Reasons to have your own rail stand?

[SolarYellow]

All the clubs I've launched with have a bunch of club rails. I've generally assumed I'd just use them indefinitely, but I've lately been going down the rabbit hole (curiosity activated -> OCD "on") regarding designing a 1010 rail stand. Pretty well have my hands around how I'd build it (kind of a lightweight, John Coker-style configuration, but not just a copy of anything else I've seen), but the bells and whistles (and material quotes from the local metal houses) are adding up. I figure it's worth being clear about pros and cons of having one's own stand.

First, condition. I've seen some really janky, corroded, nasty rails. Having your own rail means you can maintain it as well as you care to, and that's on you. You can inspect it ahead of time for wear, scratches, etc. You can make sure it's absolutely straight. The rail and stand are most likely not going to get messed up by someone else's foolishness/stupidity, only your own.

Second, availability. AFAIK, the club launch systems I've seen all have unused outlets. The limit on number of setups is not electronics, but rails. Having your own rail out on the line means you don't have to wait your turn. You can go set up whenever the RSO gives you a green light that the range is clear and you are ready. If you're doing something complex like a tower, piston, or cluster ignition device, you can leave it set up between flights without "hogging" equipment that should rightly be available for someone else. You can also 100 percent dry fit/mockup the setup at home.

Third, customization. You can make it as nice as you want, with all the features you want. It can work however you want it to work. It can be as capable or as minimalist as you want it to be. It's another avenue to have fun solving problems elegantly. If you find there's something about it that you'd like to improve, you can do so. If you want to add or expand features or content, you can.

Fourth, work and expense. Transporting a rail stand and setting it up makes the entire process of getting out to a launch and doing your thing more involved. It costs money. You have to store it somewhere. Building it will be some work. (In my case, I really enjoy doing that kind of work and have access to a well-equipped fab shop, including friendly assistance from the pro who works in it.)

Overall, I'm thinking that long-term, it will be worth doing. I'm interested in others' thoughts about long-term rail ownership experience.

 

[BEC]

I have built several relatively lightweight rail pads for TARC teams. There's a Sport Rocketry article showing the most recent design. But with the release of the Estes PSII rail pad, which is certainly adequate for that use, I will probably be pointing teams in that direction in the future.

I have my own rail pad for two reasons: first, I have one of Frank Burke's RC rocket gliders (and another in a box for me to assemble). Second, since I am currently the GSE holder for my little club, I can supply the use of a rail to others if needed at a particular launch. This is not often in our current site because the size is only big enough for Ds, but it does occasionally happen.

The Estes pad, especially if you replace a couple of the screws/nuts that hold the two rail sections together with wing nuts/screws, is, as rail pads go, very compact for transport. And it is certainly sufficient for any of Frank's 18mm and 24mm-powered RCRGs.

 

[Antares JS]

I don't use mine that often since I'm usually flying at the club, but it's been great to have it when opportunities to just fly with a friend or two have come up.

 

[cerving]

I have a jawstand rail launcher, I probably haven't used it in about two years because I rarely fly out on my own (which would have to be LPR/MPR). However, for testing stuff on a whim it's nice to have... although I do have to drive out to Lucerne Valley to do it.

 

[sr205347d]

All my small club has for MPR is a 1/4" rod. So I bring my Estes rail.

I also go fly MPR solo on occasion, usually when I am testing something new.

 

[Buckeye]

Sure, go for it. I made a Jawstand pad with mounts for 1010 rail, 20 mm rail, and Makerbeam rail. I also built a 38mm tower. I used them all at club launches as well as at my personal HPR site for "special projects." I know with certainty that the rail length, cleanliness, and stand-off will meet the project needs. Plus, the Jawstand is handy around the house.

If you set up your personal 1010 pad at a busy launch, others will unknowingly try to use it. So, be prepared to share or shoo them away.

 

[justforfun]

I built one and use it exclusively. I never have to worry that the club has what I need. At most of the launches, there any many that ask to use the pad I brought. Yes it's an expense, but well worth the cost. I purchased a pad (https://www.frankumperformance.com/product-page/tri-3) and did some mods. I have a 12' rail and a 10' tower that fits the base. I have invested probably a $1,000.00 USD. For most of the money I spend on the hobby, this is one isn't just burning money.

 

[aerostadt]

I use a rail launch pad copied from Frank Burke's DynaSoar Rocketry website. Just scroll down on this link:
https://dynasoarrocketry.com/?page_id=397

 

[Sir_Launchalot]

You should totally do it. There are many benefits to having your own GSE; the only downsides I can think of are the initial outlay and having to transport it.

I have a compact launcher that fits 1010, 1515 and rods (up to 3/4") with an adapter. In this photo the blast plate is missing but you can see where it goes. I know the footprint is small but it's pretty stable when the legs are pegged into the ground (add a suitable small demolition hammer into the kit bag). It was made from a commercial product called a Triton Multi-Stand with some minor mods. The largest/heaviest launch it has suffered so far is was a Hott Rockets 9.25" V2 on an L1120, with zero problems.

I also take my own rods, in cases made from PVC pipe with screw-on ends. I have been laughed at for this (seriously) but on that particular day the shoe was on the other foot when the state of some of the available rods became apparent. Yeah, I still have some older rockets with launch lugs...

The 1/4-scale Nike Ajax was only on half the 1515 rail for the photo. A second piece the same length attaches with 3x 1/4" thick splice plates and 12 bolts which makes for easy transport.

 

[NateB]

I bought one of the smaller Knight MFG pads a while back. I don't live far from 8020, so I picked up a 1010 rail straight from them with no shipping charges. I found some straight rods at the hardware store and everything stores easy enough in my shed. The expense has been forgotten and the pad remains as good as new. I can launch anything LPR to Class 1 at my convenience and if I take it to a club launch, I can bring smaller rails I have started to use if the club doesn't have any.

