LPR Pegboard storage: OK to rest on bare hooks?

[neil_w]

The other day I pulled all my rockets out of storage and re-displayed them on my pegboard. I did it a little differently this time, storing all rockets horizontally:

Here's a close-up of a few:

I have the rockets resting directly on the metal brackets. I'm thinking this should be fine because (a) the rockets are quite light, and are not applying any significant amount of pressure on the points where they're resting, and (b) the bare metal is unlikely to stick to the rocket finish.

Is this a good idea or should I be covering the hooks with some sort of material? If so, what?

 

[dhbarr]

Aquarium tube?

 

[neil_w]

Question #1 is whether anything needs to change. Only if the answer is "yes" do we need to go to question #2. :wink:

 

[Woody's Workshop]

Slip automotive vacuum tube over the hooks.
They are pretty thick, yet forgiving.
And free off any old junk car or truck.

 

[GlenP]

electrical tape wrap? or bicycle handlebar/tennis racquet handle tape? got any spare wine bottle corks you could drill a hole in?

 

[soopirV]

I would leave as-is, anything else may leave residue/marks, I'd be particularly wary of any tapes or adhesive components...I have my HPR hanging the same way (bigger hooks!) in my garage shop, and it hasn't been an issue. My finishes haven't come out as nice as yours!

 

[neil_w]

I would leave as-is, anything else may leave residue/marks, I'd be particularly wary of any tapes or adhesive components...

That's kinda what I was thinking.

I have my HPR hanging the same way (bigger hooks!) in my garage shop, and it hasn't been an issue. My finishes haven't come out as nice as yours!

Thanks, but they definitely look better in the pictures than in real life (admittedly the Solar Warrior really did come out good, but it's been somewhat downhill since then)

 

[mjennings]

I think it would be OK on the metal hooks they should be round and smooth. Anything longer than 3 feet I'd support with more than 2 hooks. Had a mean machine hang form the ceiling and it bowed over time.

 

[Micromeister]

I would never store or display my models horizontally on any support. Most primers, paints and top coats take months or longer to completely cure. The weight of the rocket will cause permanent marks.

As others have mentioned the Wider the weight can be distrubuted at the mounting points the less obvious the resting marks will be.

I've eliminated all but about 3 very long rockets that are stored horizontally across 2x4 shelves. All the rest (more the 400 rockets are stored vertically on a motor mount slip in stand eliminating pressure on the fins.

 

[OverTheTop]

Based on my limited experience I would not store rockets horizontally if given the option. Short ones might be ok. I have a Corona that now looks like a banana. It is a long rocket so the effect is probably more emphasized.

Maybe extra supports along the way, rather than just at the ends, would be better.

What about long peg-board hooks, bent vertically at the end, then sit the rocket on them?

 

[Pointy_end_up]

I built a board with wood dowels that hold the rocket by the motor mount so it won't hurt the paint and they all look like they're flying off the wall.

 

[soopirV]

I built a board with wood dowels that hold the rocket by the motor mount so it won't hurt the paint and they all look like they're flying off the wall.

I store my LPR that way (similar way) and have noticed my MMT deforming out of round, and still have deflection in my long ones (Andromeda, solar-flare- mostly the long, stately birds based on mostly BT-20). The difference with mine is that my dowel nubs are pointed up slightly, maybe 15 degrees, so that might be causing much of the wear? The long and the short of it is that the materials we use are only strong in the axial direction- any radial load is likely to bend/break, even (especially?) if gentle and over long periods of time. If you want archivability, better store them standing straight up! I wish I had the room for that!

 

[Trident]

Over on one of the FB rocketry pages, someone showed a really simple way to store rockets on a wall. Bent pieces of wire (paper clips maybe?) were anchored in wall, and bent such that rocket hung from its launch lug. For mini rail buttons, you could bend a U-shaped hook on the end of the wire that the button could slide into.

I display a lot of mine on stands, some fancy, some are just the little yellow Estes stands. For fliers I don't really care to display, they are just rolled in protective material and stacked like firewood in large, Rubbermaid totes.

 

[neil_w]

Hanging by the launch lug is an interesting idea.

In my case, I'll keep fiddling, but I'm in no particular hurry as I do not foresee a problem the way I have mine supported at least for a while. Vertical storage loses the nice ability to alternate the orientation of the fins to make everything fit tighter; also I'll need some type of custom-jiggered supports for them on the pegboard. But I'll see what I can come up with.

