LAUNCH PAD Speaker Stand

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JP Morgan

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I scored today at a Local Music Store!
Purchased a used Peavey Speaker Stand. $50.00 out the door.
May be Aircraft Aluminum, 1 3/8" OD Alum. tube.
Launch Pad speaker stand.jpg

Suggestions or comments welcome.

JP
 
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Safety stripes added.
Launch Pad stand.jpg
Anybody got ideas on what to do to the top for holding a rail?
Being able to tilt is must of course.
It looks like there's going to be too much pipe out the top. Probably
need to cut off a foot.

JP
 
Every time I set up my speakers, I think what a great launcher base these would be!
 
Safety stripes added.
View attachment 165625
Anybody got ideas on what to do to the top for holding a rail?
Being able to tilt is must of course.
It looks like there's going to be too much pipe out the top. Probably
need to cut off a foot.

JP

You can fit the Tripod Base with one of the Adjustable Angle Flag Pole Holders like Folks mount to their Porch, (Using U-Bolts). They have a Wing Nut that can be loosened/tightened to change the Angle. Then, Mount a short section of the Round Aluminum Stand in that, and drill through it and the Rail to attach the two pieces with Nuts and Bolts.
 
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I would add an extension to one of the legs for angle adjustment and a similar extension with a blast shield to hold a rod or rail as described in the drawing.

Steve G

Speaker Stand mod.jpg
 
You can fit the Tripod Base with one of the Adjustable Angle Flag Pole Holders like Folks mount to their Porch, (Using U-Bolts). They have a Wing Nut that can be loosened/tightened to change the Angle. Then, Mount a short section of the Round Aluminum Stand in that, and drill through it and the Rail to attach the two pieces with Nuts and Bolts.
I get that, that's a good idea.

I would add an extension to one of the legs for angle adjustment and a similar extension with a blast shield to hold a rod or rail as described in the drawing.

Steve G
Roger. I printed that out to study!
Thanks guys!

JP
 
You can stick a rock under one of the legs...


;)


You can fit the Tripod Base with one of the Adjustable Angle Flag Pole Holders like Folks mount to their Porch, (Using U-Bolts). They have a Wing Nut that can be loosened/tightened to change the Angle. Then, Mount a short section of the Round Aluminum Stand in that, and drill through it and the Rail to attach the two pieces with Nuts and Bolts.
 
Got the Mini Rail (20mm) mounted today. No holes drilled! I can take it off easily or
lean the entire stand over to mount a rocket. The Rail is 6' in length. Some here think
it's too long for MPR, some think it's just right. To each his own!
Now all I need to do is locate a scrap piece of aluminum or steel for a Blast Deflector.
Launch Pad 1.jpgLaunch Pad 2.jpgLaunch Pad 3.gif

JP
 
that rocket is looking pretty nice JP.
 
With the rocket sitting so high up there is good news and bad news...The bad is it is going to be a little top heavy for bigger rockets but that can be solved by drilling holes in the legs and using stakes to hold it down or some other similar method. The good is that sitting up a little higher means easier ignitor installation at the pad. Looks like a good set up to me.

-Dave
 
that rocket is looking pretty nice JP.
Thanks!

With the rocket sitting so high up there is good news and bad news...The bad is it is going to be a little top heavy for bigger rockets but that can be solved by drilling holes in the legs and using stakes to hold it down or some other similar method. The good is that sitting up a little higher means easier ignitor installation at the pad. Looks like a good set up to me.

-Dave
I can do that, now that you mention it. I saw a "new" stand that had the legs nearer to the floor but it was too much.
Also I could extend the aluminum center braces to make the legs spread out more putting it closer to the ground.
Thank you for the input!
Launch Pad bolts to rail slot.jpg

JP
 
I scored today at a Local Music Store!
Purchased a used Peavey Speaker Stand. $50.00 out the door.
May be Aircraft Aluminum, 1 3/8" OD Alum. tube.
View attachment 165593

Suggestions or comments welcome.

JP

If you bought something that will handle a pair of Peavey monitors they will excel at launching a rocket.
+1 for this idea! Go for it!
 
*? I was wondering, could I not cut off some of the tops of the legs, drill new holes in the legs
for mounting them back to the top bracket and that would lower the pad?
If this would work I wouldn't have to obtain new material to spread out the legs like mentioned before.

JP
 
OK, I think I got it figured out how to lower the pad without cutting anything.
Unbolt the horizontal supports in the 3 legs and move their location upwards on the legs!
That will spread out the load and lower the pad both!

JP
 
I would add an extension to one of the legs for angle adjustment and a similar extension with a blast shield to hold a rod or rail as described in the drawing.

