For this project I’m going to show you how
to build a custom rocket launching blast pad. You’ll find these don’t cost much to make,
but they’re still impressively durable, portable, and will launch a rocket, any angle
you point it. Let’s start this project with some common
sprinkler parts. These are 3/4” PVC fittings, and you should be able to find them all, at
your nearest hardware store. We’ll also need a 1/4 inch x 1-1/2 inch Fender Washer,
and some 1/4” x 1-1/2” hex head lag screws. In reality, you’ll only need one, but it’s
good to have a couple spares on hand, just in case you want them. Now the body of our launch pad is made with
3/4” PVC tubing, and you’ll need 4 pieces, that are 12” long. These other 15 pieces
are exactly 2 inches each, and I cut mine from the leftover tubing, so they didn’t
cost anything extra. 2” tubes work really well for prototyping
because, as you can see, they’ll join any 3/4” fittings together in an instant. Ok, let’s go ahead and dry-fit all the pieces
together just to double check we have all the pieces we need, at all the right measurements.
When everything’s assembled, the body of your launchpad should look something like
this. Gluing any pieces together is completely optional,
and in all honestly you don’t really need too. But just because we can, I’m going
to use a little PVC glue to make a few parts on mine, a little more permanent. I chose to glue the launchpad together in
5 separate segments, like you see here, because this way it’ll easily come apart so we can
store it later, when it’s not being used. Now before we apply any glue, it’s really
important to make sure all the components are flat and aligned properly, and the easiest
way to do that is by pressing them down on the table. When you’re confident you can keep them
straight, go ahead and glue the components together in the usual way, by following the
directions on your can of PVC glue. And it’s a really good idea to have some kind of paper,
or drop cloth covering your table, because this chemical glue is nasty stuff and can
eat the finish right off your work surface within seconds. Give the connections about 5 minutes to cure,
then go ahead and fit the 5 segments back together to see how they look. Hopefully you
got it right on the first try, because at this point there’s no going back. Now check out what we can do at the top. Push
the head forward, then pull it all the way back, and swivel it around 360 degrees. If
it does that, then congratulations, your swivel-head is working, and you’re ready for a blast
pad. I went to a local thrift store and picked
up a variety of different pot lids and serving plates for around $0.50 each, so I’m confident
you can find something similar for around a dollar, or less. Pot lids are an awesome choice, because when
the handle’s removed, you can see there’s already a hole drilled exactly in the center. But for mine, I’m going with this serving
tray instead, because I like the contour and look of it better. Especially when it’s
flipped upside down. Now the blast pad needs a hole drilled in
the center of the plate, so eyeball it as best you can, then drill a hole 3/16” wide. We need to drill the same kind of hole through
the top of the PVC cross as well, right in the center, because this is where were the
blast-pad is going to get connected. And before going any further, let’s just
make sure this plate is actually going to work, by setting the blast-pad in position
and securing it to the PVC assembly with one of the lag screws. The threads of the screw should bite tightly
into the PVC, sucking the plate down against the plastic cross, snugly enough that it won’t
move. But, if for some reason you end up stripping
the screw holes, or you just want it even more secure, you can still add another screw
on either side, by securing them into the cross beam below. Now that we know the lid fits, it’s a really
good idea to add a 1-1/2 inch Fender Washer to the center of the blast-pad, because it’s
made of steel, and will help dissipate the heat. Most pot lids are made of aluminum,
and there’s a chance the blast from a rocket motor will burn a hole right through it. But
a fender washer on the top will block the heat, and solve the problem before it starts. With the screw and washer in place, mark a
dot 1-1/2” from the center, and in line with one of the arms of the PVC cross underneath.
This hole will be for the launch rod, and before you drill it, take a good look at it
from the side, to make sure everything’s in-line and centered. You’ll need to go all the way through the
top, and just a tiny bit into the bottom. But be very careful you don’t go all the
way through. If you did it right, you’ll be able to push
a stick, or a rod through the hole, and position it into the groove at the bottom, effectively
locking it in place. The rod I’m using is a 3/16” x 4’ steel
rod, found in the hardware isle, of the hardware store as well. Alright the time has come to customize our
launchpad with a paint job, and for that I’m using black and yellow paint, to match the
Randomizer Rocket that I’ll show you how to build in another project video. 3 coats of paint, and 24 hours later, the
launchpad is looking pretty awesome. And at this point our blast pad is completely finished,
and ready for use. Setting up is as simple as inserting the guide
rod, and dropping a rocket into position. Here you can see the nozzle of the rocket
lines up perfectly with the fender washer, and if that ever gets damaged for some reason,
it’s super cheap and easy to replace. Aright to test it out, I took my system to
a launch site, and dropped one of my Randomizer Rockets into position. You can see with this
design, the rocket easily cycles through a multitude of different angles, and can rotate
a full 360 degrees as well. That’s awesome. The rail, will even drop down to a flight
angle of 0 degrees. And I’m not sure why you’d ever need to use that feature. But
I’m just saying you could. I loaded my Rocket, with an Estes E9-6 black
powder rocket motor, which you can see screws in at the bottom. And even blasting off with
that much power, you’ll notice the launchpad didn’t even flinch. Your new launch-pad should be durable enough
to last indefinitely, and withstand a lifetime of rocket launches. And when you’re not
out launching rockets, it’ll come apart in seconds, for easy storage, or transportation. Well now you know how to transform thrift
shop pot lids, and PVC sprinkler parts, into a custom rocket launching blast pad. That
doesn’t cost much to build, but will still just as durable and effective as anything
you’d buy at twice the price. By the way, it’ll also be a nice compliment
your homemade Randomizer Rocket. So if you want to make one of those, look for the project
video on how I built mine. Well that’s it for now. If you like this
project perhaps you’ll like some
of my others. Check them out at www.thekingofrandom.com