[petek]

Chemistry sets... reminds me of the time we were all to do experiments in Chemistry class. I decided to build a rocket motor using an expended CO2 cylinder, sulfur, and aluminum powder.

My Chemistry teacher signed off on the project and noted that another person had attempted the same experiment years earlier without success. That was all of the incouragement I needed!

My test bed was a length of board, a rollerskate, and a spring scale, all viewed with a mirror from the other side of a brick wall.

I milled the sulfur and aluminum powder down until they were like dust. Mixed everything in a wood bowl with a wood spoon. Filled the CO2 cylinder and tamped the mixture down pretty darn good.

Igition via a small charge of BP and nichrome wire to a 12 v transformer.

Worked like a champ. I don't remember how much thrust the thing put out but I do remember the roar and the foot long flame!

Many years later I learned just how dangerous and sensitive to static electricity the propellant mixture was. Apparently I was lucky not to have the thing blow up.

Then again, as I think back, there were an alarming number of times I could have been injured or killed with the stunts I pulled with any number of things... including cars!