Ye Olde Rocket Forum

Go Back   Ye Olde Rocket Forum > Work Bench > Building Techniques
User Name
Password
Auctions Register FAQ Members List Calendar Today's Posts Search Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #11  
Old 04-07-2021, 02:21 PM
samb samb is offline
spirit of 72
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Plano, TX
Posts: 289
Default

b)

4 foot lengths of 1/8th and 3/16th steel rods are readily available at my favorite big box home improvement store. No joint to fail and a extra foot of guidance are my reasons. Get a small diameter pvc pipe with some end caps for storage, clean with a scotch brite pad after each use and you have a lifetime of launches.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 04-07-2021, 02:31 PM
Earl's Avatar
Earl Earl is offline
Apollo Nut
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,884
Default

For anyone who has never tried stainless for their launch rods, give it a try sometime. I think once you do, you'll never want to go back to steel. Of course, it is a little more expensive, but cleanup is well, basically a one-wipe deal. Actually, not even that if you don't want to.

Earl
__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 04-07-2021, 02:45 PM
Joe Wooten's Avatar
Joe Wooten Joe Wooten is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,164
Default

1/8" - ~24" brass welding rod
3/16 - 4' aluminum that came with Old Estes high power pad
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 04-07-2021, 03:53 PM
Bluegrass Rocket Bluegrass Rocket is offline
Pickin' and launching.
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 267
Default

I only fly low power on my own and for several years I have used a 40” carbon fiber rod. Purchased at the local hobby store. Light weight and doesn’t bend.
__________________
Rick Randol
NAR #28062, ROCI Section #625
http://www.newwayspacemodels.com
http://www.indyrockets.org
NewWay Space Models-We Cornered Model Rocketry
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 04-07-2021, 04:23 PM
SEL's Avatar
SEL SEL is offline
Officially Middle-Aged Rocketeer
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 1,356
Default

I have a couple each of the 2-piece 1/8 & 3/16 Estes rods,
A few single length 3 foot 3/16”, a 4 foot 1/4”, a two piece 6 foot
1/4” rod that I bought from North Coast years ago, and 2 or 3 6 foot
1/4” “stainless” that aren’t.
__________________
SAM #0031
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 04-07-2021, 04:44 PM
Neal Miller Neal Miller is offline
Master Blaster
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: South Florida
Posts: 576
Default

Granger, sells 72" X 1/8" Stainless Steel. A quick cut with the Dremel tool and you have 2
great 36" launch rods. I chuck the rod into a 1/4-20 collar that screws on to my Bi-pod , I keep all my rods in a PVC tube capped on the bottom and threaded end cap on the top.
I have 4 & 6 MM X 1 meter Stainless Steel Welding rods to use as 3/16"and 1/4" rods.
__________________
Neal Miller
Master Blaster NAR# 58296
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 04-07-2021, 05:30 PM
shockwaveriderz shockwaveriderz is offline
rocket dinosaur
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: My Old Kentucky Home
Posts: 1,183
Smile

I hope to be able to try out a 1/8" , one piece 4 ft pultruded carbon fiber tube that has a .072" carbon fiber rod epoxied internally. If it ever gets here from CA. Was ordered a month ago, and it's in USPS in Bakersfield CA
__________________
"Old Rocketeer's don't die; they just go OOP".....unless you 3D print them.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 04-07-2021, 06:27 PM
Gus's Avatar
Gus Gus is offline
7/21/61
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: North of Detroit
Posts: 2,221
Default

Most of the low power I fly comes out of towers.

Still my favorite is my old Medalist tower. Very flexible, but doesn't travel well. Hopefully someone will make them again some day.

For FAI flying I use one of several home made 40mm towers. The one in the photo uses single piece aluminum tubes but I've switched to aluminum tent poles. Shorter pieces so they travel more easily but two of them stacked are longer than the aluminum poles.

For my yearly flying out in Arizona I have an Apogee tower which I store at my Mom's. Very nice tower with carbon fiber rods. Really easy to change diameters, works great.

Finally, for low- or mid-power egglofters I've recently started flying off a rail using Apogee's fly-away rail guides. Egg lofters are kind of a pain to fly out of towers so this is a great improvement. Absolutely wonderful.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:  Homemade Tower.jpg
Views: 56
Size:  1.60 MB  Click image for larger version

Name:  Medalist Tower.jpg
Views: 43
Size:  1.90 MB  Click image for larger version

Name:  Apogee Tower Launcher.jpg
Views: 41
Size:  147.3 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  Flyaway.jpg
Views: 52
Size:  17.8 KB  
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 04-07-2021, 06:38 PM
Blastfromthepast Blastfromthepast is offline
'nother Old Fart BAR....
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Castle Rock, Colorado
Posts: 379
Default

I've always used a single piece rod for LPR.. 1/8 and 3/16. For boost gliders I use a 1 piece 48" rod. It's long enough to accommodate front engine gliders while still having at least 36" travel length. I've also got a launcher for my Carlisle Mark II Rock-A-Chute replica that uses a 5/16" wood dowel.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:  Mark II Nov 3 02.jpg
Views: 37
Size:  1.68 MB  
__________________
Just remember...G. Harry Stine's first ever model rocket was an RTF !

Check out my wonderful model rocketry blog here:
https://castlerocketeer.blogspot.com/
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 04-07-2021, 06:45 PM
BobP_in_Nevada's Avatar
BobP_in_Nevada BobP_in_Nevada is offline
Skill Level 2.8 (Nearly Advanced)
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Sparks, Nevada
Posts: 81
Default Launch Rod Poll, phase 2

Thank you, everyone! It's always interesting to see how people do model rocketry. I spent last month reviewing the Model Rocketry magazine archives ... wow. So much changed, yet so much is still the same.

For the people using the two-piece rods, do you ever actually break them down?

Cheers,
__________________
Bob Portnell, Sparks, Nevada
NAR #87762, NARTREK Silver, Not an actual Silver Snoopy awardee

"Flying Like It's 1980"
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:27 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.0.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe © 1998-2024