Brief:
In checkin' me club's flight cards for t' last 2.5 years, ya bilge rat, I find that thar have been 8 MMX launches. Aye aye! All o' them were done by me. Begad! I have tried t' see if thar be any interest in an informal MMX contest o' some type on several occasions and thar was not. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! In delvin' a bit deeper, me bucko, I learned that MMX be nay disdained because of its diminutive size, me hearties, it was shunned because o' t' hassle, real and perceived, me bucko, arrr, o' flyin' them. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! That was an attitude I shared myself. Ahoy! Every time I thought about buildin' or flyin' one, I usually gave it up as too much hassle.

That is especially true o' t' ground support equipment. Ahoy! T' silo launchers are problematic and I have had only one good launch off o' one. Ahoy! T' rest o' t' time I have had t' kludge somethin' together, me bucko, ya bilge rat, me hearties, cross me fingers and hope it works. Aye aye! It sometimes even does.

This is nay t' say that thar are nay some great MMX GSE ideas out there. There are. Avast! Ahoy! They just don't strike me as worth t' effort. Arrr! Begad! I finally decided t' see if I could design somethin' t' take some o' t' hassle out o' it and make it fun. Avast, me proud beauty! In effect, me bucko, with a minimum o' effort, I want t' be able t' treat an MMX rocket like any other. Blimey! Go out t' the assigned pad, hook it up, arrr, arrr, me bucko, walk away and have reasonable confidence that t' rocket would launch. Arrr! I wanted t' be able to do this without lengthy preparation o' special consumables. In order t' do it, I be willin' t' invest some time, effort and loot into makin' such a system.

T' basics that I wanted t' accomplish are these:

• Build t' project with readily availible parts; no machinin' or milling.
• Be able t' use any o' t' common igniter options without havin' t' switch gear.
• Be dependable; t' same ration o' successful launches as will t' bigger gear.
• No hassle, ya bilge rat, perceived or real.

Construction:

T' first step in this grand project was t' get out an MMX igniter, arrr, measure it and make a drawin' o' it in Autocad. Well, me bucko, blow me down! I measured t' 1/16" and estimated t' 1/32" I think it will be good enough for me purposes. Ahoy! Arrr! I wanted t' DWG files o' t' various igniters I want t' plan for t' use as blocks in t' drawin' files help me draw up t' ignition system. Well, blow me down! I also wanted t' have a half decent chance o' havin' t' thin' work when I got through. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I also cracked open t' plastic case and made a drawin' o' t' naked igniter. Begad! With that done, arrr, I could start drawin' up the head.

I had liked what I had seen o' several ideas that used a slot t' support t' igniter and that was a part o' the idea as well. Arrr! Blimey! That bein' t' case, t' first thin' be t' come up with t' arm that provided t' support. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I decided on 1/4" plywood as t' basis for t' framework. Begad! Blimey! I picked it for dimensional stability and because it is an insulator. Most important, shiver me timbers, though, it has laminations oriented at different angles so that shear should nay become an issue. Avast! Blimey! This was because I planned on a relatively skinny support, for reasons which will later become apparent.

I opened up Autocad and drew up a support arm that had a slot that be just a touch bigger than t' plastic encased igniter. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! At this point I did nay concern myself with length, shiver me timbers, only t' part that would support t' igniter. Avast, me proud beauty! I then printed out this simple drawing.

Although t' support beam would ultimately be o' plywood, ya bilge rat, I did nay use plywood at this stage. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I chose instead a scrap o' 1/4" balsa since it would be easy t' whittle on and adjust and because it happened t' be handy. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! The template be trimmed a bit and then applied t' t' balsa with a glue stick. Ahoy! Blimey! T' rough piece be then taken t' t' belt sander and t' profile was trimmed down t' t' outer edges o' t' template. With t' outer edges takin' place, me hearties, arrr, a razor cutlass was used t' carve out t' igniter slot.

Later that night, it was time t' examine t' first fruits o' t' project and I spread me stuff out on the kitchen table after t' Mrs. had gone t' bed. I put in t' plastic igniter ans was glad t' see it fit; with me doing t' measurin' and cutting, arrr, such things cannot be assumed. Arrr! Avast! I also test fitted t' stripped down, paper clad igniter and it fit as well.

