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Dave A

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Location
Fort Myers, FL
Home made rotisserie built with grill kit from Home Depot and a few saw horses
Just setup the heater and motor on a timer, cuts off when done!
PICT0018.jpgPICT0019.jpgPICT0020.jpg

Tube slotter I built, sold it and building new and improved version
I could slot anything from 3" to 12"
Tube Slotter  3.jpgTube Slotter 2.jpgTube Slotter.jpg

Switchband cutter
Tube Cutter-Web.jpg

Switchband sander, for sweet, straight, smooth ends
Switchband Grinder-Web.jpg

Most of mine are low cost and as little build time if possible, the tube slotter was the biggest project for jig building.
 
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I go to Payloadbay.com, enter my specs, print one out at actual size, tape it to a piece of foam core, cut it out with a matte knife. I just mounted my fins for my Level 3 cert rocket that way.
 
If you want to see jigs qquake is your man for sure...
He's the jig king,,, lol...

Teddy
 
Impressive jigs! Are plans for the tube slotter available?
Thanks for showing.

Fred (FmarvinS)
TRA15606
L2, ROSCO
 
I'll post the plans when it is finished, still working on the drawings now, taking a lot of napkins!
My best sketches between me , my Dad and brother: bar napkin
 
Bar napkins are integral elements in history, creativity and ingenuity. Some of the greatest ideas of mankind are so inscribed. Unfortunately, they are usually lost and never recovered!-Thus, travelling near the speed of light or turning lead into gold still are categorized respectively as science fiction and alchemy.
Please don't lose those napkins, I look forward to the plans.

(LOL) My poor attempt at humor,
Fred
 
Bar napkins are integral elements in history, creativity and ingenuity. Some of the greatest ideas of mankind are so inscribed. Unfortunately, they are usually lost and never recovered!-Thus, travelling near the speed of light or turning lead into gold still are categorized respectively as science fiction and alchemy.
Please don't lose those napkins, I look forward to the plans.

(LOL) My poor attempt at humor,
Fred

Ahh, Bistromathics...
 
Some of my jigs.

1 ScrollSawCircleCutter.jpg 2 DiscSanderCircleJig.jpg 3 TubeCenters.jpg 4 EggtimerAssemblyJig.jpg 5 L3pic6.jpg

1) Scroll Saw Circle Cutting Jig
2) Sanding Jig for OD's on Centering Rings and Bulkheads.
3) Lathe Centers for airframes up to 3" for sanding on wood lathe, I also have ones for 5.38 Loc Tubes and 5" Mailing tubes.
4) Eggtimer products board holder.
5) Rotisserie for laminating cardboard airframes.
 
Some of my jigs.

1 View attachment 281284 2 View attachment 281285 3 View attachment 281286 4 View attachment 281287 5 View attachment 281288

1) Scroll Saw Circle Cutting Jig
2) Sanding Jig for OD's on Centering Rings and Bulkheads.
3) Lathe Centers for airframes up to 3" for sanding on wood lathe, I also have ones for 5.38 Loc Tubes and 5" Mailing tubes.
4) Eggtimer products board holder.
5) Rotisserie for laminating cardboard airframes.

It was your Cherokee D post that I wanted to see other stuff out there, very impressive
 


John,
You should know that just about everyone on RF should know your building and design prowess, wish I could spend a day photographing the inside of your shop!
I wish I could make more time, but family and then work take priority.
I don't have time making elaborate jigs and such I would like.
I try to find existing parts and pieces to make what little jigs I have.
I am trying to make time to share all of my ideas and hopefully, like you all, we can help others to have some neat stuff!
Dave A

Ultimately End - Aft-web.jpg
20150408_070713[1].jpg
4-fin all FG Ultimate Endeavor, more on this later.
 
Shear Pin/Vent Hole drill jig:
attachment.php


Epoxy Caddy:
attachment.php
 
I finally broke down and made this jig from 1/4" foam core for use on my AGM58 which has 4 fins. There was no way I would be able to eyeball the large fins straight.

P1060093 (Large).JPG P1060089 (Large).JPG

I first laid out a cross with a builder's square. Then I used a circle cutter made for cutting card stock to cut a snug 4" hole.

cutter.jpg

Then a hole saw to cut the relief holes. Finally my table saw cranking the blade up through the foam core. Worked like a charm. The tip to tip dimensions between any two fins is accurate to less than a millimeter!
 
I finally broke down and made this jig from 1/4" foam core for use on my AGM58 which has 4 fins. There was no way I would be able to eyeball the large fins straight.

View attachment 282003 View attachment 282004

I first laid out a cross with a builder's square. Then I used a circle cutter made for cutting card stock to cut a snug 4" hole.

View attachment 282005

Then a hole saw to cut the relief holes. Finally my table saw cranking the blade up through the foam core. Worked like a charm. The tip to tip dimensions between any two fins is accurate to less than a millimeter!


