Paper Match Rockets

Reading the RC and model rocket question, got me to wondering, how many made paper match rockets with a little tin foil wrapped around a match head with a straightened paper clip laid along side, then remove the paper clip for a gas path. When you lit a match and held it under the foil wrapped match when the wrapped match ignites it really takes off, for about twenty feet. [b:1f146d5a15] I will never ever do that in the back of a classroom again[/b:1f146d5a15]. I think I wrote that or something similar about 500 times in cursive, every time I filled the blackboard during recess the teacher would erase it and give me a fresh start. Maybe exactly 500 times.

There are several youtubes on this. Here's one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCbekWlV1Qo

We used to take model rocket engines and pack the space at the top with gunpowder. The lower charged ones had the most room. Put
on a fin and cone, send the rocket up the usual way, when it reached the end of its run the hot gas would normally push the chute
out ignited the gun powder creating a terrific bang.

I will not post it here but if you send me an e-mail I can tell you a lot about things like that and what can be done with them

We just used one paper match with the head left on it, and a little scrap of tin foil. Anybody else do that?

At some point in my illustrious and imaginative youth, I somehow fancied a miniature game of darts. I figured that the cut off ends of shoe laces, one end fuzzed out a bit, and say a garment needle, with the little ball on the end if I recall..... that and the barrel of a bic pen... makes a nice blow dart.

Now the interesting part... a life long arch nemesis,(we fought as kids until graduation) while in biology class, seated in the next row of work tables behind me, the weasel that he was, got the case with the above items in it from my school bag. He then put it to effective use by sticking several of the other students in the back, one of which was not happy and likely would have made him regret what he did, was about to, but by then the teacher knew something was up. This annoying little fly made sure to try and have me take the rap for it too, but the friend he stuck with one, made sure to point him out.

This clown tested me one more time when we were seniors, but he paid up what was due and then some as I never forgot taking the heat until they figured it out, I was facing suspension. The teacher said after looking the said items over, then stating my last name, "these are lethal weapons"! Ironically enough, this teacher I did give much credibility too, he was a crackpot, just one strange individual to say the least.

Ironic thing was I still graduated with honors, my old "needling" pal there was not allowed to attend the ceremony, seems he and another friend of mine had gotten into it and both were disallowed to graduate on stage. We were a rowdy bunch at times, thinking back I just thought those silly things above were cool, they worked perfectly and were accurate, just never thought to ever use them on people, for him it made perfect sense at the time, and he'd do it until someone tried to pound him back.

They always talk about space junk floating around in outer space, well some of that might be a few of my old c02 capsules LOL. Geese Luise do they go.

So I'm just curious, Billy- how did this guy turn out? Is he still around the area, or have you lost contact with him?
My nemesis stayed around, went broke in the logging business, still working (at 67), and has mellowed a lot what with health problems as well. Actually a pretty decent guy now.

oh man - that brought back a funny memory -

I was doing just that with my cousin. We stole some matches and foil out of his kitchen and were experimenting with them out behind his apartment. I was the instigator.

Suddenly, his mother through the back door open very unexpectedly and FREAKED OUT.

She started smacking him on his head SCREAMING at him - (with hindsight - very much like the scene in a christmas story when ralph's mother calls shwartz's mother about where he heard the F
word) But this was live.

I knew we were doing something "wrong", but I had no idea she'd take it like THAT.

So - what's an eight year old to do when he just got his cousin's #$# kicked by his mom?

Start giggling of course.

I couldn't control it. I had tears streaming down my face it was just so funny.

So she then turned on me - oh man she was NOT happy.

She was a nurse that worked in a burn ward - and proceeded to relay all the horror stories of having to scrape off people's skin while they begged to be let to die.

Not funny stuff - but that over-reaction was just so unexpected.

I kept apologizing, but just couldn't stop laughing. The more serious she got, the funnier it was.

I was sent home. (which was no small thing - they lived in boston, an hour ride away - my mother was not very happy either)

Yup did that when I was in college. Back in the day, you could smoke in the cafeteria. I was sitting there shooting the bull and making match stick rockets. Not really having any real luck at it. One would go about a foot the next one would just fizzle. The LAST one went over 20 feet and landed in the coffee cup of one of the administrators of the school. That was the end of that...

Can you post a picture of this ? Id like to try it

He did just fine I think, he graduated from college went into banking/finance, still is I believe. He worked at my bank for quite some time actually, I conducted business with him LOL ! Funny as adults we are civil, as kids, we're out of control whenever possible! I think he just outgrew his youthful like ways of being a true wise@ss, and he sure was good at that. He had a good personality, and it definitely helped him succeed in life.

He was local after college, I used to run into him on occasion if I stopped for happy hour after the long trip home, or at the bank. I have not seen him in quite some time now, I think he's up north by 160 miles. By chance I ran into him at a convenience store up there once in the past, he still has local ties here though.

Never mind found it on u tube

Glad I didn't know of that when I was going through my playing with matches problem when I was a kid. I would have burned our house down for sure, and not just the kitchen curtains. Stan

Never tried the match rocket but used to propel lit stick matches or even paper wauds with a clothes
pin turned into a gun. Spring became the trigger.
Also made spoke guns out of bicycle spokes with match heads packed into the hole of the rim nut, then
tap a lead shotgun pellet into the hole. Heat it with a match and be careful where you point it cause
it will draw blood. Never showed my boys how to do it.

we used to use drinking straws - and those push pins with the round colored ball on one end - like for maps.

A little paper wadding with the pin - and it was a perfect little blow gun.

We had to write our "I will not..." punishments on paper, 25 times for each incident.
Teacher would write name on blackboard, with a check mark. One kid was up to 500
times(20 check marks). He tried taping 4 or 5 pencils together. Teacher noticed that
any squiggle marks always got repeated, & the fine or wide lines from sharp or dull
pencils formed a pattern, added a few check marks. Of course, he spent every recess
during January in a warm classroom while the rest of us were outside freezing our buns off.
Willie

That kids probably working for NASA now. Give him an "A" for ingenuity!!

Speaking of darts, my brother & I used to make miniature darts out of matchsticks. We would shave off the sulphur and drive a cut-off pin into the end with a pair of pliers. Split the other end with a razor blade and insert two strips of paper folded in half for feathers. A little thread wrapped around the tip and smeared with elmers glue made them look and fly just like the big ones. They would stick in any piece of furniture you threw them at, lol. Walls too, and after the cat took a few hits he got wise and disappeared anytime he caught on to what was going on. Good thing we grew out of that stage of life.