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PaulK
11-27-2007, 10:51 AM
Hi,

I'm looking for some estes NCW-1, lead nose cone weights. Everyone here is probably familiar with these, they are about 11/16" in diameter, with a small hole for the screw eye. I know there are a lot of other ways to add weight, I'd just prefer these for some clones I'm working on.

Thanks,

Ltvscout
11-27-2007, 11:19 AM
Uncle Mike's sells something like this. Look at the bottom of this page:

http://www.unclemikesrocketshack.com/Nose_Cones/NC.html

tbzep
11-27-2007, 12:44 PM
If all else fails, you can stamp out some of your own. Lead is plenty soft to work with using junk laying around the house. :)

Carl@Semroc
11-27-2007, 01:39 PM
Hi,

I'm looking for some estes NCW-1, lead nose cone weights. Everyone here is probably familiar with these, they are about 11/16" in diameter, with a small hole for the screw eye. I know there are a lot of other ways to add weight, I'd just prefer these for some clones I'm working on.

Thanks,Estes NCW-1 is our WL-7 . I need to get the cross reference updated.

ghrocketman
11-27-2007, 02:38 PM
Carl,
For some reason a package of 6 of the WL-7 weights is showing up as $90.00 on the Semroc site. :confused: :eek:
Seems a little pricey for LEAD.....now if they are GOLD instead..... :D

Carl@Semroc
11-27-2007, 03:09 PM
Carl,
For some reason a package of 6 of the WL-7 weights is showing up as $90.00 on the Semroc site. :confused: :eek:
Seems a little pricey for LEAD.....now if they are GOLD instead..... :DIt's alchemy!
or a dropped decimal.

Thanks! That might be why they don't sell.

sandman
11-27-2007, 03:11 PM
It's alchemy!
or a dropped decimal.

Thanks! That might be why they don't sell.

Well, you wouldn't have to sell a lot!

ghrocketman
11-27-2007, 03:23 PM
Carl,
I hope that decimal needs to move TWO places to the left so they are $0.90 for six as even a ten fold reduction to $9.00 is quite steep for LEAD. :D :D :p

Initiator001
11-27-2007, 04:06 PM
Carl,
For some reason a package of 6 of the WL-7 weights is showing up as $90.00 on the Semroc site. :confused: :eek:
Seems a little pricey for LEAD.....now if they are GOLD instead..... :D

Carl has to make a profit on something he sells... :D

Bob

barone
11-27-2007, 06:10 PM
Carl has to make a profit on something he sells... :D

Bob
Just think of the ads....."Price reduced 99%......." :D

kurtschachner
11-27-2007, 07:20 PM
It is good that Carl and others sell them, a while back I made my own. If you are so inclined you need to buy some 0.042" thick lead sheet from McMaster-Carr along with an arch punch of 11/16" diameter. This will get you the disks. I then drew up a small template to mark the center and drilled an appropriate hole as required.

I think I still have some of them left. IIRC the minimum order of lead was a 6" x 6" piece (about $5) and you can get quite a few out of that sheet.

Rocket Doctor
11-27-2007, 07:52 PM
Hi,

I'm looking for some estes NCW-1, lead nose cone weights. Everyone here is probably familiar with these, they are about 11/16" in diameter, with a small hole for the screw eye. I know there are a lot of other ways to add weight, I'd just prefer these for some clones I'm working on.

Thanks,


I have a few nose cone weights, PM me for details.

Ltvscout
11-27-2007, 10:35 PM
Estes NCW-1 is our WL-7 . I need to get the cross reference updated.
Sorry, I didn't realize you had them as well.

Carl@Semroc
11-27-2007, 11:06 PM
Sorry, I didn't realize you had them as well.That's OK. They were a little "pricey."

We just got some more lead in today. Bruce read the warning this time and is afraid to touch it. After this, we will probably start substituting steel or clay.

kurtschachner
11-28-2007, 11:46 AM
To continue this NCW-1 madness, here is the template I used to mark the center hole for the ones I made.