Unless you really like to do the layout part, here is a link to a website where you enter the diameter of the body tube, fin span, thickness and number then print the fin guide and glue it to foamboard and cut it out. Its very easy. https://www.payloadbay.com/index.php?page=Tools&action=FINGUIDES
 
That's why I like thread like this. I like to think outside the box too often but foam board is awesome, the whole while I made them out of 1/4" plywood.
 
I finally broke down and made this jig from 1/4" foam core for use on my AGM58 which has 4 fins. There was no way I would be able to eyeball the large fins straight.

View attachment 282003 View attachment 282004

I first laid out a cross with a builder's square. Then I used a circle cutter made for cutting card stock to cut a snug 4" hole.

View attachment 282005

Then a hole saw to cut the relief holes. Finally my table saw cranking the blade up through the foam core. Worked like a charm. The tip to tip dimensions between any two fins is accurate to less than a millimeter!

Have you though about making those for sale? The shear pin jig is awesome. I also like the Epoxy holder.
 
That's why I like thread like this. I like to think outside the box too often but foam board is awesome, the whole while I made them out of 1/4" plywood.

Ditto. I made my first fin guide from 1/4" plywood and thought what a pain in the @$$. Then I noticed other rocket builders making them from foamboard and have used that ever since.
 
Here's another invaluable jig I came up with for working on rockets during a number of construction phases. I used to struggle with the typical PVC tube cradle which always seemed too flimsy for holding components while drilling, tapping, sanding etc.

I welded a couple of steel rods to a long 1/2" bolt and threaded a sleeve for the bolt to run in. I welded the sleeve to a common wood clamp and covered the rods with tight fitting rubber tubing. The clamps can be positioned on the edge of my workbench to accommodate anything from a 6" long avbay to virtually any length of tubing or a complete rocket. It will also hold a nosecone because of the "grippy" rubber tubing. The height is fully adjustable and a locknut prevents it from moving. When doing internal or external epoxy fillets, I can level the rocket by adjusting one of the cradles with a spirit level sitting on the rocket so the epoxy flows out level. I also use this setup for drilling and tapping holes.

P1060408 (Large).JPG P1060404 (Large).JPG P1060406 (Large).JPG
 
Here's my "Jig" for re-assembling nose cones.
There's only a few commonly available nose cones in 2.6", so sometimes I need to cut one down to size.
This jig makes sure that when I put the parts back together, that the tip is centered.

Cone Assembly Jig 2003-01-01 001.jpg
Cone Assembly Jig 2003-01-01 003.jpg
Cone Assembly Jig 2003-01-01 004.jpg
Cone Assembly Jig 2003-01-01 005.jpg
Booster Practice Nose Cone Gammon 2003-01-01 005.jpg
 
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I made this yesterday, since no one else seems to make one and I need one.
A quality metric rule mated to an 1"x36"x1/8" aluminum angle.
Tube marking and cutting slots will never be the same!
I used the ultra-thin double sided tape that I use to put shrink plastic on my windows in the Winter. That way it can be removed if necessary, or I can re-think the whole thing if I need to change it.
I could not find any Incra Angled Rules in metric of suitable length, since they don't make one.

BoosterconesMatchup 2003-01-01 001.jpgBoosterconesMatchup 2003-01-01 002.jpgBoosterconesMatchup 2003-01-01 003.jpg
 
Here's a jig I made for slotting centering rings up to 6" diameter. Almost all the parts are Baltic Birch plywood and the tops of the slide rails are lubed with regular paraffin canning wax (the hard white/clear stuff).


CRslottingJig.jpgCRslottingJig1.jpgCRslottingJig2.jpg
 
[QUOTE

1) Scroll Saw Circle Cutting Jig
2) Sanding Jig for OD's on Centering Rings and Bulkheads.
3) Lathe Centers for airframes up to 3" for sanding on wood lathe, I also have ones for 5.38 Loc Tubes and 5" Mailing tubes.
4) Eggtimer products board holder.
5) Rotisserie for laminating cardboard airframes.[/QUOTE]

What's the thickest CR you have cut on that jig? I got a scroll saw that sits in the corner with a dunce cap on it, LOL!
 
[QUOTE

1) Scroll Saw Circle Cutting Jig
2) Sanding Jig for OD's on Centering Rings and Bulkheads.
3) Lathe Centers for airframes up to 3" for sanding on wood lathe, I also have ones for 5.38 Loc Tubes and 5" Mailing tubes.
4) Eggtimer products board holder.
5) Rotisserie for laminating cardboard airframes.

What's the thickest CR you have cut on that jig? I got a scroll saw that sits in the corner with a dunce cap on it, LOL![/QUOTE]

I have cut up to 3/4" Baltic Birch but its take it slow process or the blades get hot and break. 1/2" material is fairly common also a bit slow. I use spiral cut blades.
 
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