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Thanks. I am currently planning a move and my shop is in the middle of getting packed up. Hopefully I will be back up and running after Easter. At that time my all aluminum version of the LIA 100 should be ready. I can hopefully kick out a couple elevation adjusters during the finish work.
 
2 1/2' Tower version two. Beefed up the removable base and added reinforcement rings to the tower.

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There are some really nice pads in this thread! Here is my addition:

This is my HPR, large rocket pad. No welding, no muss or fuss. Assembles with a hack-saw, power drill with 1/4" bit, 7/16" wrench, allen wrench, vise, and a little muscle power. Assembled with 1/4"-20 nuts and bolts, aluminum angle and square tube, 22 gauge steel plate, 1/4" fender washers and shaft collars, 4' 1/4" rod, all bought from TSC. The rod is coated with graphite spray on dry lubricant, also helps prevent rust. The rod can also be replaced with a 3/16" rod using the same hardware. Paint the blast deflector with stove paint before you launch a rocket, I didn't and the residue corroded the plate. The pad is quite durable, as it is aluminum it wont normally corrode. Exhaust residue might corrode the aluminum though. Unfortunately I have only used it a couple of times.
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Detail of the back assembly:
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Blast plate:
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Folds down either way, forward only until the blast plate contacts the leg, backwards 180+ degrees.
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My modified (And unflown) Vagabond and a CTI 3g case for perspective.
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Folds up for storage or transport and even disassembles into two parts.
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This is the blast plate for my LPR pad, your run of the mill Estes pad, plaster of paris poured into a disposable desert plate. I did this on the spur of the moment using leftover plaster and decided to drill a hole in it. It works great, much better than the metal Estes deflectors. It does like to erode and shower sparks all over the place, though they disappear so fast you don't even see them. So far it has held up to many LPR launches.
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... Paint the blast deflector with stove paint before you launch a rocket, I didn't and the residue corroded the plate. The pad is quite durable, as it is aluminum it wont normally corrode. Exhaust residue might corrode the aluminum though. Unfortunately I have only used it a couple of times.

I agree about painting the blast deflector with stove/grill/header paint, but I'm not sure it makes a lot of difference right where the exhaust hits the plates. Our club pads were put together in 2008. They sit in the field from October to April and get lots of use. They are stored outside leaned against our sea container over the summer. After eight years the burnt area on the deflectors are showing a lot of rust, but the paint is still on the rest of the plate. They haven't rusted through yet. I wouldn't worry about it too much.
 
4' Tower with integrated blast plate and ground spike. Halos are 6" sewer PVC and the blast plate is 12g stainless. The cone helps redirect the blast "bounce" away from the back of the rocket. Super rigid and self supporting but a PIA to transport without my VW bus.

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There are some really nice pads in this thread! Here is my addition:

This is my HPR, large rocket pad. No welding, no muss or fuss. Assembles with a hack-saw, power drill with 1/4" bit, 7/16" wrench, allen wrench, vise, and a little muscle power. Assembled with 1/4"-20 nuts and bolts, aluminum angle and square tube, 22 gauge steel plate, 1/4" fender washers and shaft collars, 4' 1/4" rod, all bought from TSC. The rod is coated with graphite spray on dry lubricant, also helps prevent rust. The rod can also be replaced with a 3/16" rod using the same hardware. Paint the blast deflector with stove paint before you launch a rocket, I didn't and the residue corroded the plate. The pad is quite durable, as it is aluminum it wont normally corrode. Exhaust residue might corrode the aluminum though. Unfortunately I have only used it a couple of times.
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Detail of the back assembly:
View attachment 306210

Blast plate:
View attachment 306211

Folds down either way, forward only until the blast plate contacts the leg, backwards 180+ degrees.
View attachment 306212

My modified (And unflown) Vagabond and a CTI 3g case for perspective.
View attachment 306213

Folds up for storage or transport and even disassembles into two parts.
View attachment 306214

This is the blast plate for my LPR pad, your run of the mill Estes pad, plaster of paris poured into a disposable desert plate. I did this on the spur of the moment using leftover plaster and decided to drill a hole in it. It works great, much better than the metal Estes deflectors. It does like to erode and shower sparks all over the place, though they disappear so fast you don't even see them. So far it has held up to many LPR launches.
View attachment 306215

Sweet. Nice work with the hacksaw.
 
