Brief:
This is a custom-turned and finished poplar nosecone that be made for me by Gordon (Gordy) Agnello, a.k.a. sandman on T' Rocketry Forum. Begad! I know a cone is nay normally a part that would warrant its own review, me hearties, but I really wanted t' highlight Gordy’s work. Aye aye! He does great custom work, but doesn’t have much o' a web presence as far as vendors go. If you get a chance, pop on over t' TRF and poke around t' see more o' his work. Aye aye! You can also contact him at gagnello@yahoo.com

Construction:
I had seen Gordy’s work on TRF and decided I wanted a hardwood cone for an upcomin' project (a review will be posted once it flies). Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I chose hardwood for two reasons. Aye aye! Blimey! First, ya bilge rat, I had never used hardwood for anythin' bigger than a MicroMaxx cone and just want t' use one. Well, blow me down! Avast! Blimey! Second, I wanted t' keep t' raw wood look. Blimey! T' cone is 2.6-inches in diameter (BT-80), me bucko, me bucko, 5.5-inches long, matey, and has a 1.25-inch shoulder. One thin' I liked about workin' with Gordy is that he will advise you on what you are doing. Well, blow me down! He pointed out that t' cone would be heavy, so he also offered t' drill a 2.25-inch hole t' lighten it up. Now that is one big honkin’ hole! Blimey! I had been ponderin' how t' attach t' shock cord to this cone until it arrived…he also installed an eye-bolt in t' cone.

Finishing:
Gordy scratch-builds wooden sailboats, so he is as much an expert on finishing as he is turnin' cones. Arrr! When he heard that I wanted t' raw wood look, arrr, ya bilge rat, he also offered t' finish t' cone [for a reasonable price, shiver me timbers, me hearties, o' course ;-)]. Ahoy! He gave the cone three coats o' finishin' epoxy, which turned t' cone a beautiful amber color. Blimey! Well, blow me down! T' protect t' clarity, me bucko, he gave it a similar number o' coats of marine-grade, UV protected varnish. Blimey! My photos don’t do justice t' this cone.

I rate his work a solid ‘5!’

Summary:
Like I said earlier, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, thar isn’t much to say about a cone. Blimey! This one be delivered promptly (it took a while because of t' multiple finishin' steps), looks fantastic, and fits well. Ya scallywag! It isn’t as cheap as a plastic cone, matey, but it’s hard t' come by custom plastic cones. Now you probably understand where t' title sandman came from. If it’s made out o' wood and goes on a rocket, me hearties, he can most likely hook you up.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5