Videos

Desktop Rocket Video

Simple design ignites imagination

By Bob Gilsdorf

This project was inspired by my mild disappointment with retractable ballpoint pens. Yes, they are ingenious little contraptions with a clever latching mechanism and a spring-loaded button that prevents large ink spots from growing in your pocket, so what’s the problem? Have you ever pushed that button down on a desktop and then released the pen? The pen hops a disappointing inch or so. The kid in me wants the pen to soar at least several feet in the air to the altitude where my imagination can turn it into something spectacular. So that’s what I set out to accomplish—a desktop rocket that would gain some serious altitude and ignite a kid’s imagination.

Complete instructions and patterns to make your own desktop rockets can be found in Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Spring 2017 (Issue 66). CLICK HERE to purchase the issue. For more articles featured in Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Spring 2017 (Issue 66), CLICK HERE.