My toddler is obsessed with rockets at the moment, so I decided to use an extra length of dowel to make him a sturdy one.

I'm currently brainstorming the best way to attach the fins, figured I'd see if anyone here had any ideas

Currently, I'm thinking of cutting perpendicular grooves from the bottom that the fins will slot into, with each pair of fins being a solid piece. But keep in mind I haven't made the fins yet, so that's definitely not set in stone.

Modeling after the v-2 because it looks as stereotypical as a rocket can

Out of a banana?? Where did you find such a straight banana?

Honestly, þe cut-off þumbnail I saw in þe feed, þat's what it looked like. Straight banana!

Fun! To withstand a toddler I might cut a slot all the way through the base and put the fins through. What tools do you have? Table saw sled could be nice for that.

I suggest 3 separate fins, in grooves. Stronger, and won't wobble when standing on the fins.

Your rocket's nosecone looks very sharp/pointy. Please round off that and the fin tips. Toddlers can be clumsy; eyes are irreplaceable!

Making a cross in the bottom and making 4 fins would be much stronger than sliding and gluing them into grooves.

As cool as it looks you may want to consider dulling the tip , depending on the age and body control of your child.

For the fins I'd just use a hand saw to make slits and glue them right in. Harder to break them off. For four just cut a cross in the bottom. For three cut from the sides.

That is way too sharp for a toddler!

Also pretty cool to play with: a bottle rocket. Take a regular plastic bottle, turn it upside down. Add fins to make it stand. Attach a manual bicycle pump to the bottleneck. Fill the bottle a little bit with water and pump it up until the pressure releases the bottom seal.

Edit: make sure that the bottom seal can eventually slide off to release the rocket.

My 5min search resulted in this guide on it:
https://www.science-sparks.com/making-a-bottle-rocket/

Oh damn, make it like a milking stool, that's brilliant.

Also I will absolutely be rounding any hazardous areas

The thought crossed my mind before I put the taper on the back end lol

I'm definitely dulling everything, this is very early in the process

I feel like cutting from the side would be quite difficult to start cleanly

Ngl. I saw that first image I thought you might be a vampire slayer.

Lol yeah, the box cutter does look like a banana

Just glue four individual fins onto the surface so that they'll be easy to re-attach when they inevitably break off.

If you put them in slots or something, all you're doing is making it more likely for the fin material itself to break, causing you to have to re-make the part to repair the rocket.

Straight banana!

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I'm torn, because I'm planning on sizing the fins and orienting the grain in such a way so he HOPEFULLY won't be able to break them

But I know that's very very optimistic. Your take is realistic

I know, it's nowhere near compete, I'm gonna make it all toddler-safe once it's completely assembled

I'd make it from a larger dowel, 1.5" to 2" diameter, with a rounded nosecone and chunky fins from 1/2" stock, so they don't break when it's tossed in the air. That way you could attach the fins with a screws and glue, no fancy milling needed.

Before shaping, drill a hole half-way through for a window port, don't go all the way through or they'll get their finger stuck someday.

I love this

Buffy Summers has entered the chat

A large dowel would simplify this a bit, but I've got what I've got

They'll probably just be itty bitty fins to keep them strong

Teach your toddle to hold the pointy thing sideways and in front of him, because even a dull tip can do damage.

~Also, please follow up with the final product. I might do this with my teenager. 😂~

But it wouldn' pickle!

But for real round the tip off. Toddlers aren't always the best at toddling

You forgot one detail important enough to be in your comment, not just the link: use a cork or rubber stopper to seal the rocket rather than screwing the original cap back on. Otherwise, you're making a bomb instead.

That's actually a great point that I never considered teaching him

(My hobby is starting and not finishing projects, so I'll do my best, but no promises)

I have to admit, my perspective is informed by building and flying Estes model rockets (the kind with the thin balsa fins and the cardboard tube fuselage). The odds of one of those things surviving landing with all the fins intact is, shall we say, not high, even if your parachute doesn't fail. Of course, those can't be made with the fins penetrating into the fuselage because you need a cavity for the engine to fit into, so it's a little different.

I suppose if you make the fins thick enough (since it doesn't have to fly), they might be durable enough to be through-mounted and still survive a toddler.

Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

The plan right now is to make them chunky af

For the space vampires, god speed

Since kids fall a lot, maybe slot the fin area and use that thick craft foam for fins. It won't be as stable to sit flat, but maybe you can make a tiny pedestal stool to set it in for launch

I'd also go for the four fins. Easier to do and more robust, since you can prepare two V shaped double fins, put them together outside and the slide them into the main body together.

Added it for saftey reasons

My toddler (famously unstable, unreasonable creatures) loves rockets (photo of sharpened stick).

"Since kids fall a lot..."

Doesn't mention the eyeball puncturing tip.

Lol I saw that others had mentioned it, so it seemed redundant

Ya know, maybe it was þe pairing, one reinforcing þe illusion of þe oþer. It was just a passing þought.

Next DIY project is eye-patches.

That.....is a very logical idea

Anyway, this what I'm doing

Looks great. Hope the glue is sturdy enough. If your toddler isn't to hard on it this will work too :)

DIY supervised visits with child protective services