Hot Topics:
See All Topics

Make: Projects

High-Pressure Foam Rocket

Toy or not, this rocket really packs a punch.

High-Pressure Foam Rocket

Calling a rocket that sprints over 100 feet into the air a “toy” might be a bit of a stretch. Toy or not, this rocket really packs a punch. Fly it using the Compressed Air Rocket launcher from MAKE Volume 15 (get the kit at makezine.com/go/launcherkit) or a stomp rocket launcher (makezine.com/go/stomplauncher).

  • Hot glue gun
  • Scissors

Steps

Step #1: Cut the foam and cinch with a zip tie.

NextHigh-Pressure Foam RocketHigh-Pressure Foam RocketHigh-Pressure Foam RocketHigh-Pressure Foam Rocket
  • Cut a 9" section of foam pipe insulation. Wrap the zip tie 1/2" from one end and cinch it tight so no air will escape. Trim the excess foam above the cinched-off end.

Step #2: Apply duct tape to foam rocket body.

NextHigh-Pressure Foam RocketHigh-Pressure Foam RocketHigh-Pressure Foam RocketHigh-Pressure Foam Rocket
  • Criss-cross 2 pieces of duct tape over the cinched end. Now cover the entire foam section with duct tape spanning the length. Three overlapping pieces of tape should do the trick.

Step #3: Cut and attach foam fins.

NextHigh-Pressure Foam RocketHigh-Pressure Foam RocketHigh-Pressure Foam RocketHigh-Pressure Foam Rocket
  • Cut a 4"×1½" rectangle from the foam sheet, then cut it diagonally to make 2 fins. Repeat. Using generous amounts of hot glue, attach 3 of the fins, spaced evenly, onto the foam rocket body tube. If the glue doesn’t stick well to the rough duct tape, wrap 2 strips of clear packing tape over the duct tape around the bottom of the rocket to create a smooth surface for gluing the fins.

Step #4: Use it!

High-Pressure Foam Rocket
  • Pressurize the compressed air launcher for 45psi–65psi, and launch. (For a lower pressure/altitude launch, use a stomp launcher.) When the duct tape finally fails with a spectacular blowout, just apply more duct tape over the blown section and keep flying!

Conclusion

This project first appeared in MAKE Volume 29, page 123.

Related Projects

195_195
College Bike Trunk

By: Frank Yost

M23_Switches_3904
Mystery Electronic Switches

By: Jeff Tregre

See-Thru Potato Cannon
See-Thru Potato Cannon

By: William Gurstelle

Parabolic Microphone
Parabolic Microphone

By: Jim Lee

Greener Surfboard
Greener Surfboard

By: Keith Hammond

Kustom Tonkas
Kustom Tonkas

By: Todd Lappin

The Stealth Mic
The Stealth Mic

By: Bill Byrne

Lego Recharger
Lego Recharger

By: John Edgar Park

In the Maker Shed

Cube 3D Printer

Cube 3D Printer

Calculator Kit from Spikenzie Labs

Calculator Kit from Spikenzie Labs

Telegraph Decoder Kit by Spikenzie Labs

Telegraph Decoder Kit by Spikenzie Labs

Telegraph Decoder Kit by Spikenzie Labs

BrushBots

2 Responses to High-Pressure Foam Rocket

  1. Andrew Terranova on said:

    This is very timely. I’ve built the paper air rocket with my son and his friend for their science fair. Next I’m planning to build a modified version to work with foam rockets. I’ve already bought the material, and was planning to build and test it soon.
    It’s good to know that the rocket launcher will have enough “oomph” to push a foam rocket.

    Reply ↓
    • Andrew Terranova on said:

      BTW, I just tested Air Zone foam darts in my launcher. They work fine up to about 30 PSI. At 40 PSI, I blew out the side of the dart!
      Your project has duct tape reinforcing, which I’m sure is why you can get up to those higher pressures. I wonder if using masking tape would add enough strength? It is lighter than duct tape, and with less weight you can fly higher.

