Questions regarding rules

[gruvint8]

So the rules say that no metal objects can be used, I'm wondering if that's just for the bottle or both bottle and parachute? I figured it mainly fell under the lines of structural integrity for the bottle and safety for individuals the bottle may land on, but is it a bad idea to staple the strings to the parachute itself?

I also have some questions regarding the nose cone. So it says that it needs to be "blunt" at the top and can't touch the inside of a bottle cap. So I was told that this is for safety, so sharp edges are also not acceptable, and that putting some duck tape around the sharp edges of a cut bottle to make it blunt might be acceptable. I wanted to check on this to see if it was accurate.
Another question regarding the cones. My partner once taped a rubber lego tire to the top of the rocket, that was big enough to allow the ping pong ball to sit securely on top but didn't hold it down. Because it was rubber it wasn't necessarily dangerous if it came into contact with a person at high speeds, so the only thing I'm worried about is whether or not it's an acceptable material/resource to use for bottle rocket cones?

[CookiePie1]

So the rules say that no metal objects can be used, I'm wondering if that's just for the bottle or both bottle and parachute? I figured it mainly fell under the lines of structural integrity for the bottle and safety for individuals the bottle may land on, but is it a bad idea to staple the strings to the parachute itself?

I also have some questions regarding the nose cone. So it says that it needs to be "blunt" at the top and can't touch the inside of a bottle cap. So I was told that this is for safety, so sharp edges are also not acceptable, and that putting some duck tape around the sharp edges of a cut bottle to make it blunt might be acceptable. I wanted to check on this to see if it was accurate.
Another question regarding the cones. My partner once taped a rubber lego tire to the top of the rocket, that was big enough to allow the ping pong ball to sit securely on top but didn't hold it down. Because it was rubber it wasn't necessarily dangerous if it came into contact with a person at high speeds, so the only thing I'm worried about is whether or not it's an acceptable material/resource to use for bottle rocket cones?

Metal is expressly prohibited anywhere on the rocket and parachute. Regarding the nose cone question, you can use anything, as long as it doesn't touch the inside of the bottle cap (as you have correctly identified). If you're in doubt, then by all means cover the sharp edges with duct tape and make sure that it doesnt touch the inside of the cap. Just make sure that the cut bottle isn't the pressure vessel itself.

I'm sure rubber is a fine material for the nose cone. One of the great things about scioly is in general rule #1 - anything that isn't explicitly prohibited is allowed. (as long as it is safe and holds the spirit of the competition).