This is an ongoing project to document the design, building, and launching of rockets to allow new members to refer to while building their own rockets.
We are extremely happy to have our own workspace, and we need to keep it clean and orderly.
Clean up after yourself
If you grab a tool, put it away before you leave.
Don’t touch things that aren’t yours
If something of yours is drying or curing, put a note near it to let people know not to move it.
Mark your things.
Use the correct shelving for storage.
Keep flammables like spray-paint in the flammables cabinet.
Don’t use spray paint in the lab.
Materials
The following materials are generally provided by BYU Rocketry:
sandpaper
paper cups (for epoxy)
Epoxy filler (for fin fillets)
Masking tape
3D printed rail buttons
cellulose insulation (for wadding)
Available Tools
Dremels – Useful for cutting into body tubes and grinding down materials
Wrenches
Screwdriver set
Soldering irons
Drills
Drill bits
Composite CNC routing bits
Clamps
Wire strippers
Razor blades
Rocket stands
3D printer (see below)
Shopvac
3D Printer Use
Here are some important things regarding the printer:
The printer is only for BYU Rocketry related projects.
Prints can be made from PLA (changes will be made soon to allow ABS).
Using the printer without adequate knowledge of slicing and printing can damage the printer and yield poor printing results. Please consult Derrick Walker or Brennen Dover before making any prints!
These sites are good places to order rocket building supplies and parachutes from.
Located on the 1st floor of the EB. Safety glasses are required as well as pants and closed-toed shoes.
The following machinery is used frequently:
Laser cutter – Ideal for cutting plywood bulkheads, centering rings, and fins.
CNC Router (ShopSabre) – Ideal for cutting fiberglass fins.
3D printers – If you prefer to print something with the ease of having someone else slice and print it, this is a good option. Keep in mind that it can get expensive quick at $0.15/gram, and they only print PLA.
Vinyl Cutter – Ideal for making vinyl decals (same room as laser cutter). If you want to use this, you’ll need to book the laser cutter as there isn’t an official reservation slot for this machine.
Lathe – Sometimes used by the high-power teams to make metal rail buttons.
Belt sander – Useful to sanding down wood fins or bulkheads that are too large. Keep in mind that you can’t sand composites here.
Miter and table saw – Good for straight or angled cuts on plywood.
Located in Rm 115 of the Snell Building. Safety glasses are required as well as pants and closed-toed shoes.
The following are used frequently:
Prepreg carbon fiber – Used for body tubes for larger rockets as well as higher velocity rockets. The material is free to use, but requires multiple people to roll. The club has several different sizes of mandrels for this. Make sure you know what you’re doing before you attempt to roll a tube.
Bandsaw – Ideal for cutting paper-based or soft materials like a blue-tube coupler.
Composite table saw – Ideal for cutting carbon fiber or fiberglass materials like body tubes to shape.
Belt sander – This belt sander is hooked up to a vacuum system, so it’s safer to sand a composite like fiberglass. This can speed up the process of making fiberglass fins greatly.
The composites lab doesn’t have a website. For details on times and availability, you need to physically go to the lab. The TA’s hours and contact information will be posted on the door of the lab.
Project Support Center (PSC)
The project support center is a wonderful resource for checking out tools, cameras, and electronic components. You can also book testing machines. It's located in CB 154.
Occasionally BYU Rocketry will have networking events where we will either tour a company facility or they will come talk to us. Join our newsletter and stay tuned for any networking events will have in the future!
While a lifetime of rocketry passion begins at different stages for everyone, this chart should give you a good idea of the opportunities that can be found in the BYU Rocketry Association. Ask a club officer for more information about any of the opportunities listed above.