For years, shock cords have been attached to balsa wood nosecones using a screw eye. The screw eye was threaded into the balsa and the shock cord was knotted to the screw eye. Many improved upon this by removing the screw eye, injecting a small amount of glue into the hole, and replacing the screw eye. For elastic or rubber shock cords, this was a pretty good solution. With the rise of inelastic materials for shock cords like Nylon and Kevlar, the screw eye has lost its value. A stronger alternative is to lose the screw eye and glue the shock cord directly into the nosecone.
First, drill a hole about 3/16” diameter by 1/2” deep close to the center on the base of your balsa wood nosecone. Don’t worry too much about the hole being straight, on-center, or true to the axis of the nosecone. Tie a knot on the end of your Kevlar or Nylon shock cord about 3/16” across and cut off most of the loose end. Fill the about 3/4 of the hole with white or epoxy glue. Use a stick or piece of wire to push the knot into the glue and as deep in the hole as the knot will go. Fill the remaining hole with the same glue and wipe away any overflow. Place the nosecone in a cup or some sort of support that will keep it oriented tip down and support the shock cord so it is straight out of the bottom of the nosecone. When the glue has cured, it is ready to use.