in western society. These were primarily used as weapons. Much later, rockets were seen as possibly being vehicles used by humans to travel to space. After this the space age started. The Soviet Union and America face off in a battle of putting man in space, and then later the moon. America won by putting Neil Armstrong on the moon in 1969. Sadly rockets weren't used much as vehicles, but as weapons and fireworks. Recently, rockets have regained their popular use as vehicles. Now many companies look toward the moon once more and some even beyond. With this being said, the instructions below are for creating fast powerful rockets that can exceed over 517 mph. Now, be careful though and make sure to enjoy. These rockets

are made with the same propellant that the Chinese would have used 1000 years ago.

Remember when atacking this experement that what you are working with is dangerouse and highly flamable. Do not swallow mixture or clay.

Follow your State's law

Required tools:

1. Drill
2. Rubber Mallet
3. 3D printed dowel. If you dont have a 3D printer just use a 1/2 in. wooden dowel. Link for Fusion 360 file
4. Coffee Blender
5. Lighter

Required Supplies:

1. Highly pure Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)
2. Pure Airfloat Charcoal
3. Powdered Sulfur
4. Powdered Bentonite Clay (Kitty Litter)
5. Rocket or Firework Engine Tubes
6. A Good Airtight Container to Store the Mixture In (Found that Rock Tumbler Barrels to Work Well)
7. 1/8 in. Drill Bit
8. Bottle Rocket Fuse
9. Estes Model Rocket That is Made for a "C" Class Rocket Engine
10. 1/16 in. wooden dowel that is 1 ft. long
11. Thin pipe, thicker than 1/8 in. and longer than 1 ft.

Safety Supplies:

1. Gloves
2. Safety Glasses
3. Safty Mask

*NOTE: All of the supplies above can be purchased off of Amazon, except the bottlerocket fuse which will have to be taken off a bottle rocket.

Get all the ingredients necessary to create the black powder, and put on the safety gear listed in the supply list.

Get out a small airtight sealable container, and set it on a scale.

Pour 75g of KNO3, 15g of airfloat charcoal, and 10g of sulfur into the container.

Seal the container and shake for over 5 min. Note that the longer you shake the mixture the more powerful your engine will be.

Nice now you have created your own black powder. Make sure to store it away from electric sources, and out of reach from children.

Find a flat surface to create the nozzle with. Pour a spoonful of Bentonite Clay into the rocket engine tube. Using the dowel and a hammer, pack the clay down until condensed. Repeat this process until the clay nozzle is a quarter inch thick. Drill a small hole with a in the direct middle of the clay. Make sure the hole for the nozzle is smooth. Pour thin super glue all over and through the clay nozzle. Doing this will strengthen the nozzle allowing it to not break under the pressure built inside of the engine.

Now your rocket's nozzle is complete.

Pour a spoonful of black powder into the same rocket tube as the one used in the last step. Once this is done, pack down the black powder with the dowel. Repeat this process until the black powder is packed down at about 1/4 in from the end opposite of the nozzle. Make sure the black powder is very compact. Once this is done you can start to work on the clay end cap that holds the powder in from the other side. To build this end cap, pour a spoonful on top of the black powder that you have just packed. Using the dowel to compact the clay down. Repeat this until the clay reaches all the way to the end of the rocket tube. Once again pour a little thin super glue to strengthen the clay.

To allow the flames more fuel to burn at, I have used an air chamber inside almost all of my rockets. This air chamber alows the rocket to hit faster speeds than a standard model rocket engine.

To build this air chamber, get drill bit that was used to create the clay nozzle and drill a hole about 2 in deep. now that this has been done grab a bottle rocket wick and insert it all the way down your newly built air chamber.

You have now created the rocket engine.

Find a field away from buildings or tall objects. Hammer the thin pipe into the ground slightly leaning away from where you will stand once the rocket is launched. Now tape the thin wooden dowel to the rocket engine with the end reaching to the top of the rocket engine. Slide the wooden dowel down the pipe. Next, make sure that you will easily be able to run to a safe area about 100 ft. away. Light the wick and run to your safe area. Watch and enjoy your rockets launch.

Be safe, have fun, and make more.