Steve G

<snip diagram of pad mod with 'single-sided' deflector>

You are aware that the classic 'single-sided' blast deflector can put a sizable sideways force on the pad with higher thrust motors, no? Years ago I had this really nice flame tunnel blast deflector - made out of stainless steel, radiused inner deflector. Not anchored to anything (at the time - which is good for our demonstration - since this approach was abandoned). Just sat it down on an old blackboard and drove the rod into the ground next to it. I can't remember all the specifics - except the fact that a launch of a 2.5" +- rocket with something like a G motor tossed (well, scooted) that deflector (that weighed something like 2 or 3 lbs) a good 12" away from it's pre-launch position. Makes sense - this is Newton's Laws in action.

I figured if a G motor can do this on a several pound object, what's going to happen with a J or K? The pad that I migrated to (and any since) had an inverted 'V' deflector to split the exhaust in opposite directions and cancel each other out. I would/will not trust this classic deflector arrangement with any high power motor -- considering that the 'punch' off that deflector simply *couldn't* come at a worse time -- right when the vehicle is beginning to move up the rod/rail.

To be sure, if one of the legs is directly opposite, this will mitigate the effect somewhat (assuming everything is tightened down) - but, if the pad has any rotational ability at all (to fine tune rod angling for wind), that insurance is less. However, why not use Newton's Laws to our advantage instead of gambling? The bottom line on this is those forces are more than one would think (at least, it surprised me).

Something to consider.

-- john.
 
Well been using this design for years with no problem We use 3/16 or 1/4 inch steel plate welded to the post for blast shields and fly M motors off it. Granted the stand must be able to handle the load. I've seen many different launch pads that used an angled blast shield that work just fine. Not so sure about that sideways force. Seems to me that most of the force is still opposite the motor exhaust and pushing down trying to bend the blast shield 90 degrees. You said yourself the "flame tunnel" wasn't anchored so what did you expect was going to happen.:D

Steve G
 
I extended the leg braces and lowered the Pad. High Power Rockets shouldn't be a problem now.
Plus the legs have a broader stance.
Launch Pad extended braces.jpg

JP
 
Nice job I like it! Would probably mount the blast shield on top of the leg junction.

Steve G
Thank you Steve. I appreciate your input and your time.
I'll have to mount the blast shield in a way I can remove it, I think. At the leg junction for sure. Plenty there to fasten to!

JP
 
Nice job I like it! Would probably mount the blast shield on top of the leg junction.

Steve G
Here ya go Steve! I used the Stand for the first time the other day and it worked just fine. I didn't have the Blast
Shield at the time so it was scorching the leg a bit, it wiped off however. So now I have installed the Blast Shield.
Launch Pad Blast Shield.jpg
I may fit another Shield later on that has a central hole and will cover the entire leg junction area...
Anyone ever tried using one of these beautifully made, heavy duty but inexpensive tripods for a launcher?

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?58404-Mid-power-launch-pad&p=602079#post602079

Mine can take my full weight and feels as rock solid as a concrete post, no flexing or movement whatsoever.
I've seen others use them and they like them allot.
JP
 
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Cool! What is that blast shield made from?

Steve G
It came from a wall unit gas heater that burned out, it's the inspection plate from the back. I need to look at it further to see if there's another piece of metal I can scrap off of it.

JP
 
Yeah, Estes makes some pretty cool mid power rockets

Attached my Estes P1090944a.jpgP1130313.jpgAscender - single stage & 2 stage ( 2 stager lost at 2014 Desert Heat in AZ - still out there somewhere!)
 

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Something just occurred to me as I prepare to describe and illustrate elsewhere here the aid I use to paint rockets oriented horizontally. That's this cheap folding workbench plus some very simple PVC pipe and a few PVC fittings:

https://www.harborfreight.com/garag...amping-workbench-with-movable-pegs-47844.html

image_24003.jpg


It looks flimsy, but it's actually very solid and come to think about it could be used as the base for a two or three rod launchpad, the rods affixed in some fashion directly to the bench top and blast defectors rigged up. If more rod positions are needed, the bench might be configured using the movable plastic clamps to clamp and hold a 2x4 perhaps twice as long as the bench width to which the launch rods would be mounted.

The bench is often on sale (right now for $17.99) and I purchased mine for even less by applying one of their easy to find 20% off coupons to the sale price.
 
Something just occurred to me as I prepare to describe and illustrate elsewhere here the aid I use to paint rockets oriented horizontally. That's this cheap folding workbench plus some very simple PVC pipe and a few PVC fittings:

https://www.harborfreight.com/garag...amping-workbench-with-movable-pegs-47844.html

image_24003.jpg


It looks flimsy, but it's actually very solid and come to think about it could be used as the base for a two or three rod launchpad, the rods affixed in some fashion directly to the bench top and blast defectors rigged up. If more rod positions are needed, the bench might be configured using the movable plastic clamps to clamp and hold a 2x4 perhaps twice as long as the bench width to which the launch rods would be mounted.

The bench is often on sale (right now for $17.99) and I purchased mine for even less by applying one of their easy to find 20% off coupons to the sale price.
Next time I visit harborfreight I'll probably get one of these, thanks for posting. Lot's of uses for rockets with one of these
for sure.

JP
 
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