One o' t' problems I had experienced with other MMX systems be t' attachment o' t' microclips. Ya scallywag! Blimey! My scheme was t' get rid o' t' "micro" altogether and replace it with "macro". Ahoy! Blimey! I found a plastic clamp at Lowes that seemed t' fit t' ticket and tried it on t' support t' plastic igniter. At first blush it seemed t' work. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Looking at it from t' top, though, thar was a slight problem. Well, blow me down! T' grips on t' clamp were just a touch wider than t' slot. For t' ultimate plan, they needed t' fit flat within t' slot.

Before doin' any adjustment, me bucko, though, me bucko, arrr, I wanted t' try it with t' naked igniter. Begad! I slipped it into place, oriented 90 degrees from t' way t' plastic one had been, and made sure t' leads extended on either side o' the support. Avast! Well, blow me down! T' clamp was then placed, arrr, much lower down this time, pinnin' t' leads t' either side o' t' support arm. Aye aye! I then spent some time fussin' with it. Begad! Aye aye! Key t' makin' me scheme work was t' degree o' stiffness o' t' igniter in this orientation. It seemed t' me that t' clamp was sufficiently tight t' hold it in place without any wiggling.

With t' information I had gotten thus far, matey, I went back t' Autocad and widened t' slot by 1/32" on each side.

To provide electrical contact, shiver me timbers, I intended t' use a pair o' brass pieces, one on each side o' t' launch head. each would be primarily vertically oriented so that a naked or standard ingniter could be set in place with one lead clamped t' either side. Blimey! Arrr! I also intended t' fold a small piece o' brass over t' top t' catch t' leads on t' classic MMX igniter.

I went into Autocad and drew up a plan for t' brass pieces assumin' that I would be usin' 1/2" wide brass. T' lines for foldin' and cuttin' were marked interchangeably. A copy be then printed, arrr, cut out and taped t' a piece of 1/2"x0.016"x12" piece o' brass. A cutoff disk on a Dremell tool was then used t' cut t' piece t' length and slice t' part that would be folded back. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! A pair o' pliers be then used t' make t' bends and folds. T' folds were nay completely bent into shape under t' theory that some finaglin' would be needed and I wanted t' fatigue the metal as little as possible. Begad! Arrr! An identical piece be then cut and formed and t' pair was test fitted into t' head.

Solderin' is nay one o' me strong skills, and that's puttin' it kindly. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Even so, I felt obligated t' provide the electrons with a path t' get t' t' brass contacts. I took a length o' speaker wire, stripped t' ends and then soldered a lead t' t' back o' each o' t' contact plates.

In order t' accommodate t' solder on t' backs o' t' contact plates and allow them t' lie flat, I had to excavate a cavity on either side o' t' head. It was done by trial and error with an ambiguous head on t' Dremmel.

Since this was merely a proof o' concept prototype, shiver me timbers, I did nay take t' trouble t' fasten t' plates t' t' head in a "good" manner. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Instead, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I just epoxied them into place and clamped them t' set. Well, blow me down! This proved t' be a mistake since some o' t' epoxy developed and unhealthy relationship with t' clamp and t' removal o' said clamp distorted things.

Several tests were made with t' prototype and I found that t' concept did work but that thar were some problems with execution. Aye aye! Aside from t' nay so durable balsa used as t' head, ya bilge rat, t' method o' attachin' t' wires t' the plates and t' plates t' t' head were also problematical. Begad! Begad! As I considered how t' deal with these issues, I turned my attention t' t' "guts" o' t' project.

My intention all along was t' develop a series o' racks for various types o' rockets me club may fly. I wanted t' standardize as much o' t' design as possible. Blimey! Arrr! I had decided early on that each rack would be mounted on an identical steel sawhorse. Arrr! T' that would be fastened a "box" that would contain whatever wirin' be needed and on t' "box" would be mounted t' individual launch heads. Avast, me proud beauty! After lookin' at lots o' different options for the "box", ya bilge rat, I decided t' try usin' NEMA type 1 electrical troughs. Avast! For t' MMX rack, I ordered a 4"x4"x48" trough with a hinged cover and a pair o' endcaps t' go with it. Avast! Avast! I specified that I did not want knockouts.

I wanted t' go ahead and prime t' box and knew that me normal Kilz primer would nay be a good choice. Based on some advice, I purchased Dupli-Color automotive white primer and went t' work spraying. Begad! I smartly learned that while t' primer adhered well, ya bilge rat, arrr, a lot be needed for full coverage. I emptied a can and still plenty left t' go.

Rather than spend more in primer than t' box cost, I decided t' brush on some gray primer made for metal applications. Ya scallywag! I bought a gallon since I have several projects on which t' use it and because it be nay available in smaller sizes. I brushed on t' first coat and let it dry overnight. T' end caps were painted as well.

