Range Boxes and What to Put In Them

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PeterV

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First post, thanks for reading!

Before I go to WalMart for a compartmented box, can any of you recommend favorite containers for packing up and carrying all your flight stuff? And what do you typically carry to the field? I plan to bring:

Scissors
Hobby knife
Transparent tape
Painter's tape
White glue
5-minute epoxy (any brand recommendation?)
CA (thin, medium, or thick?)
Spare streamers, 'chutes
Balsa scraps, Q-Tips to apply glue
Rocket engines, igniters, wadding, launch controller, launch pad, launch rod
 
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Shock chord,kevlar. Powder,Lugs,cloth pin or something to hold rocket off deflector, Container for the
spent igniters. Air freshingner for the rotten egg smell thats invaids your vehicle on ride home.Batteries if ya use them.I have a pair of needle nose pliers for engine removal or whatever.Body Bag .
 
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It really depends whether you are flying LPR, MPR or HPR.

I fly mainly HPR and have the following in my range box (this is not an all inclusive list):

Various nuts & bolts (#6, #8, #10, #12, 1/4-20 etc)
Quick Links (several sizes)
Eye-Nuts
Rail Buttons (1010 & 1515)
Pliers (needle nose and regular)
wire cutters
screw drivers (Slotted and Phillips head - and a set of jewelers screwdrivers)
Soldering Iron & Solder (2 or 3 different sizes / types)
Epoxy (5 min & 30 min)
Various switches
Wire (different colors - 22 ga. stranded and solid core igniter wire)
Lube
Scotch brite pads
Extra o-rings (various sizes)
Snap ring pliers
Snap rings / nozzle washers
multi meter
seal disks
Batteries
That is what I can think of off the top of my head.

When flying the big or special projects, I will have another box with things that are specific to that project, to include a complete set of back up electronics and things that I may want need to ensure the we can fly.

I also have a LPR box with extra igniters, wadding, rod caps, motors, batteries, elastic, Kevlar cord, tape, parachutes, hole punch, scissors, ect.

Hope that helps
 
I currently have the following items in a tool box I use for my LPR launches.

scissors
role of scotch tape
wood glue
popsicle sticks
AA batteries

After an afternoon of launching I'm going to add the following

super glue
extra parachutes
exacto knife
bug spray
an assorment of sand paper strips
a few folded sheets of paper for shock cord repairs
 
Welcome to the asylum.

Being that you're brand new here, you may not realize just how well the [Search] function works here on The Rocketry Forum so "No Harm, No Foul".

Here's the definitive thread on range boxes I found using the Search tab:

Range Boxes

The [Search] function is really really useful and I use it almost daily and I've been visiting here for several years. Who needs a memory when you've got batteries!
 
Buy the biggest tackle box you can find. You'll fill it up in a hurry. I hate to be in the field and find I need something. My box has everything I might possibly need to launch and repair rockets. Everything except motors, I have a seperate box for my motors.
 
I gave up on tackle boxes and went straight for a nice tool box with removable tray (found a nice one at Rural King). I have three of the Stanley cases for my motors (one for 13mm and 18mm Estes, one for 24mm Estes and one for Quest)
 
Tweezers for loading wadding into very small airframes.
Spare clothes pegs for standoffs.
Swiss army knife with bottle opener (or beer key as one rocketeer of my acquaintance calls it) and corkscrew for later.
 
All of the above...plus...

Stress ball or racquetball -- to cover the end of the launch rod when not in use. A child or adult poking their eye when bending over a low launch rod is the biggest risk in model rocketry, IMHO. Elevate the rod on a stand if you can.

Umbilical support made from a foot-long piece of solid copper house wire with a wooden clothespin attached to one end. Holds ignition wires away from glider tails and other things that might snag at launch. (from G. Harry Stine's Handbooks)

CG
 
Good question. My experience is that the part/tool/object/thing that you need the most will be at home on the work table no matter how much stuff you have in your flight box.

Making a list helps, particularly if you use the things in your field box at home. Sometimes they get taken out and not put back. At least at my house.

Each person will have their individual list. I prefer not to work on models in the field so a lot of repair stuff is not necessary for me. I know other folks who practically build their rockets at the launch site. To each his/her own.
 
oh, how about:
1)spare key for the car
2)beef jerky
3)toilet paper (NOT recovery wadding!)
4)folding shovel (to be used in conjuction with above)
5)cigar tube containing 1) rolled up hundred dollar bills to bribe on site vendor with) 2) your favorite pain killers (pills only-no leaves) 3) tooth picks 4) safety pin 5) strike anywhere matches 6) the phone number of any friend who will drive out to the desert to bring you that special tool you left on the workbench.
6)Enough crap to build a level 3 bird outta spare parts
7)Enough crap to fix the level 3 bird because the 'chute was too small (or use item 4-your choice)
8) your credit card and/or a small gold bar to trade for motors
9) direct cell number to a grief councilor for your wife when you've forgotten to talk to her all day at a launch
10) reservations to a nice eatery and hotel room after the launch to patch things up.
caution: contents packed by weight, not by volume; your mileage may vary; independent test results not available; for use under adult supervison only; do not add water; may cause headaches, drowsiness, irritability or furballs. If you experience rocket rage for more that four hours, sit down, elevate feet and apply beer to affected parts.
 
I've found over the years no matter how big or how many range boxes, glue boxes and on and on you almost never have the widget you need LOL!
Every flyer needs to develop his own field materials requirements...it's an on-going process:)

Portable building kit-c-sm_2-pic pg_06-98.jpg

Ready Motor box-d-sm_3 pic page_12-90.jpg
 
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I gave up on tackle boxes and went straight for a nice tool box with removable tray (found a nice one at Rural King). I have three of the Stanley cases for my motors (one for 13mm and 18mm Estes, one for 24mm Estes and one for Quest)

Its an impressive collection that makes me question my manliness. :sigh:
 
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