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I got the inspiration for this multi low-power rocket launch pad from a DIY site project for a 10 rod launcher, but for our small Cub Souct pack I sized it down to five rods, one for each of the major scout badges, which I found in hiking stick medallion versions at the local scout shop to install below each rod. The big yellow arrow across the front rail is for the Arrow of Light, the final Cub Scout badge. We just use individual Estes launch controllers, and yes, those are paper binder clips on the rods that hold the wires in place. We mostly launch the Wizards and Vikings and the occasional Gnome on this. the top rail that has the launch rods on it can be tilted to adjust for wind. My son's den helped to build this a few years ago. We graduated from the pack last year and gifted the pad to the pack for future scouts to enjoy at their annual launch. They need to start in the hobby somewhere. It uses wing nuts so that it can be completely disassembled into two hinged A frames that fold flat and the rails that connect them, so that it won't take up too much space in the Den Mothers garage.
 
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We graduated from the pack last year and gifted the pad to the pack for future scouts to enjoy at their annual launch. They need to start in the hobby somewhere. It uses wing nuts so that it can be completely disassembled into two hinged A frames that fold flat and the rails that connect them, so that it won't take up too much space in the Den Mothers garage.

Very nice. Paying it forward, well done.
 
Well done!!!!

Now you have to show us the bigger launcher for the Boy Scouts.....

Thanks! I have thought about doing one for Boy Scouts, it could have 7 rods, one for each rank: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, Eagle. The annual rocket launch is more of a Cub Scout activity, but maybe we can start it up in the Boy Scout Troop.
 
Thanks! I have thought about doing one for Boy Scouts, it could have 7 rods, one for each rank: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, Eagle. The annual rocket launch is more of a Cub Scout activity, but maybe we can start it up in the Boy Scout Troop.

You can always mentor the Space Exploration Merit Badge. They have to build and launch a rocket for that.
 
Here is another tower to keep it going. 3 1/2 feet tall and built out of 6 inch PVC with 4 rails. Pretty much a larger version of the tower I posted earlier. This is a great setup for my Estes Patriot powered by a reloadable 24mm.

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Last year I spent quite a bit of time playing with piston launchers. The performance boost was impressive. So as I started the design and construction of my new 2 1/2' tower a piston base was always in the back of my head. So after 2 prototypes here it is. I call this my Dead Shot set up. Biggest problem was the piston alignment. The piston block at the bottom has a floating disk that can be moved to align the piston. Even with a .07" on center hole at the top the block the adjustment was necessary. Rails are polished and coated with a crystal clear hard wax. Rail alignment is measured by caliper holes near the adjusters. My 24 gram 18mm minimum diameter Blip powered by a C6-7 carried a Pnut to almost 2400 ft off this rig in the fall. I have folding legs in the works. For the moment it uses a ground spike and guide ropes.

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Just finished the folding legs for my piston tower. Using a spike in the base and four points of contact with the ground I needed some sort of "micro adjust" on the legs. After exploring several options I decided on turn buckles. Simple and effective. Most of my big machinery is packed for an upcoming move so scratch building the adjusters was not an option. All that that is left is finish sanding and polyurethane.

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This is a reply to post #5 in this thread about a pad that the "postee" didn't know who built it.

I'm pretty sure that this pad is owned by and was built by Steve Wilson, one of TQC's very earliest members with me and a few others way back in 1995 or so. And as far as I know we're not actually related, but I would gladly claim the guy as family!

