Nope. Just pull the rod out of the blast plate/launch platform and throw it in the trunk. Try to protect it from getting bent in there.

I always beak mine down so they go back into the storage box.

My main low power rod (and pad) are my original Centuri Power Pad that cam with my Screaming Eagle starter set from June, 1976. Still use the same pad and rod (and deflector) for my low power stuff. In the intervening years I have sometimes used some of the other ‘lantern battery mounted’ launchers from both Estes and Centuri, as well as an Estes Big Foot pad.

But most of my low power flying has been off the Centuri Power Pad and it has been probably 30 years since I have used any other low power pad. High power was all custom rigs with either 3/8” or .5” rods.

Earl

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

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

All of the above, but mostly one-piece rods, unless I'm really tight for space. I prefer plain steel rods from the HW store, the SS ones I have don't seem as stiff. 36" x 1/8", 48" x 3/16", 60" x 1/4" - store them in a piece of PVC, steel wool and oil after every use. For NRC, I fly nearly everything off a piston with no tower, using 36" long aluminum rods and 34" piston tubes. Egg Lofters I'll use a tower and piston combo. Lastly, I occasionally use a 60” mini rail if I want to completely eliminate rod whip.

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Paul
If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane - Jimmy Buffett
NAR #87246 www.wooshrocketry.org

Bob - I have to ask. Are you the recipient of a Silver Snoopy? Very prestigious!

This is definitely a trade for ease of cleaning in my experience.

I have experimented with carbon fiber tubes/rods. They work nicely, but most of my pads use a sort of setscrew arrangement to retain the rod and this leads to crushing, which is not good.

Lee, do you do anything special to keep the micro buttons from binding if they get a little off axis in the Makerbeam? I tried the micro buttons when they first appeared and was disappointed with the results. I'd love to use it but if the model isn't exactly downwind of the beam they bind for me.

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Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

Bernard, the micro buttons work better if you shorten the length. I took calipers to the core, or barrel, and used a numbered drill to bore a hole in one end of a metal rule. I press the button in, and use an X-acto or single-edge razor blade to trim. The rule just happened to be a good thickness for this.
Here are pictures I took a few years ago. I have also used Plastruct or Evergreen styrene H-channel. I will have to look at package when I am back home to get the specific product #. We are in Florida until Monday.

Attached Thumbnails

       

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Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, EAC Firecat (Mini HoJo bash), Scorpius, DBRM
In the Paint Shop: Nothing! Too cold!
Launch-Ready: Farside-X, Maxi Honest John, Super Scamp

Thanks, Lee. I vaguely remember this now, and see that the micro buttons on the one model I have them on right now are shortened some, but I probably didn't do it as carefully.

I have done one model with the Plastruct H-beam as well. Maybe I need to fly it a little more to get a better feel for how that works (or doesn't) for me.

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Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

Bernard, I read somewhere a couple years ago that somebody just used a small screw, like a #2 maybe? I was afraid that would tear up the rail, but maybe not. If MakerBeam gained in popularity, Randy Milliken at rail-buttons.com might be tempted to redo them. The new mini buttons he has are a big improvement over the original, in terms of looks. Both old and new, though, work really well on the 20mm rail.

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Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, EAC Firecat (Mini HoJo bash), Scorpius, DBRM
In the Paint Shop: Nothing! Too cold!
Launch-Ready: Farside-X, Maxi Honest John, Super Scamp

The nylon screws in the rail-buttons.com micros is a 2-56, so I suppose just the screw itself might work, with a little side-to-side slop in the rail groove. Hmmmmmmm......

added: after a quick look at that, I can see why the sleeves. I also looked at the old Nova Payloader I have them on (shortened) and it slide reasonably well, actually, on the rail. More study and experimentation is in order.

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Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

I hope I won't draw too much shame when I say I am not. But I'm a lifelong fan of Snoopy, and making a Silver Snoopy icon seemed appropriate for this forum. My general icon is a "The World Famous Writer and his Secretary" screen-grab from "The Peanuts Movie".

(For those who don't know -- can't imagine that in this forum -- the Silver Snoopy is an award given by the NASA Astronaut office to NASA workers or contract workers (not management!) who have gone above and beyond in service to the goals and needs of the manned spaceflight mission. I've never worked for NASA.)

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Bob Portnell, Sparks, Nevada
NAR #87762, NARTREK Silver, Not an actual Silver Snoopy awardee
"Flying Like It's 1980"