How to Create a Model Rocket

Cut a piece of poster board into a 8-by-1.2-inch rectangle.

Roll the poster board partially around a 3/4-inch-diameter dowel to establish the tubular shape. Once you have covered the dowel, spray the inside of the poster board with spray glue. Roll up the poster board the rest of the way. Let the glue dry.

Mark the center of a 3-by-5-inch card's length. Fold over the edge of the card and roll it into a cone with the mark at its apex. Check the size of this cone against the tube you made in Step 1. If the fit is good, then continue. If not, make adjustments as needed. Unroll the paper and spray the inside with spray glue. Roll the card again into its final shape Pinch the inside of the cone to make sure it stays glued as well as the outside.

Insert the cone into a .09-inch-diameter aluminum tube. Insert it until it won't go in any farther. Draw a line at this point, all the way around the cone. Trim the cone, cutting along the line. Apply glue to the end of the cone and the top of the tube and press the cone in place, making sure that it is nice and straight. Roll the tube to see if rolls straight and true or crookedly. Adjust the cone as needed before the glue dries.

Trim the point where the cone adheres to the tube if there is any overlap. Smooth the join with 150-grit sandpaper. Follow it with 400-grit sandpaper. Cover the outside of the cone with glue to make the cone impervious to moisture.

Measure 1/2 inch below the the end of the cone and cut the tube at this point with sharp knife. Cut the dowel until it is 1 inch long. Mix 2-part epoxy in a paper cup, then pour it inside the cone to fortify it. Apply epoxy to the dowel's end and insert it into the cone. Screw a screw eye into the end of the dowel. Insert the cone into the tube.

Cut the hardwood into four fins. Cut the hardwood so it is 6 inches long. Mark the center of the wood's length. Measure 1 inch from the right edge and make a mark. Measure an inch to the left of the middle mark on the bottom. Draw a line connecting the two marks. Repeat this step on the other side. When you cut along the lines you will have four fins. Smooth the edges with sandpaper.

Cut the angle iron into two 12-inch lengths. Rubber-band the angle irons in place so that they are exactly opposite each other on the tube. Use the edges as a guide for gluing the fins into position. Apply plenty of glue to the fins' edges and glue them in place.