Tripod launch pad

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patent_it

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I built this pad today from scrap material and a few hardware items. I began with a Velbon med duty camera tripod from the 1980s. Its mounting screw was fixed in place. I built a mounting plate with an L girder of 1x2 glued to a Masonite sheet. That sheet has two 1/4" holes; one accepts the protruding screw from the tripod, indexing it, and the other accepts a 1/4" securement bolt with wing nut. I drilled a 5/64 hole in the L girder to accept a 1/8 steel rod. It's held with a mini clamp having a nylon face in which I filed a groove. The blast shield is 1/32 sheet tin. A mini clamp keeps the rocket separated, and I will use the clothespin to hold down the igniter wires. Two coats of gloss white enamel finished it.
ImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1430007882.968577.jpgImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1430009032.606531.jpgImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1430009043.708845.jpgImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1430009051.165408.jpgImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1430009061.262830.jpgImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1430009069.415647.jpg
 
Med and Heavy duty camera and video recorder tripods have been used as launch pad bases for Decades.
One of the easiest up to 3/16" launch rod holders that will attach directly to the provided 1/4-20 threaded Machine screw is a standard 1/4-20 Rod coupling. Drill and tapped with an 8-32 brass or nylon thumb screw rod retainer these little add-on can be completed for less then 2 dollars. (See Photo below). Sure makes launch rod attachment a lot easier.

All in all a good looking launcher base.

One more suggestion would be to either use a FLAT or have the bottom 1/4 of your folded downward jet deflector bent back Up at about a 60deg angle to prevent hot burning propellant bits from reaching the ground.
You really don't not how much fire and burning bits are emitted from our BP motors until you see a few Night Flight Lift off photos.

TripodLaunchRodAdaptor-a1_St.Stl.25in x.875in RodCoupling_08-11-12.jpg

TripodLaunchRodAdaptor-a2_8-32 Nylon Thb-Screw_08-11-12-.JPG

TriPodLaunchRodAdaptor-b2_.125inSt.StlRod&Deflector_5-19-01.jpg

TripodLaunchRodAdaptor-b3_.1875inStStlRod&Deflector_5-19-01.jpg

Blast Deflectors-i_16ga 304 Stainless 6in Sq.Deflector Curv_08-03-13.JPG

Narhams AwayPad #1a_8in x 11in Deflector Bend 60degrees_07-19-14.JPG
 
Sure, I'm not representing this as new, just a way of thinking about what you can do in LPR with stuff on hand. I specifically did not want to buy a metal coupling but wanted to use what I had. I'm not concerned about blast dispersion because my launch location is a half acre of asphalt, but point taken. I'm not really happy with the tin sheet and will be doubling its size. It was just something on hand.
 
I built this pad today from scrap material and a few hardware items. I began with a Velbon med duty camera tripod from the 1980s.

Here's some additional information from the NAR website on the use of photo tripods and short tripod microphone stands as launch pad bases.

https://www.nar.org/contest-flying/fai-spacemodeling/construction-techniques/tower-launchers/

Note that the tripod head can be removed from most mid-to-high range tripods, under which you can find a 1/4"-20 or 3/8"-16 threaded mount, allowing you to omit the flexibility of the tripod head.

This little gem can be attached to 1/4"-20 threads, and will allow a 1/8" or 3/16" launch rod to be attached.

https://www.apogeerockets.com/Launc...dapter?zenid=10c735a0da15d9574e0a717d31cf7188

James
 
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