For the moment, flat against the pegboard (in whatever orientation) is my only real storage option, although there are a few rockets that I could perhaps move into totes, once I run out of space on the board.

 

[dr wogz]

I've hung a slew of older Estes by the motor retention hook. Hooked it onto a piece of string strung across my wall.. The "new" style hook Estes has makes a good hanging hook..

And I 2nd the long skinny rockets on two far apart horizontal points. I have a 'Corona' banana too.. I've left it on the opposite for close to a year now to get the bend out.

 

[Woody's Workshop]

I imagine heat and humidity had a lot with bowing them rockets.
Reversing it will take the same.
And you might end up with it bowing the other way if it isn't a controlled condition.
Them paper tube are made from trees, and bending wood is done much the same way.
The difference is the tubes have no internal stress like solid wood does.

 

[kmcquown]

Or you could use empty CD/DVD spools. Works only with 18mm. Kinda loosy goosy on a 24mm and too big for 13mm.

 

[OverTheTop]

Or you could use empty CD/DVD spools. Works only with 18mm.

Or you turn up spacers for the larger rockets if you have access to something like a lathe. That is one of the things I have done previously.

 

[Pointy_end_up]

I store my LPR that way (similar way) and have noticed my MMT deforming out of round, and still have deflection in my long ones (Andromeda, solar-flare- mostly the long, stately birds based on mostly BT-20). The difference with mine is that my dowel nubs are pointed up slightly, maybe 15 degrees, so that might be causing much of the wear? The long and the short of it is that the materials we use are only strong in the axial direction- any radial load is likely to bend/break, even (especially?) if gentle and over long periods of time. If you want archivability, better store them standing straight up! I wish I had the room for that!

Yes, upright may be ideal but I don't have the space for that. I glue spent motors on the end of the dowels to minimize warping over time. I flew most of them this past saturday and had nothing was warped. If things do start to warp then I'll reconsider my long term storage but for now, I really like the way they look. Makes me smile.

 

[soopirV]

Yes, upright may be ideal but I don't have the space for that. I glue spent motors on the end of the dowels to minimize warping over time. I flew most of them this past saturday and had nothing was warped. If things do start to warp then I'll reconsider my long term storage but for now, I really like the way they look. Makes me smile.

That's all the matters! One last bit of advice: I wish mine had a curtain in front of them, because the wife STILL nags, "you've got 60 rockets already!!" when I say I might build another...

 

[TangoJuliet]

Yes, upright may be ideal but I don't have the space for that.

Hmm... I was thinking about your comment, and except for some very large rockets, I would think that the majority of LPR, even with 4 fins, wouldn't be any wider that 6" at the base. I've been considering using a 2x6, length yet to be determined, with dowels/spent casings on it that would keep all my models upright, and that could also be mounted to the wall like a shelf. I already have some floating shelves in my living room that are almost that size. And I could even drill the dowel holes up to 15* off of vertical and could mount one shelf over another (or two) on the same wall.

 

[soopirV]

Hmm... I was thinking about your comment, and except for some very large rockets, I would think that the majority of LPR, even with 4 fins, wouldn't be any wider that 6" at the base. I've been considering using a 2x6, length yet to be determined, with dowels/spent casings on it that would keep all my models upright, and that could also be mounted to the wall like a shelf. I already have some floating shelves in my living room that are almost that size. And I could even drill the dowel holes up to 15* off of vertical and could mount one shelf over another (or two) on the same wall.

I tried that in my last house- used adjustable shelf standards in the garage. Worked well as my collection grew as I became a BAR, but some limitations I ran into: 1) some fins are just huge (my clone of Starship Vega 3 is about 16" in diameter) and 2) heights vary widely, leading to inefficient storage. That's what lead me to the solution I have now. Not sure what you mean by 15deg off vertical, but I'd like to see it? Meaning slightly angled so you can get the next shelf a bit lower? That might solve the density issue if you have a large collection.

 

[TangoJuliet]

Not sure what you mean by 15deg off vertical, but I'd like to see it? Meaning slightly angled so you can get the next shelf a bit lower? That might solve the density issue if you have a large collection.

Exactly. Angled so that the NC's are out away from the wall more than the fin can end. Of course not all of our models would be able to use this storage method, but I would guess that the vast majority of LPR models would. And as far as rocket lengths, I would make the lowest shelf longer than the ones above it, leaving the ends open for taller rockets, thus book-ending the two or three rocket shelves. :wink: I might work on it next weekend when I'm home again.