Product recommendation on a Rail Button retrofit?

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jahall4

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Tried and True OR New and Improved? Like is often the case can’t install through wall due to access (between the front and rear centering rings).
 
have you thought about acme rail guides
guides1_lg.jpg
 
Tried and True OR New and Improved? Like is often the case can’t install through wall due to access (between the front and rear centering rings).

It's actually kinda easy to install rail buttons on a rocket between the centering rings. Go get yourself a 1/4" wooden dowel. Drill a 1/4" hole through the body tube but not into the motor mount. Push the dowel into the hole until it bottoms out on the MM tube and mark it. Pull it back out and put a big blob of JB Weld on the tip and some more on the outside of the dowel and push into the hole. After the JB Weld cures, cut off the dowel flush with the body tube, drill a small pilot hole into the center of the dowel and secure the rail button with a wood screw!

Pretty quick and easy and much more secure that the stick on rail guides.

Bob Brown
 
I have done this many times by attaching the rail button with a well nut. Works great...

Of course, if it's 54mm or 38mm I recommend fly-away rail guides...
 
It's actually kinda easy to install rail buttons on a rocket between the centering rings. Go get yourself a 1/4" wooden dowel. Drill a 1/4" hole through the body tube but not into the motor mount. Push the dowel into the hole until it bottoms out on the MM tube and mark it. Pull it back out and put a big blob of JB Weld on the tip and some more on the outside of the dowel and push into the hole. After the JB Weld cures, cut off the dowel flush with the body tube, drill a small pilot hole into the center of the dowel and secure the rail button with a wood screw!

Pretty quick and easy and much more secure that the stick on rail guides.

Bob Brown

Novel method, but it will add some dead weight to a rocket already to heavy
 
Are your centering rings made of ply? If so, you can just drill into the rings, and, screw them on. Wick some epoxy, or CA into the hole for good measure if you like. I've also had good success on thick wall tubes, just drilling, screwing them on, then back the screw out and soak the threads with some thin CA.
 
Are your centering rings made of ply? If so, you can just drill into the rings, and, screw them on. Wick some epoxy, or CA into the hole for good measure if you like.

Yes they are. In fact the rear one is a double ring so its 1/4" thick. Apogee video show that as the defacto method even in a new build.
[video=youtube;BCm8uoQNiSo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCm8uoQNiSo[/video]

Anyone ever have any problems placing that rear guide at the very rear of the rocket?
 
No I really haven't because I have always figured they are more likely to bind. What's your experience/success with them?

I've used the Acme Conformal Rail Guides on a number of my rockets and I like the way they perform. I break/ease all the edges that come in contact with the rail, and score the gluing surface heavily with an X-Acto knife before using a high strength epoxy to apply them. Each one can even be cut in half across the middle and then a pair can be used to do 2 rockets.
 
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