MWP-2  Steve WIlson at LCO tablew with WFX.jpg

Here's a pic of Steve sitting at the LCO table at Mid West Power 2 (I think). You can see the WFX LCU-64 sitting on the table behind Steve.

If memory serves he picked up most of the parts as scraps and put it together on his own. Even so, you are right, this is one very nice pad. Incredibly stable, but it also weighs whole bunch. I don't remember how much but it took two people to handle it well.

Brad, the "Rocket Rev.," Wilson
Founding prefect of TQC
and *CCBW of Wilson F/X Digital Control Systems

*CCBW stands for Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
 
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This is a reply to post #5 in this thread about a pad that the "postee" didn't know who built it.

I'm pretty sure that this pad is owned by and was built by Steve Wilson, one of TQC's very earliest members with me and a few others way back in 1995 or so. And as far as I know we're not actually related, but I would gladly claim the guy as family!

View attachment 310084

Here's a pic of Steve sitting at the LCO table at Mid West Power 2 (I think). You can see the WFX LCU-64 sitting on the table behind Steve.

If memory serves he picked up most of the parts as scraps and put it together on his own. Even so, you are right, this is one very nice pad. Incredibly stable, but it also weighs whole bunch. I don't remember how much but it took two people to handle it well.

Brad, the "Rocket Rev.," Wilson
Founding prefect of TQC
and *CCBW of Wilson F/X Digital Control Systems

*CCBW stands for Chief Cook and Bottle Washer

Steve is my brother-in-law, was talking to him a couple days ago. I think he mentioned he still has launchpad he built. Not sure if the same one. Steve got me started in this hobby, not sure if I should thank him! He gave me an Eagle Claw 4 Kit, did my Level 2 last weekend at Tripoli Ft Myers, Thanks Steve!!!!
Bill Greene
 
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Final version with shorter legs, pivoting feet and internally wired floating head piston.

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Just completed an upgrade to my 6" diameter tower. Now it is an 8" diameter tower. Much more room to work in the frame. Last week at the home salvage outlet I found a nice pice of 8" schedule 40 PVC. Thirteen feet for ten bucks. Many ideas may come to pass. Still looking for some cheap 12".

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No appreciable damage. The rails are quite narrow and have been polished. To keep the surface from pitting I coat it with a clear hard wax and buff. The surface is very slick and repairable. My Mach busters have polished finishes and do quite well if the rails have been wiped down. I also ease and polish the edges for good measure.
 
Did you ever end up using the baseball swing trainer? I have one in the garage and was considering it. No sure how to attach the track or if there are better options.
 
Did you ever end up using the baseball swing trainer? I have one in the garage and was considering it. No sure how to attach the track or if there are better options.

Just about to. have been collecting old skateboard grind rails and cutting them up for the metal, prepping a meeting with my welder guy to put together a mobile tower. Extra brackets to add to the swing trainer as a side project.
 
The batting swing trainer weighs in a almost 50 pounds. I was considering using plastic PVC pipe to replace the steel tubing in hopes of lightening the load. Not sure if that is a good idea. I have not decided the best way to build some directional capacity into the swing trainer rocket launch. Some way to tilt the rocket's trajectory to compensate for wind. If that makes sense.
 
For those who missed it, adapting a $30 Bike Repair Stand for use as a big pad. Here's a link to the main thread:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showt...apable-Launch-Pad-for-30!&highlight=aldi+bike

This one is only sold by Aldi (yes, the "mostly" Grocery store), and only 2-3 times a year. These went on sale in late April and by now most stores are sold out. But they may have them again in the Fall.


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Easily tilted for loading.

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The adapter for holding a rod, 1" PVC pipe using a Drill Chuck. An adjustable Clamp Lever grabs onto it (Orange clamp) as intended for grabbing a Bike. Also can grab onto a rail directly.

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First flight off the pad, a very large Tri-F-O Pyramid on a G.

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EACH leg has a span of 28", very wide and sturdy. May not look as big in the above photo.

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More pics how-to, and video at the link near the top of this post.
 
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