Glycerin/soap Soaked Rubber Bands? Not so sure.
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:55 pm
In our space derby last night, I ended up being the "winder" because I brought a powerdrill. I noticed that that torque supplied by the rubber bands that were soaked in the glycerin/green soap solution didn't deliver nearly as much torque once they were wound. I could feel the difference as I wound them and as I held the propeller.
One gentleman brought up his kid's rocket with soaked bands and I wound it -- a very light rocket. It failed to beat a heavier rocket and never performed well at all. Then, he changed out the bands for dry bands and the torque of winding it actually bent the loop in his prop axel open. It had WAY more felt torque. We never got to see how his would fly dry versus soaked bands, so it wasn't a complete experiment.
When I wound my own son's rocket (with soaked bands) I could feel alarmingly less torque as I did when I had wound it with dry bands. So, I replaced the bands before he raced and his rocket was way faster than anyones' -- dry or soaked.
Anyway, I'm throwing it out there that soaking the rubber bands might deserve further testing.
One gentleman brought up his kid's rocket with soaked bands and I wound it -- a very light rocket. It failed to beat a heavier rocket and never performed well at all. Then, he changed out the bands for dry bands and the torque of winding it actually bent the loop in his prop axel open. It had WAY more felt torque. We never got to see how his would fly dry versus soaked bands, so it wasn't a complete experiment.
When I wound my own son's rocket (with soaked bands) I could feel alarmingly less torque as I did when I had wound it with dry bands. So, I replaced the bands before he raced and his rocket was way faster than anyones' -- dry or soaked.
Anyway, I'm throwing it out there that soaking the rubber bands might deserve further testing.