T' first coat o' gray primer was rather streaky (but much better over t' surfaces that had received t' white spray primer first) and a second coat was applied t' all t' pieces. Ya scallywag! It came out much better.

A day after t' second coat o' primer be applied, shiver me timbers, I mounted t' end caps. Each one required 3 bolts I used 1/4x3/4 along with a lock washer. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! When in place, matey, t' caps greatly increased t' rigidity o' t' trough.

As mentioned before, ya bilge rat, t' base o' me system be t' be a commercially available steel sawhorse. Well, blow me down! I chose t' one made by Task Force because it seemed sturdy, already had some holes drilled about where I would want them, had adjustable length legs and because it happened t' be what was for sale at me local Lowes.

T' larger holes in t' sawhorse turned out t' be just right for 5/16" bolts. Aye aye! I assumed that each base would have a pair o' such bolts t' fasten t' box above. Begad! I saw a potential problem, me hearties, though o' t' bolt slippin' out through t' hole while hands were occupied handlin' t' box. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I kept askin' about some sort o' "retainer" to keep them from slippin' out. Avast! Begad! I had just about decided t' try and fit a little rubber O rin' on t' shance t' keep it from slippin' through when somebody mentioned an "E clip". Avast! Well, blow me down! That turned out t' be just t' ticket. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' bolt was slipped through t' hole and t' clip be popped into place at t' base. It did what I wanted and freed me hands from havin' t' keep t' bolt in place while fumblin' around with t' box.

To hold t' box onto t' sawhorse mounted bolts, arrr, I wanted t' use wingnuts that could easily be removed. Avast! I also added a fender washer t' t' system t' spread t' load out a bit if t' assembly were t' be picked up by t' built in handle on t' sawhorse. Ya scallywag! Since I be nay yet ready t' mount t' box, I just stored t' washers and wingnuts in their eventual place o' residence.

T' bolts on t' base are spaced 30" apart so I drew a light line down t' centerline o' t' bottom o' the trough and made marks for t' bolt holes at that spacing, centered betwixt t' ends. T' holes were then drilled with a 5/16 bit.

T' system was now ready for me t' test fit t' box on top o' t' support. As such, arrr, arrr, I undid t' wingnuts and removed t' fender washers and be pleased t' see that t' bolts did nay then fall out. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! So far, me bucko, ya bilge rat, so good. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I set t' box on top and t' holes lined up t' t' bolts...mostly. Aye aye! Blimey! There was a bit o' tightness at one end and t' box was forcing t' bolt t' lean. Blimey! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! For grins, I put on t' washers and wingnuts and tightened it down part o' t' way. I then lifted the rack by t' carryin' handle and it seemed t' idea be sound so far but needed a little more work.

One o' t' things I noticed is that t' bolt stuck up farther than I liked on t' inside o' t' box. Avast, me proud beauty! I decided t' use a 3/4" length instead o' t' full inch. Arrr! Accordingly, matey, I popped t' e-clip off and substituted a shorter bolt. Arrr! Avast! I had also noticed that t' bolt tended t' turn as I tried t' tighten t' wingnut. Arrr! T' remedy that I added a star lock washer under t' bolt head.

Another problem I noticed is that I must have gotten t' spacin' for t' holes in t' box just a wee bit off. Well, blow me down! On bolt was tilted t' an angle when t' box was put one and t' nut could nay be completely tightened. Arrr! I tried t' fit a nibbler into t' hole but t' head would nay quite fit so I took a round file and opened it up a bit. Ya scallywag! Begad! I was then able t' slip t' head o' t' nibbler in and took a single bite out o' t' hole t' let t' bolt sit more upright. T' box was then put back into place and this time it went down flush and t' wingnut took held it flat.

Another thin' I wanted t' change be t' screws that held t' hinged cover closed. Begad! Blimey! These were simple screws that I KNEW would pop out and be lost in t' field since I wanted t' be able t' use t' box for storage. As such, matey, I ordered some knurled headed screws from Grainger t' replace them. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I also ordered some split rings t' keep t' screws from pullin' all t' way out o' t' lid. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! When they came in, all three screws on t' cover were replaced.

I had decided that t' rack would have 6 launch pads spaced 8" apart. This was tighter than I liked but I didn't want t' box t' be longer than 48" longs for transport. Ahoy! Begad! I drew a line down t' center o' t' cover and marked 6 places evenly spaced betwixt t' 2 ends. Ahoy! I then drilled 5/16" holes at each station.