To recap, you have to:

1. Buy the 0.042" lead from somebody (I got mine from McMaster-Carr)
2. Buy an 11/16 inch arch punch (also from McM-C)
3. Punch the blanks from the sheet
4. Use the template to mark the center hole (I used a stick pin)
5. Drill a center hole (I forget the size).

NCW-1s make great Christmas gifts. You could justifty purchasing the punch this way :rolleyes:

PaulK
11-28-2007, 04:21 PM
Thanks for the tips to Uncle Mikes & Semroc, I had no idea either sold these. I had previously looked at the Semroc site, and couldn't find them (they don't show up with the rest of the weights under misc. recovery). Uncle Mike's would seem to be closer to the NCW-1A, which according to a post in the rmr archives, were ~0.16 oz (about right for 1/16"). The custom parts catalog says the NCW-1 was 0.12 oz (about right for .042"). Either really is ok with me, but I am curious.

Carl, can you tell me what the thickness and/or weight is of your WL-7?

Kurt, thanks for the details on how to make my own if I needed to - though it looks like I won't have to. FWIW, my LHS did find some 1/32" lead sheet that I'll use for the nighthawk. It is a bit on the thick side (original was 1/50") but 3 folds instead of 4 make it close.

Rocket Doctor
11-29-2007, 07:10 AM
Here is a couple of other ideas, it won't be the original NCW-1, but, it should do.
Drill a hole in the center of a penny, or, get some washers with a small hole in the center or, get the "knock outs" from electrical 4 X 4 gem boxes and drill a hole in the center.

kurtschachner
11-29-2007, 07:40 AM
Kurt, thanks for the details on how to make my own if I needed to - though it looks like I won't have to.

Paul,

I was pretty much just joking about making your own. These days you can buy them, but 10 years ago when I did this it was a different story. Actually Estes did sell them when they were kitting the Space Shuttle, it was used on that model and their part number at the time was 38280. But since that kit is OOP I doubt they still sell the weights.

It's actually pretty amazing how much easier it is to clone a kit these days than it was in the mid-90's. With all the repro body tubes, decals and nose cones out there it is far easier now than it was then. I remember having to *pay* to get a copy of the Orbital Transport plans. I then had to redraw the decals and drive way to the other side of Milwaukee to find a Kinkos that would run Walther's decal paper through their color copier. Sunsite had some plans but they were in PostScript format and most people had no clue how to view or print them.

Ah, those were the days :p

ghrocketman
11-29-2007, 09:36 AM
Speaking of knockouts from "gem" electrical boxes, back when arcade video games were first getting hot in the late 70's/early 80's, some individuals I knew figured out that many of the early coin boxes would accept these "slugs" as a valid quarter....this did not last much longer than about a year however.

Doug Sams
11-29-2007, 10:21 AM
...some individuals I knew figured out that many of the early coin boxes would accept these "slugs" as a valid quarter....AFAIK, pretty much _all_ vending machines had to be "immunized" against these. They were the defacto slugs, in my mind.

That said, for several years, I called on one of the large manufacturers of changers for vending machines. While I had learned a trick or two about getting free Cokes over the years, the one I heard about there blew mind mind.

Apparently, someone discovered that they could pour strong salt water down the coin slot of a machine whereupon it would dump all its change out the return. Folks were jackpotting these things and the operators were up in arms. The changer maker had to re-engineer their equipment to not be susceptible.

Doug

Doug Sams
11-29-2007, 10:31 AM
Here is a couple of other ideas, it won't be the original NCW-1, but, it should do.
Drill a hole in the center of a penny, or, get some washers with a small hole in the center or, get the "knock outs" from electrical 4 X 4 gem boxes and drill a hole in the center.I've drilled coins before :)

Fender washers are another option. These are the kinds with relatively small holes and large ODs. They're more costly, but work well without lots of fiddlin'.

