Eng Student

**kesterb** · Nov 19, 2015, 04:54 PM

Studying masters degree in Aeronautical Engineering

Love to spend an evening in the workshop after studying all day
Built my first workshop two years ago. Building it up as much as I can spare money from my education.
Tig welder, drill press, grinders etc.

Interested in all things mechanical/aerospace

Knowledge of CAD (solidworks) and FEA

Notable completed projects- Workshop, Road bikes, loads of rockets, Formula student racing car

Up coming projects- wood work lathe restoration, metal bandsaw, CNC mill

**kbalch** · Nov 19, 2015, 04:59 PM

Hi kesterb,

Welcome!

Sounds like a great background for DIY. What sort of rockets did you build? I spent a good deal of time at that myself many years ago, though I've been thinking about getting into the high-power world. Not enough time in the day, sadly.

Let's hear more about the racing, too. I've also got some Formula seat time (Skip Barber) and am just finishing a street-legal race car. Lots of car guys hereabouts!!

Post some pics of your upcoming projects as they get underway; people will really enjoy watching over your shoulder as you go.

Ken

**kesterb** · Nov 19, 2015, 05:31 PM

Hi Kbalch

I started off making sugar rockets, but then i moved to packed black power (melting the sugar stuff got too scary). I have built fibre glass rocket bodies for the motors, along with parachute ejection so far. I am on my second year of aeronautics this year, so hopefully when im home for the summer i will be able to cut some nozzle moulds and really optimize my motors. I am good friends with an electrical student, he says that he can make an altimeter, accelerometer etc... which will be fantastic. I live in Highlands in Scotland (postage is expensive) but weve got loads of room to launch.

Im in my second year in the team. Last year I was head of the aero team, we designed the bodykit you can see in my pic for a design competition at silverstone race track. This year ive moved up to the main team, where im designing the nose cone and driver environment. Have been getting lessons in composites in preparation! haha.

Our car is about 200kg with a 600cc cbr engine, so pretty nippy. I am one of 3 people in the team who can tig weld, so I will be welding the chassis for the 2016 car.

I will do, I recently obtained about 12 induction motors so ive got enless tool making opportunities now.

The main one on the list is the bandsaw. I think i will make have 16inch wheels (probably homemade if nothing appears on ebay). I want it to be able to cut metal, so very slow rpm (50rpm for 16ich wheels to cut steel). But i would also like to be able to increase the speed for wood. The pulley system for this gets a little rediculous, so ive been looking into using a vfd along with a pulley system, however this also gets a little complex since you need alot of motor cooling for a slow vfd, so an external fan would be needed... I could carry on all night...maybe il leave it in a thread.

Anyway, ive made a rough cad model so far.