U.S. Water Rockets Tree Recovery System
Introduction:
If you have hobbies which involve things that fly, such as RC Planes, Drones or Model Rockets, then chances are that you've had a project which you were flying end up stuck in a tree.We've had this experience a number of times in the past, and we wanted to share our Tree Recovery System with you so that you may benefit from our design.
In this Tutorial we will show you how to build and how to use our design, which is easy and inexpensive to make and works amazingly well.
Parts list you need for this project:
- Latex Surgical Tubing
- Electrical Tape
- A fishing reel with line
- String
- Rope
- Some dowels for the projectiles
- A 1" diameter pipe about 3 feet in length
Tree Recovery Device Construction Steps:
Step 1:
Fasten the fishing reel to the pipe about a foot from the bottom. Use electrical tape strips to hold it in position and then give it a good tape wrap to make a permanent joint.Step 2:
Take about 2 feet of the surgical tubing, fold it in half to find the middle and temporarily tape it over the pipe end below the fishing reel.Step 3:
Fold the ends of the latex tubing along the sides of the pipe and hold them in position with a strip of tape. Leave 2 to 3 inches of latex protruding past the tape. ...Step 4:
Permanently tape the latex tube to the sides of the pipe with a firm wrap of electrical tape about 3 to 4 inches wide.Step 5:
Fold the loose ends of the latex tube back over and apply another tight wrap of tape to cover the folded ends completely.Step 6:
Remove the temporary tape from the middle of the surgical tubing. The launching device is now finished and you need to make some projectiles for it.Projectile Construction Steps:
Step 1:
The projectiles are made by cutting the dowels about 2 feet in length. You only need one projectile for a successful recovery, but make several because they sometimes get lost or damaged when using them.Step 2:
To improve the range and accuracy of the projectiles you can tape a weight onto the tip. Screws, washers, coins, or even a small stone will work well for this.How to use the Tree Recovery System:
The overall idea is that with this system we can very accurately place a rope so that we can hook the stuck object directly, or hook the branches supporting it and shake it loose. Here is how to get the rope where you want it to be.Step 1:
Take one of the projectiles and tape the line from the fishing reel to the tail end. The line should be taped firmly but should pull free so that the projectile can pull free if it becomes snagged in the tree.Step 2:
Insert the projectile tail first into the top of the Launching Device, then grasp the projectile as it comes out of the bottom, pinching it with the latex tube. Now you pull back and stretch the latex tube, similar to the way you would arm a slingshot.Step 3:
Take aim down the barrel of the launcher and release the projectile. If you miss the shot, you can quickly reel the projectile back in and try again.Step 4:
Once you have placed your projectile in the desired location, you can let if drop to the ground and pull it off. Then you tie a string to the fishing line, and tie a rope to the opposite end of the string.Step 5:
Reel in the fishing line, pulling the string through the branches, then use the string to pull the heavy rope through last. Pulling the rope with the fishing line alone is difficult because the fishing line breaks very easily under the weight of the rope.Step 6:
When you have the rope where you want it, you can then use it to pull your stuck object or shake it free from the tree. With patience and persistence, you can recovery anything.CAUTION:
Use common sense and be safe when using this device. Do not use it where the projectile could hurt someone or damage property, and never use it around power lines!Gallery
