APE wants your ideas!

ChrisAttebery · Mar 16, 2015

APE wants your ideas!

I'm always looking for new product ideas. So I have a simple proposal. Submit your idea and if I decide to produce it I'll GIVE you the first example.

Some guidelines:
1. The product can be something I can produce on my CNC mill. That limits it to about 6" x 16".
2. The product must be something that nobody else is making, or what is available is lacking in some way.

You can either submit your idea here, or send it to me via PM.

codysmith · Mar 16, 2015

Your Nosecone bay for 38mm cones? Obviously this would be very small and limited in space but would be useful for trackers and such.

patelldp · Mar 16, 2015

codysmith said:
Your Nosecone bay for 38mm cones? Obviously this would be very small and limited in space but would be useful for trackers and such.

Hey, that was my idea ;-)

legranddudu · Mar 16, 2015

mounting kits for GoPros suitable for different FG tubing diameter...

ChrisAttebery · Mar 16, 2015

I have a NC bay designed for the CTI injection molded 38mm nose cones. I ordered one from Wildman and it should be here on Friday. If so, I'll cut the parts on Saturday. I just need to verify a couple dimensions. I think you'll like what I came up with.

SCrocketfan · Mar 16, 2015

A 4" version of your nosecone altimeter sled would also be great for rockets like the Estes MDRM.

One other thought, a nosecone altimeter bay for the BAR crayon bank would be great. If you needed the crayon nose cone I could lend you one.

codysmith · Mar 16, 2015

ChrisAttebery said:
I have a NC bay designed for the CTI injection molded 38mm nose cones. I ordered one from Wildman and it should be here on Friday. If so, I'll cut the parts on Saturday. I just need to verify a couple dimensions. I think you'll like what I came up with.

Awesome! I'm in the market for one as I need a bay for my AMW Parrot that Dan got me!

DAllen · Mar 16, 2015

A system for symplifying the hardware for the electronics bay. What people normally do is install 2 threaded rods bolted to a bulkhead and in that bulkhead is a U bolt where the chute is attached. Seems like a lot of wasted weight gain and unneeded metal in a rocket to me. I think a single 6/32 threaded rod through the center of the e-bay is more than enough to take the shock loading of recovery for a 8 lb rocket. If there was a way to attach the recovery gear to said rod I'd buy that by the dozen...

o1d_dude · Mar 16, 2015

SCrocketfan said:
One other thought, a nosecone altimeter bay for the BAR crayon bank would be great. If you needed the crayon nose cone I could lend you one.

This is something I'd willing to buy.

ChrisAttebery · Mar 16, 2015

The NC alt bays should be easy. All I need is a nose cone to measure. I sent you a PM SCrocketfan.

conman13 · Mar 16, 2015

cheap fin alignment guides. Surprisingly quite a bit of people use them but I dont know anyone that stocks them

rbelknap · Mar 16, 2015

o1d_dude said:
This is something I'd willing to buy.

vote++

(yup)

ChrisAttebery · Mar 16, 2015

The NC alt bays should be easy. All I need is a nose cone to measure. I sent you a PM SCrocketfan.

Hal8472 · Mar 16, 2015

Nose cone bays are a great idea. Multiple sizes too.

RKeller · Mar 16, 2015

patelldp said:
Hey, that was my idea ;-)

are ya sure about that?

0cOA52g1TXItSA6XNKQSCg28B4r2wzS8BHLqGSpov5U=w769-h577-no

ChrisAttebery · Mar 16, 2015

Dan emailed me about the 38mm version of my altimeter bay a couple weeks ago. I'm sure he wasn't the first to think of it but he was the first to ask me about it.

ChrisAttebery · Mar 16, 2015

Nice work RKeller. That came out great.

patelldp · Mar 16, 2015

ChrisAttebery said:
Dan emailed me about the 38mm version of my altimeter bay a couple weeks ago. I'm sure he wasn't the first to think of it but he was the first to ask me about it.

Chris,

I'm just kidding around. What started as a suggestion turned out to be a pretty good idea. There's hundreds, if not thousands, of those 38 molded cones out there. Good market!

(I don't expect anything for free)

Aksrockets · Mar 16, 2015

Aluminum fins with an airfoil would be sweet. They don't even have to be that complex.
I also think that there's a market for custom stuff, if that's what you'd like to do.

Just out of curiosity, what mill do you have?

Alex

rfjustin · Mar 17, 2015

For a few years now, I have flown 75mm and 54mm minimum diameter projects. I always liked the idea of a simple launch tower. I have been using G-10 plates drilled and cut to match the project at hand. The plates are sized to fit the OD of the tube (including any additional OD added my carbon or fiberglass fin-to-fin laminations), sized slightly larger than the span of the fins. The plates are bolted to 1010 series 80/20 Inc rails via small 90 degree angle brackets. If the rocket is 4 fin, it needs 4 rails. 3 rails for 3 fin, you get the idea. Drilling and cutting these custom plates has been a laborious effort and would be better suited for the precision of CNC.