T' basic support o' each o' t' heads be t' consist o' a 2" long, 5/16" bolt. Ya scallywag! I added a washer to distribute t' force and a lock washer t' keep t' bolt from spinnin' as t' exposed side is manipulated. T' hold the bolt fast from t' top side, me bucko, another washer and and nut were placed and t' assembly tightened down. Blimey! A pair o' nuts was then put onto t' upper side and turned down approximately halfway. Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' purpose o' t' twin nuts is t' be able t' lock them against each other and set t' height. Begad! Next came a pair o' SAE washers and a wingnut. T' washers are t' sandwich t' actual launch head. This process be repeated for all six stations.

As t' actual base and box were bein' built, I kept workin' on t' design o' t' launch head, matey, shiver me timbers, matey, makin' some changes based upon t' original prototype. On t' next set o' prototypes, I used plywood, shiver me timbers, matey, a much more durable product than balsa but t' trade off is that it does nay whittle as easily t' make adjustments. I printed up new templates for 10 heads rough cut them with a jigsaw, matey, sandin' them down t' t' outer profile. T' notch for t' igniters be rough cut with t' same jigsaw; thar was little uniformity except that I (mostly) stayed within t' lines. Begad! Arrr! Finishin' down t' the lines was done with a combination o' X-acto, file and sandin' stick and eventually, they were all pretty standard.

An issue that had nay been addressed in t' previous prototype was t' securin' o' t' MMX launch rod. Avast! Blimey! I wanted somethin' more secure than just a hole drilled into t' plywood. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I wanted t' head t' retain t' rod. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! I came up with an idea and ran it past several people with much more mechanical experience than me. Blimey! Blimey! T' answer I kept gettin' was that "it might work; try it and see." That turned out t' be some work and an excuse t' acquire some new tools.

I bought a 3 foot length o' 1/8" brass tubin' t' receive t' rods. Arrr! A cut off wheel on a Dremmel tool was used t' cut 10 pieces, each an inch and a quarter long. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! There be some sloppiness here and some turned out longer and some shorter but, ya bilge rat, in general, me hearties, their length was t' same as t' depth o' t' launch head.

A guy at Quality Fasteners, a local screw and bolt place, arrr, gave me t' idea for securin' t' brass tube in place. Up until now, me mind had gone off in a completely different and much more complex direction. Ahoy! For each piece o' brass, I obtained 2 nylon harnesses that seem t' be designed t' retain wire. Each was sized t' hold an 1/8" rod and be held in place with a #8 bolt or screw. Avast! I place them by eye and used a pen t' mark t' holes for drilling. Arrr! T' keepers were then bolted into place with nylon lockin' nuts holdin' them fast on t' opposite side. Blimey! I found that by not tightenin' them down all t' way at first, me hearties, me bucko, I could slip in t' brass tube and eyeball it into place. Begad! When tightened, t' keepers work together t' keep it straight.

T' next part was t' tricky and t' iffy part. Ahoy! I wanted a set screw that could be turned by hand that would keep t' MMX rod in place. T' smallest suitable screw I could find be a #2-56 which had a little head on it that I could thumb tighten. What I did nay know is if I could drill t' holes through t' brass and have enough material to hold a thread. Aye aye! Added t' that, me hearties, I had never used a tap or die in me life.

I set up t' proper drill in me Dremmel press and realized that I could much more easily keep t' brass tubing straight by leavin' it mounted t' t' launch head. Ahoy! Strangely enough, I managed t' drill each o' those little hole without havin' t' cut any more tubing. Begad! Aye aye! Then came t' moment o' truth. Well, blow me down! I took out t' tap and started t' thread it into t' hole. Begad! Avast! It seemed t' bite and t' threads seemed t' take. Avast, me proud beauty! I removed t' tap and tried t' screw. Well, blow me down! It threaded fine. Best o' all, shiver me timbers, matey, it securely held t' MMX rod in place!

To mount t' launch heads onto t' racks, ya bilge rat, I decided t' make a mount o' o' 1/8" x 3/4" aluminum angle (L1/8x3/4x3/4). Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I purchased a 36" length from Lowes and marked sections 2.5" long. Aye aye! T' first o' t' 10 mountin' brackets be cut out with a hacksaw. Well, blow me down! Arrr! That got old very smartly and a Dremmel cutoff wheel was used t' slice t' rest.