I played around with making my own weights, too. I used forstner bits to drill shallow cylinders into a piece of hardwood, then used a torch to melt lead and cast it in these holes. It was way more trouble than it was worth, but I was trying to get the perfect size weights. Sometimes I need somebody to bi2c# slap me when I'm getting carried away :)

The thing that was most aggravating was trying to find the lead. Fishing sinkers are a danged expensive way to go. And the 5 pound pucks at the fishing/hunting stores were way too expensive. I heard it was cheap at the battery recycling places, but never got around to finding out first hand, although I wondered what kinds of contaminants would be the lead recovered from batteries :)

Doug

ghrocketman
11-29-2007, 11:22 AM
The cheapest way to get lead is to have tire stores give you their old wheel weights.
Most are happy to give them by the 5 gallon bucketful as they are considered hazardous waste due to the lead content. Wheel weights are not pure lead, they are roughly 90% lead with some small amounts of other metals to "harden" them. Many target shooters use them for casting relatively low (under 1300 fps) velocity bullets.

I LIKE that comment about "jackpotting" vending/arcade machines...what a RIOT !
Whoever figured that one out is a genius (albeit an illegal one) almost of the scale of Wile E. Coyote, SOOPYR GEEENYUSS ! ;) :D :p

Rocket Doctor
11-29-2007, 02:54 PM
Paul,

I was pretty much just joking about making your own. These days you can buy them, but 10 years ago when I did this it was a different story. Actually Estes did sell them when they were kitting the Space Shuttle, it was used on that model and their part number at the time was 38280. But since that kit is OOP I doubt they still sell the weights.

It's actually pretty amazing how much easier it is to clone a kit these days than it was in the mid-90's. With all the repro body tubes, decals and nose cones out there it is far easier now than it was then. I remember having to *pay* to get a copy of the Orbital Transport plans. I then had to redraw the decals and drive way to the other side of Milwaukee to find a Kinkos that would run Walther's decal paper through their color copier. Sunsite had some plans but they were in PostScript format and most people had no clue how to view or print them.

Ah, those were the days :p


Estes threw these away 3 years ago, as well as a lot of vintage stuff. If only someone knew where there stuff is dumped, you would discover a treasure trove.

Anybody have any idea??? (Pueblo or Penrose trash sites ????)

PaulK
11-29-2007, 05:30 PM
Estes threw these away 3 years ago, as well as a lot of vintage stuff. If only someone knew where there stuff is dumped, you would discover a treasure trove.

Anybody have any idea??? (Pueblo or Penrose trash sites ????)I've been trying to get Christine on the phone for a few days now to ask about these, though I figured it was unlikely they would still have them. I do have some 11/16" fender washers, but the hole is still larger than I'd like (0.2"), and of course the density is quite a bit lower than lead. With the lower density and larger hole, I need almost twice as many. Pennies are even lighter, being mostly zinc. *I* wasn't kidding about making them, I was trying to figure out how just before I started this thread. I'm glad to find out there are now 2 sources of them. This *is* the golden age of cloning. Woohoo! :)

kurtschachner
11-29-2007, 06:11 PM
I've been trying to get Christine on the phone for a few days now to ask about these, though I figured it was unlikely they would still have them. I do have some 11/16" fender washers, but the hole is still larger than I'd like (0.2"), and of course the density is quite a bit lower than lead. With the lower density and larger hole, I need almost twice as many. Pennies are even lighter, being mostly zinc. *I* wasn't kidding about making them, I was trying to figure out how just before I started this thread. I'm glad to find out there are now 2 sources of them. This *is* the golden age of cloning. Woohoo! :)

24 replies to a thread on nose cone weights :D This Shirley must be a record.

Paul, if you want some weights I can give them to you. Will you be at the next sod farm launch?

