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Figured I'd share photos of my 1010 launch pad. All you need is a jig saw and basic welder. Although with a few more bolts or self tapping screws you could probably build without welding if you're without one.
It's made out of 14-gauge 2" square tube, some L2x2x1/8 angle, 1/4"x3" flat bar, and 1/2" hardware. It's all steel and these were thicknesses I could easily cut and weld with what I have. The blast shield is just a concrete paver I got cheap because the corner broke off, which was actually ideal for me. Note that the top bolt hole in the vertical tube is slotted and allows for 15 or so degrees of adjustability to account for wind or to tip away from the flight line.
It mostly follows the John Coker pad design which is just beautifully elegant. My own changes were going with double bolted connections, and swapping the vertical member out for angle iron instead of flat bar to gain some stiffness.
The 14 gauge tubing was easy enough to cut with a jig saw.
Also key was this little trick. I cut a piece of 1/2" copper into a sleeve about 0.020" wider than the tubing, so this acts as an axle at the top pivot point. This allows you to set the angle you want to launch once, while still allowing the rail to fold down for loading. Originally you'd lose your angle once you loosened the bolts while tilting the pad.
Example of it in action. You can see I also found 1/2" pull pins from the local tractor supply / farmer's union store, eliminating the need to use a wrench every time you load.
I also made the rear leg adjustable with a carriage bolt and nut. The other legs have holes that I just filled with nuts and bolts so there's some extra hardware and also to keep it level since the center piece has hardware sticking through the bottom.
All in all it's about 34 lbs and collapses into to a fairly compact foot print for travel.
And we've launched J and K powered rockets no problemo. For any rockets pushing more than 30 lb I may consider anchoring to the ground or just laying sand bags on the legs. We'll see. I do wish I made the tube the rail attaches to about twice as long. This way the rocket's could be stood off the ground a good distance without loosing the bottom foot or so of rail length.
It's made out of 14-gauge 2" square tube, some L2x2x1/8 angle, 1/4"x3" flat bar, and 1/2" hardware. It's all steel and these were thicknesses I could easily cut and weld with what I have. The blast shield is just a concrete paver I got cheap because the corner broke off, which was actually ideal for me. Note that the top bolt hole in the vertical tube is slotted and allows for 15 or so degrees of adjustability to account for wind or to tip away from the flight line.
It mostly follows the John Coker pad design which is just beautifully elegant. My own changes were going with double bolted connections, and swapping the vertical member out for angle iron instead of flat bar to gain some stiffness.
The 14 gauge tubing was easy enough to cut with a jig saw.
Also key was this little trick. I cut a piece of 1/2" copper into a sleeve about 0.020" wider than the tubing, so this acts as an axle at the top pivot point. This allows you to set the angle you want to launch once, while still allowing the rail to fold down for loading. Originally you'd lose your angle once you loosened the bolts while tilting the pad.
Example of it in action. You can see I also found 1/2" pull pins from the local tractor supply / farmer's union store, eliminating the need to use a wrench every time you load.
I also made the rear leg adjustable with a carriage bolt and nut. The other legs have holes that I just filled with nuts and bolts so there's some extra hardware and also to keep it level since the center piece has hardware sticking through the bottom.
All in all it's about 34 lbs and collapses into to a fairly compact foot print for travel.
And we've launched J and K powered rockets no problemo. For any rockets pushing more than 30 lb I may consider anchoring to the ground or just laying sand bags on the legs. We'll see. I do wish I made the tube the rail attaches to about twice as long. This way the rocket's could be stood off the ground a good distance without loosing the bottom foot or so of rail length.
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