Considerable time be spent with t' 10 "2nd prototypes" movin' t' hardware around and tryin' t' come up with what I thought o' as t' best arrangement. Finally, shiver me timbers, I got things settled in me mind and took measurements to transfer t' a CAD file for t' final template. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I generated one set o' templates for t' launch head and another for the mountin' brackets. Avast, me proud beauty!

T' final launch head template was printed out and applied t' t' 1/4" plywood with a glue stick. As before, a jigsaw be used t' cut out t' rough blocks. Aye aye! Also as before, arrr, a sander was used t' reduce t' rough blocks to t' final external outlines. T' igniter notches were rough cut with t' jigsaw and finished with files and sanding sticks.

Similarly, templates for all t' mountin' brackets were printed, cut out and taped into place on t' aluminum brackets. All o' t' 5/32" holes t' mount t' brackets t' t' heads were then drilled. Avast, me proud beauty! When that be done, me hearties, I randomly tried a few o' t' brackets with a few o' t' heads t' make sure things were linin' up as I thought they should. It be then time t' drill t' holes for t' 5/16 mountin' bolts. Begad! Since these were quite a bit larger in diameter, matey, I drilled a small pilot hole first. T' full diameter holes were then drilled. Arrr! Begad! With that done, me hearties, t' mounting brackets were complete and t' templates and tape were stripped away.

T' heads had all o' their 5/32" (#8) holes drilled followed by t' 7/64 (#4).

I had always intended t' paint this system and decided that t' first coat would go on before t' next step in assembly. Ya scallywag! T' templates were stripped off and balsa filler coat was applied t' all o' t' plywood heads t' fill some of t' grain. Aye aye! All o' t' brackets were then primed with white Dupli Color primer. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Blimey! T' launch heads were likewise primed. Everythin' then got sprayed with a coat o' red.

When t' paint dried, shiver me timbers, things began t' move more quickly, arrr, especially since most o' what was left just involved assembly line acts that had been done before. Avast! Aye aye! T' clips t' hold t' rod receivers were loosely bolted into place. Avast! The receivers that had been fabricated for t' second prototype were retained and fit into t' clips. Begad! Begad! Once they seemed straight, t' bolts were tightened down. Blimey! Begad! T' mountin' brackets were then bolted into place and all that be left was to take care o' t' electrodes, t' launch rods and put it all together.

T' key t' me whole system was t' electrode system t' handle igniters for MMX. Ya scallywag! OF course, me bucko, this is where I ran into most o' me problems. Arrr! Begad! My first prototype had worked for ignition and holdin' t' igniters in place but be nay very durable, matey, was unwieldy an and a royal PIA t' mass produce. Avast! Aye aye! I had intended for t' electrodes t' be connected directly to t' launch system in place o' t' normal lead wires. One o' t' revelations that came t' me is that this would violate me intention o' interchangeability betwixt racks; in a pinch, arrr, me bucko, I would nay be able t' use t' MMX leads for another pad or vice versa. Blimey! Begad! Then I realized thar be no reason t' get rid o' t' electrodes. Arrr! Begad! I would just have t' clips connect them. Aye aye! That way t' clips would still be present for other sorts o' launches if needed.

I rethought t' electrodes and was frustrated by tryin' t' electrically isolate t' pair. Aye aye! Aye aye! I had visions o' a sheathed, insulated bolt t' hold them in place but smartly found that thar was nothin' existin' that I could find to use. Well, blow me down! I did nay want t' rely on wood screws that might pull out and t' project languished while I tried t' figure what t' do. Begad! Eventually, matey, ya bilge rat, I realized that t' electrode could be bolted on just one side and still stay in place. I just added a bit more material t' one side for t' holes. Arrr! Since t' electrodes would go on opposite sides o' t' head, they would clear each other. I drew up a template and printed it out.

Another change I made on t' modified electrode was t' choose a thinner gauge o' brass. Ahoy! Instead o' usin' strips, this time I bought a sheet o' 0.01" thick stock. Aye aye! I taped t' template t' t' brass sheet. Ya scallywag! I tried several different methods o' cuttin' t' brass along t' lines, mostly involvin' a Dremmel cutoff wheel with poor accuracy results. Begad! Ahoy! I then found t' me surprise that kitchen shears worked better than anythin' else as long as SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED did nay catch me usin' them.