Ltvscout
11-29-2007, 06:36 PM
This Shirley must be a record.
Don't call me Shirley!

Rocket Doctor
11-29-2007, 09:55 PM
What sod farm launch?

dwmzmm
11-29-2007, 10:31 PM
I'm with Doug Sams; I've used pennies with a hole drilled in the middle. Works great for me.

barone
11-30-2007, 07:08 AM
I'm with Doug Sams; I've used pennies with a hole drilled in the middle. Works great for me.
Can't beleive you guys have been defacing goverment property..... :eek:

Rocket Doctor
11-30-2007, 07:21 AM
Pennies cost the feds five cents to produce, and toilet seats cost $800.00...............

barone
11-30-2007, 07:26 AM
Pennies cost the feds five cents to produce, and toilet seats cost $800.00...............
Hey, I watched Independence Day....I know where THAT money is going to..... ;)

kurtschachner
11-30-2007, 07:28 AM
What sod farm launch?

Paul is in my local club and it's our monthly launch. You're welcome to attend :)

Ltvscout
11-30-2007, 07:32 AM
What sod farm launch?
That's a WOOSH thing. PaulK and Kurt are both members of WOOSH. Our MR launches are held at what we call the Sod Farm. It may have been a sod farm 25 years ago or more, but certainly not now. ;) Still, it's a nice open area large enough to fly MR and smaller mid-power that is closeby to the Milwaukee area.

Speaking of Sod Farm launches, I kind of doubt we'll be having ours tomorrow. They're calling for a number of inches of snow followed by freezing rain. :eek: I wish I was with my mom right now. I took her to the airport yesterday so she could fly down to FLL. She's going on a cruise on the HAL Zuiderdam.

Whoops! Getting off-topic here. ;)

kurtschachner
11-30-2007, 08:17 AM
That's a WOOSH thing. PaulK and Kurt are both members of WOOSH. Our MR launches are held at what we call the Sod Farm. It may have been a sod farm 25 years ago or more, but certainly not now. ;) Still, it's a nice open area large enough to fly MR and smaller mid-power that is closeby to the Milwaukee area.

Speaking of Sod Farm launches, I kind of doubt we'll be having ours tomorrow. They're calling for a number of inches of snow followed by freezing rain. :eek: I wish I was with my mom right now. I took her to the airport yesterday so she could fly down to FLL. She's going on a cruise on the HAL Zuiderdam.

Whoops! Getting off-topic here. ;)

Ya, it ain't much of a sod farm, you are right about that. More of a dumping ground than anything.

Good deal on your mom. Did she fly Milwaukee's hometown airline to FLL? :)

Ltvscout
11-30-2007, 08:51 AM
Good deal on your mom. Did she fly Milwaukee's hometown airline to FLL? :)
Why yes, yes she did! ;) Didn't have any near misses on the way down either. :p

PaulK
11-30-2007, 12:42 PM
24 replies to a thread on nose cone weights ... And to think some folks refer to this as an asylum :rolleyes:

... Paul, if you want some weights I can give them to you. Will you be at the next sod farm launch?Thanks Kurt, that would be great (and generous)! I was planning on being there tomorrow, but as Scott points out, the weather isn't looking good. Well, no hurry.

PaulK
01-01-2008, 04:50 PM
For part of my semroc christmas deal, I ordered a few packs of their WL-7. They will end up working fine, though they need work. They are a hair larger in diameter, so won't fit inside a BT-20 or ST-7. Many of them have a chunks hanging off the side too. After some trimming with scissors & filing them down, they weigh in at ~4.5g each, or ~4.2g after a 1/8" hole is drilled in. They are going to be handy for min diameter stuff & pop pods, I only need two of them where I would have needed 6 steel washers.

ghrocketman
01-02-2008, 10:32 AM
I can't believe a theread about vintage lead weights is still alive and has 36 posts !
Only among us lunatic BARs...... :p