 

[Art Upton]

I have a "Fade to Black" mini pad, standard pad, and someplace in the back of storage a large pad.

The Mini Pad easily holds rods plus Micro, Mini, and 1010 4' rails in the Drill Chuck. The standard pad can hold my 6' rail plus I can extend it with the 4' rail to 10'. I don't think I will be using anything but the mini pad anytime soon.

The Mini pad is nice to host a Mini/Micro Rail button pad next to the LPR or MPR pads at the club launch so no need to change 1010 rails/rods out to mini during a launch.

I've been putting mini buttons on my LPR rockets that can hold them, and micro buttons on smaller ones that are not 'Fire and Forget unless lucky' type rockets.

Here is my 'Fade To Black' Mini Pad, Mustang for scale:



*Notice wing nuts with welded in receivers to hold the legs to the base and make for quick and easy disassembly. The black knob allow for angling, and a wing nut on the stalk allows it to separate from the base as well.

The 1010 rail has a Lowes screw in stud that fits into the center hole of the rail. The mini and micro rails have a 'stinger' screwed into them. This allows the rails to fit in the 'Drill Chuck' of the pad(s).


Mini Rail with 'Stinger'

 

[K3LAG]

I've started using micro and mini rail buttons on my LPR and MPR rockets and I can't always depend on there being an appropriate pad at the field so I need to build my own some time soon.

I'd like to build around the Aldi bike stand if I can find one in stock one of these days. I rarely go to Aldi so I seem to miss them.

 

[lr64]

I had an idea for a minimalist rail stand.

 

[David Schwantz]

Our old away cell weighed 2500 lbs. So I built my own for us to use, and then just donated it to the club anyway. That way I did not have to haul it around anymore, but don't tell them I said that.

 

[jadebox]

I don't have my own launch pads, but I do have rods and rails at home. They are useful for ensuring that launch lugs and rail buttons are lined up correctly before I get to the launch site.

 

[Art Upton]

I had an idea for a minimalist rail stand.

View attachment 675967

Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be sometimes to remove your EZ-Up tent stake in the ground?
2 months ago I gave my Friend Fred my large Vise Grip Channel Locks so he could twist them back out. Lots of very dry ground this summer.

 

[Hammster]

Our group here in Southern Oregon doesn't provide any "group stuff" so we all have to bring all of our own things. I haven't done any rail related rockets yet so I'm not down that rabbit hole yet, but I imagine it won't be long. LOL

 

[lr64]

Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be sometimes to remove your EZ-Up tent stake in the ground?
2 months ago I gave my Friend Fred my large Vise Grip Channel Locks so he could twist them back out. Lots of very dry ground this summer.

I've used lug wrenches as stakes. Easy to twist in and back out. Too big for EZ-Ups, though.

 

[jqavins]

First and foremost, hey, whatever floats your boat.

All the clubs I've launched with have a bunch of club rails. I've generally assumed I'd just use them indefinitely, but I've lately been going down the rabbit hole (curiosity activated -> OCD "on") regarding designing a 1010 rail stand. Pretty well have my hands around how I'd build it (kind of a lightweight, John Coker-style configuration, but not just a copy of anything else I've seen), but the bells and whistles (and material quotes from the local metal houses) are adding up. I figure it's worth being clear about pros and cons of having one's own stand.

First, condition. I've seen some really janky, corroded, nasty rails. Having your own rail means you can maintain it as well as you care to, and that's on you. You can inspect it ahead of time for wear, scratches, etc. You can make sure it's absolutely straight. The rail and stand are most likely not going to get messed up by someone else's foolishness/stupidity, only your own.

Another possibility is to get involved in maintaining your club's rails, to include occasionally replacing badly abused ones using club funds.

Second, availability. AFAIK, the club launch systems I've seen all have unused outlets. The limit on number of setups is not electronics, but rails. Having your own rail out on the line means you don't have to wait your turn. You can go set up whenever the RSO gives you a green light that the range is clear and you are ready.

That's never been a problem for me or anyone at my club. And for launching on my own, it would all be low power or a little mid power, which would be going on rods.

If you're doing something complex like a tower, piston, or cluster ignition device, you can leave it set up between flights without "hogging" equipment that should rightly be available for someone else.

That's a good point if you're likely to be doing such things, and there's even close to a shortage of rails. Again, in my club, people have occasionally brought their own towers or launch tubes etc., but they bring the whole assembly that doesn't involve tying up a club rail, and don't employ a stand-alone rail of their own either. Leads from the F/X control box are taken from a club rail over to the flyer's setup when needed and then moved back.

You can also 100 percent dry fit/mockup the setup at home.

What sort of dry fitting do you do that can't be done with a two or three foot length of rail sans stand?

Third, customization. You can make it as nice as you want, with all the features you want. It can work however you want it to work. It can be as capable or as minimalist as you want it to be. It's another avenue to have fun solving problems elegantly. If you find there's something about it that you'd like to improve, you can do so. If you want to add or expand features or content, you can.

Another possibility is to discuss anything you see as shortcomings with the club leadership and implement improvements on one or more of the club's rails. And again, you get to use club funds for it.

Overall, I'm thinking that long-term, it will be worth doing. I'm interested in others' thoughts about long-term rail ownership experience.

It bears repeating: if you just plain want to do it, then do it!

 

[jqavins]

Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be sometimes to remove your EZ-Up tent stake in the ground?
2 months ago I gave my Friend Fred my large Vise Grip Channel Locks so he could twist them back out. Lots of very dry ground this summer.

When an easy-up stake is hard to remove, I just loop a robe under the hook so I can stand up and lift with the legs. Never had a problem.