      Reply ↓

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out / Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

Join the MAKE Forum
Makershedad_DOTW_%20Makershields

// What's Trending

Raspberry Pi Design Contest
Raspberry Pi Design Contest
  • By: Nick Normal
  • Hits: 18735
Seventeen Sneaky Secret Hides
Seventeen Sneaky Secret Hides
  • By: Sean Michael Ragan
  • Hits: 4312
Teardrop Camper Trailer
Teardrop Camper Trailer
  • By: Werner
  • Hits: 2409
10 Things to Connect to Your Raspberry Pi
10 Things to Connect to Your Raspberry Pi
  • By: Alasdair Allan
  • Hits: 2289
Lost PLA Casting from 3D Prints
Lost PLA Casting from 3D Prints
  • By: Eric Weinhoffer
  • Hits: 2176
DIY 3D Laser Scanner Using Arduino
DIY 3D Laser Scanner Using Arduino
  • By: Ken Denmead
  • Hits: 1987
New Project: DIY 3D Laser Scanner Using Arduino
New Project: DIY 3D Laser Scanner Using Arduino
  • By: Ken Denmead
  • Hits: 1713
5 Million LEGO Brick Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter
5 Million LEGO Brick Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter
  • By: Nick Normal
  • Hits: 1585

// What's Shared

A better way to slice a pumpkin
A better way to slice a pumpkin
  • By: Sean Michael Ragan
  • Shares: 42287
DIY Nerf Darts
DIY Nerf Darts
  • By: Adam Flaherty
  • Shares: 27158
100 Dollar Store Organization Ideas for Craft Rooms and Beyond
100 Dollar Store Organization Ideas for Craft Rooms and Beyond
  • By: Haley Pierson-Cox
  • Shares: 23007
In the Maker Shed: Minty Boost USB Charger
In the Maker Shed: Minty Boost USB Charger
  • By: Maker Shed
  • Shares: 22065
Mad’s Mouse House
Mad’s Mouse House
  • By: Meg Allan Cole
  • Shares: 13874
Lace Princess Crowns
Lace Princess Crowns
  • By: Meg Allan Cole
  • Shares: 13111
I Have a (Puzzling) Dream
I Have a (Puzzling) Dream
  • By: Gareth Branwyn
  • Shares: 10517
Play the Rings of a Tree Trunk Like a Record
Play the Rings of a Tree Trunk Like a Record
  • By: Matt Richardson
  • Shares: 10253

// Most Commented

Jason Poel Smith Picture
DIY Hacks & How To’s: Get Emergency Power from a Phone Line
  • By: Jason Poel Smith
  • Comments: 37
sample parts
Resin Casting: Going from CAD to Engineering-Grade Plastic Parts
  • By: Michal Zalewski
  • Comments: 36
Don't get me wrong, they're cheap and often get the job done, but they were made to not drive well. They were designed specifically in the early 20th century to cam out when too much force was applied. Now that we have torque-limiting drills this isn't a problem anymore, yet somehow we still use them.
Ten Tips for Screws and Screwdrivers
  • By: Michael Colombo
  • Comments: 27
We use the phrase "two by four" in common parlance, but did you know it's actually 3.5 inches wide? Don't make assumptions on size; always measure first.
Ten Tips for Better Measurement
  • By: Michael Colombo
  • Comments: 19
BrainMachineWorkshop
Is it a Hackerspace, Makerspace, TechShop, or FabLab?
  • By: Gui Cavalcanti
  • Comments: 19
Arduino Yun
Arduino Announces New Wireless Linux Board
  • By: Andrew Terranova
  • Comments: 12
If you need to use tape on the exterior of your project, consider placing it in a way that will bolster your piece's aesthetic. You can use it to make trim, pin stripes, or go all out and make art out of the tape itself.
Ten Tips for Adhesive Tape
  • By: Michael Colombo
  • Comments: 12
E59A0674
Makers on TV: Big Brain Theory
  • By: Sabrina Merlo
  • Comments: 12
MAKE
Trending Topics
About Maker Media

Make on Twitter Make on YouTube Make on Pintrest Make on Flickr Make on Facebook Stumble Make Magazine MAKE on Instagram MAKE on Google+

%d bloggers like this: