Ever since the dawn of men people have dreamed about some things. Things like flying to space, traveling to the end of the world, living on Mars... but most of all blowing things up! If you can see yourself in this, than you should maybe try building a model rocket, cause, and let's be honest here, you are never going to be an astronaut!  

So, let's get started! In order to make your own model rocket, you first need some basic materials:  

# a tube (these can be purchased at any hardware store)  

# a piece of cardboard to cut out the rocket fins  

# glue (a hot melt glue gun is reccomended)  

# model rocket engine (this is the most expensive part of the rocket)  

You can see now that building your own model rocket is quite economical and the PVC is strong enough to be used many times. Now that you have all of the required materials to build your own rocket you can begin. Have fun!

1. Take your class 125 pvc pipe (either the 1/2" for the "C" engine rockets, or the 3/4" for the "D" engine rockets) and cut of anywhere from 6"-12" off of the pipe. If you have decided to make your rocket longer it will increase stability but decrease its maximum altitude. Longer rockets may also need larger fins.  

2. After your tube is cut to length use some sandpaper to clean the ends.   

3. Now you have to make the fins for you rocket. Using thin but strong cardboard like the type that most pizza boxes are made from is the best choice for this. The fins can be cut out in any shape that you want, but they should be of at least 1/3 the length of the rocket and 3 times as wide as the rocket tube to stabilize the rocket. Rockets may have 3 or 4 fins.   

4. Now you glue your fins on to your rocket tube. Using a hot glue gun to attach the fins to the tube is best because it solidifies in a matter of minutes. If it is unavailable you may use any glue but extra care must be taken to allow the glue ample time to dry before launching. Glue your fins on radially around the rocket tube.  

5. It is now time to insert the engine into the bottom of the rocket. In the case of the class 125 PVC pipe the engine may be smaller than the inside of the pipe, so if this is the case use some masking or duct tape to wrap around the engine until it is good to fit snugly into the pipe. You may also want to glue it in place too.   

6. Once the engine is in the rocket you can put a nose cone on the top. This part of the rocket can be made out of paper or it could simply be an end cap for the size pipe that you are using.  

7. Now take a drinking straw and glue it on to the tube of the rocket. This straw will act as a guide for the rocket when it is launched.  

Congratulations! Your rocket is now ready for launch!

You will need three things to launch the rocket: a launch pad, 2 wires (about 50 ft of speaker wire since it is 2 wires in one) and a 9V battery. The battery and the wires are easy to aquire, while the launch pad can be bought in a hobby shop or made yourself. If you decide to make your own, don't worry cause it is simple to make and consists of only 3 parts: a metal rod 1/8" diameter, a piece of wood for the base and some aluminum foil.  

1. cut out a piece of wood for the base at least 6" wide  

2. drill a hole for the rod in the center of the wood board  

3. put glue in the hole and insert the rod into it  

4. wrap base in aluminum foil to prevent fire after the launch  

5. Wrap some tape about 1"-2" from the bottom of where the rod goes into the wood to prevent the igniters from shorting out on the foil   

It is now time to launch! Insert the launch rod into the straw that you have glued on to the rocket and let it down slowly to the tape that you wrapped around the rod. Connect the two wires to the ignitor and get back about 20 ft or even more if you are firing a dangerous payload. Now you are ready to touch the wires onto the battery terminal and the rocket will fire up.   

It is time to start the launching sequence. Houston, we're ready to go!