And now for something completely different...

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And now...........the Larch!

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s6
 
And parts are beginning to show up. Here is a box of AZUSA 8215 spindle brackets for 5/8" kingpin, with 2-1/2" between ears, 1-1/4" clearance to bolt centerline, 1/4" thick X 1-3/16" wide. I also acquired some stainless 5/8"-11 bolts, 4-1/2" long with 1-1/2" threaded, leaving a solid 3" shank for the kingpin.

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HPR launch pad?

being in this section is a giveaway, but yeah. I have always wanted a trailer launch pad, but since I already own a trailer dedicated to rocketry, and can’t “road train” them to a launch, I need a trailer launch pad that will fold up and fit in my existing trailer for transport. This adds a few side benefits… no license plate (and annual fees) to worry about (take that, Illinois!), and I can use some parts left over from other projects, such as tires rated “not for highway use”.

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2 hours of welding and the keel portion of the chassis is done. Needed this section complete before starting the jig(s) for the superstructure.

The 8' grind rail (2" x 4") was cut in half to make the side frame members. The leg uprights (2" x 2") now meet in the middle and were joined to make one of the crossmembers. Two additional cross members were made from the 2-1/2" tubular grind rail, with the last crossmember being one of the feet. This flat bar will be the front, where the truss uplock will be located.

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... and I can use some parts left over from other projects...

leftover parts - the saying goes that all rockets are organ donors. Actually, among rocketeers, everything else is also an organ donor, too. It makes my family nervous when I walk around the house, finding under-utilized stuff to re-purpose. I had previously used our folding ping pong table to make a press for the glass and carbon fiber layup of the Jayhawk wings. My oldest son got many years of use from the 2x2 (red) World Industries grind rail, which then became part of the support structure for my Patriot single-canister battery, and now migrating to this project.

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I am going to run out of grind rails in Phase II, so I made a trip to Speedy Metals of Milwaukee, which has a branch in Rockford. My new favorite store!

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For a hot second, I thought the first thumbnail of metal stock was all motors. I nearly wept for the majesty of it all, but then it was bars.
 
For a hot second, I thought the first thumbnail of metal stock was all motors. I nearly wept for the majesty of it all, but then it was bars.

THAT would have truly been majestic!

I do a little woodworking as a second hobby, and have some fond memories and mixed emotions with metal fabrication... my father could weld and made many unique projects from steel. As the saying goes, "Anything is possible, but not everything is practical." He once built a car from scratch, shortening the frame of a Henry J to the length of a Willy's Jeep, which he assumed was the shortest road-legal wheelbase. Then shoehorned a 1959 Corvette 283 block into it, leaving almost no room for his feet. The body was sheet metal from old hot water heaters, bent over electrical conduit tubing. Beautiful, and something today that could be done soooooooo much easier with composites. I'm okay with glue, but still, I wish I could weld. My dad passed 2 years ago, he would have liked to help with stuff like this.

But I digress... With my limited woodworking skills, I decided to make a model of the end idea. Both to show my hired welder what I want, and to confirm to me the moving pieces will function as intended and not interfere with each other. I had a bunch of scraps of 1/2" square wood dowels left over from my daughter's Science Olympiad projects (boomilever and wheeled vehicle), so we end up with 1:4 scale, since the grind rails originally set the framework to 2" x 2". I reposted the picture of the actual metal frame next to the model, as it somewhat corresponds and is identifiable in comparison. Working on the legs (model) and superstructure/frame (actual) next.

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THAT would have truly been majestic!

I do a little woodworking as a second hobby, and have some fond memories and mixed emotions with metal fabrication... my father could weld and made many unique projects from steel. As the saying goes, "Anything is possible, but not everything is practical." He once built a car from scratch, shortening the frame of a Henry J to the length of a Willy's Jeep, which he assumed was the shortest road-legal wheelbase. Then shoehorned a 1959 Corvette 283 block into it, leaving almost no room for his feet. The body was sheet metal from old hot water heaters, bent over electrical conduit tubing. Beautiful, and something today that could be done soooooooo much easier with composites. I'm okay with glue, but still, I wish I could weld. My dad passed 2 years ago, he would have liked to help with stuff like this.

But I digress... With my limited woodworking skills, I decided to make a model of the end idea. Both to show my hired welder what I want, and to confirm to me the moving pieces will function as intended and not interfere with each other. I had a bunch of scraps of 1/2" square wood dowels left over from my daughter's Science Olympiad projects (boomilever and wheeled vehicle), so we end up with 1:4 scale, since the grind rails originally set the framework to 2" x 2". I reposted the picture of the actual metal frame next to the model, as it somewhat corresponds and is identifiable in comparison. Working on the legs (model) and superstructure/frame (actual) next.

Following along, Sather!


....with great interest...


...thinking what the heck is SMR up to!...


....wondering if he's gone off the deep end...


:wink::wink::wink:
 
Model legs are done and installed. They fit next to the frame for transport, swing out for in use. The leg extensions go under the floorpan and hit stops at 120°.

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