New Century Rocketry - Rocket Carrier

So I guess some questions have been asked about my rocket carrier. Here's a picture of it in its normal storage area.

I started by measuring that shelf; yes, the carrier was built to fit there directly. I used furring strips because at 1" x 3" with rounded edges it seemed like a good way to avoid excessive finishing work. The handle started out as just a handle, but I had already put rocket carriers on my long range box, so adding them to the carrier seemed obvious.

Here's that range box. I built it using the old-school toolbox design that many thousands of handymen made back in my grandfather's day, but long enough to hold 3 foot launch rods. The plate is actually a blast deflector which I use when I fly clusters which need a 3/16" rod.

Anyway, I basically eyeballed the gap, did a little basic math and ended up with the number of positions shown. 1/2" dowel rod fits into expended engine casings, though tape is often needed to keep them in place (and I sometimes need to add more). Quest casings, both German and Chinese, are the best as they are just a bit smaller and so fit more easily into the rockets.

A spade bit would work to drill the mounting holes, but I have Forstner bits and they make smoother, straighter holes that are more likely to end up where I wanted them in the first place. So that's naturally what I used. I think I drilled the holes before assembling the frame.

The bottom rectangle is miter-cut (as you can see); it's the only sane way to join furring strips. I have a biscuit joiner which I used to get solid joints. The handle is assembled the same way but is screwed to the lower frame for greater strength, as the biscuit joiner is really not suitable for that kind of connection. Looks like I ran the boards through the router with a quarter-round bit before final assembly; I honestly don't remember, but it appears to be so.

Spray painted it with primer first, sanded lightly just to ensure there were no splinters, then hit it with flat black. Not a great finish to be honest; it attracts dust something fierce.

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