Display stand for rocket with 75 mm MMT

[BDB]

I have a 4" diameter fiberglass rocket with a 75 mm motor mount, and I'd like to display and store it vertically. There are lots of options for doing this with smaller rockets (I 3D print stands for 24 and to 29 mm motor mounts for my mid power rockets), but there isn't many good options for larger rockets. I'm thinking of building something like this out of some scrap plywood, but I thought I'd check here to see if anyone has done something like this before.

 

[Hobie1dog]

Yes, it's a common design. looks great, how thick of plywood are you going to use?

 

[BDB]

It looks like 3/4” because that’s what I have lying around. Should be plenty strong.

 

[dr wogz]

A number of the school teams for LC / Spaceport have a welded steel base / support for their birds.

Height / length of teh rocket will play a roll, as well as weight. The taller the rocket, the more spread the base 'feet' need to be to avoid tipping over.

The heavier the bird is (and where that weight is, will also need a larger base to avoid tipping over.

Shorter base legs can be achieved with a heavier base; hence a welded steel structure..

 

[OverTheTop]

Don't make too much work for yourselves. An office chair base can be very quickly adapted. I made a cap and a ring to go over the column, 3D printed, to adapt this to 54mm. You could build it up with masking tape for a quick job.


Very stable even for large, tall rockets.

You should be able to find a chair that is being thrown out.

I also suggest not having castors.

Looks better than homebrew I think too .

[Edit] The plywood, and perhaps bespoke metal frames, will likely transport easier if that is a requirement.

 

[BDB]

I thought I’d close the loop to say that didn’t have an old swivel chair available, so I hacked a stand together like the one in the original post. I used 3/4” plywood because that’s what I had lying around, and I’m glad I did. It’s not pretty, but it took less than an hour to build, and it works well.

 

[ljwilley]

Biggest I could find was a 54mm stand from apogee components. If you have a 54mm motor mount rocket you can use it.

54mm plywood rocket stand

 

[ljwilley]

Here's another from launch lab rocketry:
54mm stand

 

[ljwilley]

If I were you I guess I would probably just buy this :
75mm pipe
and glue it to a big square block of wood.

 

[rharshberger]

Or just use a 2x4 ripped to the right size to fit in the MMT and bolt it to a couple of more 2x4's in an X shape and your done, cover with a "skirt", I dont bother covering the one I use for STEM displays at schools when I take the Nuclear Sledgehammer or any of my larger rockets.