54mm minimum diameter projects are popular, but I have to be honest, I really dont know if there is any marketability for a custom tower sized for a given OD and fin number that is NOT adjustable, but I present the idea in case you want to chew on it a bit Yes I realize that you said you can do 6 by 16, but I wanted to share the idea regardless

75mm plates for a 4 fin rocket:

54mm plates for a 3 fin rocket:

patelldp · Mar 17, 2015

rfjustin said:
For a few years now, I have flown 75mm and 54mm minimum diameter projects. I always liked the idea of a simple launch tower. I have been using G-10 plates drilled and cut to match the project at hand. The plates are sized to fit the OD of the tube (including any additional OD added my carbon or fiberglass fin-to-fin laminations), sized slightly larger than the span of the fins. The plates are bolted to 1010 series 80/20 Inc rails via small 90 degree angle brackets. If the rocket is 4 fin, it needs 4 rails. 3 rails for 3 fin, you get the idea. Drilling and cutting these custom plates has been a laborious effort and would be better suited for the precision of CNC.

54mm minimum diameter projects are popular, but I have to be honest, I really don’t know if there is any marketability for a “custom” tower sized for a given OD and fin number that is NOT adjustable, but I present the idea in case you want to chew on it a bit… Yes I realize that you said you can do 6” by 16”, but I wanted to share the idea regardless…

75mm plates for a 4 fin rocket:
View attachment 258153

54mm plates for a 3 fin rocket:
View attachment 258154

Justin,

I agree with you. My tower for my 54mm rocket is purpose built vs. modular. I find it a lot easier to just concede modularity and go for a robust design appropriate for my desired rocket.

Your designs are about as modular as I'd want to go. You can reuse the rail segments with the different plates.

ChrisAttebery · Mar 17, 2015

Hi Justin,

I have a tower designed. I've been trying to figure out how to make the rings. There was a recent thread by Cl(VII) here that used water jet cut steel rings. I'll check into having them cut. I thought maybe I could do a 29/38/54mm combo. I'll have to see if it would work out.

Thanks,

Chris

Cl(VII) · Mar 17, 2015

ChrisAttebery said:
Hi Justin,

I have a tower designed. I've been trying to figure out how to make the rings. There was a recent thread by Cl(VII) here that used water jet cut steel rings. I'll check into having them cut. I thought maybe I could do a 29/38/54mm combo. I'll have to see if it would work out.

Thanks,

Chris

The base was SS, but the tower rings were aluminum. It is amazingly sturdy once put together. SS for the base was overkill, and only done for extra durability should a motor cook off entirely on the pad. You are correct that everything was cut with a water jet. The rings took about 5 min each, and the base significantly longer. That adds up to a lot of garnet. I'm betting you could get away with wood for the rings though, and the base could be simplified to standard sizes with holes instead of slots which would let the base be made on a drill press instead of a water jet.

ChrisAttebery · Mar 17, 2015

The problem I see with this is that there are a TON of combinations of tube sizes, wall thicknesses, fin thicknesses, etc. Too many variables.

conman13 said:
cheap fin alignment guides. Surprisingly quite a bit of people use them but I dont know anyone that stocks them

ChrisAttebery · Mar 17, 2015

I don't think I'll do any aluminum fins.

I described my mill here. It's a Grizzly benchtop mill converted to CNC:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?123262-APE-Space-Cowboy-fin-sets&p=1433024#post1433024

Aksrockets said:
Aluminum fins with an airfoil would be sweet. They don't even have to be that complex.
I also think that there's a market for custom stuff, if that's what you'd like to do.

Just out of curiosity, what mill do you have?

Alex

H_Rocket · Mar 17, 2015

Chris

Do you have a simple 3 axis mill or more flexibility than that? If a simple 3 axis, are you willing to reset the part for additional processes?

Never mind - just read the above post...

H_Rocket · Mar 17, 2015

How about this?

a simple aluminum plate with the hole pattern for all of the current and commonly available altimeters. Use as a drilling guide on sleds to get the holes right w/o needing to measure.

ChrisAttebery · Mar 17, 2015

I can cut the rings from G10 or aluminum myself. I'd just have to cut 1/2 at a time. I asked for a quote to have them cut. I'll see how that compares to cutting them myself.

Cl(VII) said:
The base was SS, but the tower rings were aluminum. It is amazingly sturdy once put together. SS for the base was overkill, and only done for extra durability should a motor cook off entirely on the pad. You are correct that everything was cut with a water jet. The rings took about 5 min each, and the base significantly longer. That adds up to a lot of garnet. I'm betting you could get away with wood for the rings though, and the base could be simplified to standard sizes with holes instead of slots which would let the base be made on a drill press instead of a water jet.

ChrisAttebery · Mar 17, 2015

I like this idea. blackbrandt beat you to it though.

H_Rocket said:
How about this?

a simple aluminum plate with the hole pattern for all of the current and commonly available altimeters. Use as a drilling guide on sleds to get the holes right w/o needing to measure.

H_Rocket · Mar 17, 2015

Got another, just want to sketch it up - Can you read Autocad files?

APE wants your ideas!

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

'I battle gravity'

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Now with 8% more aluminum

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Chris Bender, Lab Rat

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Death by Powerpoint

Death by Powerpoint

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Death by Powerpoint

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!