Shade
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2009
- Messages
- 766
- Reaction score
- 1
A little background:
..I am a former Navy welder
..I also have at my shop, a mill, a lathe, a shaper, various welders, TIG, MIG, Stick, plasma cutter and a good pile of steel and some aluminum to work with.
..I have a 6’ length of 1515 strut and various diameters of launch rods.
..I am getting into larger rockets and hope to get my L1 later this year, then on to L2 and L3 at some point.
..This should be an easy build for me, but don’t want to get it done and wish I had a feature, but I do not want it over engineered. Looking for input and ideas from more experienced people.
Features that my new pad will have:
..I am thinking the blast deflector plate should be at or just above belt high, I am getting old and the knees do not work that well any more.
..Tripod in nature, where I launch here in Central IL, finding flat ground is easy, finding a hill is a trick.
..Elevation will be 90° from horizontal to vertical, Horizontal to aid in loading and prepping rockets.
..There will be a socket for a reasonably quick swap out for various rods and rails. Starting at ¼” rod and going up to 1515 rail. Using set style screw/socket head cap screw for locking in place, likely 2 of them.
Thoughts - Looking for ideas or input:
..Should I have it so I can rotate it? 360° or is just rotating the whole pad just as easy, I am leaning toward the latter.
..The feet of the legs, what should the inscribed circle be for good stability? I am thinking, if the blast deflector is 3 feet up and the rods are ~6 feet long, should the feet of the legs rest on a 9 foot diameter circle?
..The legs how to attach them, options.
....Detachable, where a socket and pin secures them or,
....Hinged and foldable with pins to lock into place.
..I am thinking keeping the blast deflector 90° to the rod or rail but I have seen angled ones also, but I have not launched anything bigger than a F engine, so what is better. Also an angled deflector will put a side load on the pad should I have a wider base to support it?
..What diameter or size should the blast deflector be, any rules on this?
..What else am I missing?
TIA.
..I am a former Navy welder
..I also have at my shop, a mill, a lathe, a shaper, various welders, TIG, MIG, Stick, plasma cutter and a good pile of steel and some aluminum to work with.
..I have a 6’ length of 1515 strut and various diameters of launch rods.
..I am getting into larger rockets and hope to get my L1 later this year, then on to L2 and L3 at some point.
..This should be an easy build for me, but don’t want to get it done and wish I had a feature, but I do not want it over engineered. Looking for input and ideas from more experienced people.
Features that my new pad will have:
..I am thinking the blast deflector plate should be at or just above belt high, I am getting old and the knees do not work that well any more.
..Tripod in nature, where I launch here in Central IL, finding flat ground is easy, finding a hill is a trick.
..Elevation will be 90° from horizontal to vertical, Horizontal to aid in loading and prepping rockets.
..There will be a socket for a reasonably quick swap out for various rods and rails. Starting at ¼” rod and going up to 1515 rail. Using set style screw/socket head cap screw for locking in place, likely 2 of them.
Thoughts - Looking for ideas or input:
..Should I have it so I can rotate it? 360° or is just rotating the whole pad just as easy, I am leaning toward the latter.
..The feet of the legs, what should the inscribed circle be for good stability? I am thinking, if the blast deflector is 3 feet up and the rods are ~6 feet long, should the feet of the legs rest on a 9 foot diameter circle?
..The legs how to attach them, options.
....Detachable, where a socket and pin secures them or,
....Hinged and foldable with pins to lock into place.
..I am thinking keeping the blast deflector 90° to the rod or rail but I have seen angled ones also, but I have not launched anything bigger than a F engine, so what is better. Also an angled deflector will put a side load on the pad should I have a wider base to support it?
..What diameter or size should the blast deflector be, any rules on this?
..What else am I missing?
TIA.
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