T' brass blank with template affixed be then set on a piece o' scrap (an old head prototype) and a Dremmel drill press was used t' pierce t' three holes in t' electrode. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I should mention here that two o' t' hole were for mountin' and t' bottom hole is t' give t' igniter clips a better grip for connecting.

With t' piece drilled, arrr, ya bilge rat, some needle nose pliers were used t' bend some contacts for t' top surface o' the electrodes. Aye aye! Blimey! I learned that t' brass be too soft t' want t' bend nicely along t' marked lines. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' electrode was then mounted onto t' head with some #4 brass screws and nuts. Begad! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Several things became immediately apparent. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! My drillin' of t' holes with a hand drill had been sloppy and t' mountin' holes were nay in line; t' flexin' o' t' drill bit I had noticed in t' press was enough t' throw things off; and it looked like I be goin' t' have t' start again.

After apologizin' t' t' cat for me strin' o' expressions learned in t' USN, matey, shiver me timbers, I tried another blank and got about t' same results. Aye aye! This time I noticed that t' bit had slipped and flexed even more than before. Ya scallywag! With me club launch fast approachin' and t' promised debut o' this thing, shiver me timbers, I had t' make some concessions.

I gave up t' idea o' t' bent contacts for t' original MMX style igniter (at least temporarily) and cut the electrode blanks t' be a bit narrower. Aye aye! I still had some slippage problem with t' press but it be less severe when I used some pliers t' try t' take all o' t' bends out o' t' blank. Avast, me proud beauty! After a bit, a pair o' serviceable electrodes were cut and affixed t' t' head. Avast, me proud beauty! A little messin' around showed that I had somethin' that, while nay yet perfect, was serviceable and seemed likely t' be better than what I had before.

In t' meantime, t' base and box were undergoin' their final steps. Blimey! I masked off t' head supports and the fastenin' screws with maskin' tape in preparation for t' final painting. Ya scallywag! T' box was then sprayed with 2 coats o' yellow Krylon. Blimey! This be a paint that I got in an auto shop and is supposed t' be very hard. It also dried very fast. Begad! Begad! T' next day I gave t' box another 2 coats o' yellow t' improve t' quality o' t' coverage; that gray primer was hard t' cover. Arrr! I probably would have given it another coat but I ran out o' paint. Well, blow me down! T' base and support seemed t' be done at this point.

I be in t' home stretch now. I cut out a big stack o' electrode blanks and drilled them out. Arrr! Blimey! They were then mounted t' t' heads and I had some spares left over just in case. Well, blow me down! Blimey! With that, me hearties, me hearties, I had 9 heads ready t' go. Arrr! Blimey! I had planned for 10 but one o' them disappeared someplace along t' way. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! All that was left was t' launch rods and t' fit things together.

T' rods were fabricated from 0.047 music wire. Avast! I cut t' 36" pieces in half t' give 18" segments. The rods were bent at a right angle 1.5" from t' bottom givin' that much length t' fit into t' receiver. 1.25" farther along, matey, t' rods were bent back t' vertical. Blimey! Aye aye! This gave a straight shot over t' igniter slot. Things seemed to line up right and I was feelin' pretty pleased with myself. Well, blow me down! T' rest o' t' rods were then bent into shape.

Lucky for me, shiver me timbers, me hearties, I had an MMX Vulcan sittin' handy and was able t' put it on and see how things lined up. It did fine!

I was lookin' forward t' tryin' out t' new rack at me next club launch but rain made our field unusable. Ahoy! Avast! I used t' sunny day t' try fittin' t' heads t' t' rack and see how it went.

T' first step o' t' mountin' be t' remove t' winguts from t' head mountin' posts. Aye aye! T' heads were then slid onto t' bolts and secured with t' washers and wingnuts. Begad! Ahoy! T' get t' full effect, arrr, I mounted t' launch rods. Well, blow me down! Each seemed t' have t' proper reach.

T' system was designed so that it could be opened in t' field if needed t' retrieve extra parts. Well, blow me down! That means it also stores t' rods and heads when I started t' break it down. Arrr! Well, blow me down! It be ready for t' field test.

Finishing:
T' finishin' o' this rack has mostly been covered in t' build but here is a recap.

T' sawhorse base was left its original yellow. Ahoy! Ahoy! Blimey! Everythin' else be primed. Begad! Blimey! T' box was then sprayed yellow and t' launch heads were painted a dark red.

In time I expect this system t' acquire some labels, shiver me timbers, additional capabilities and wanted t' leave me options open at this point.

Flight:
I advertised t' availability o' a new MMX rack t' me club and solicited everyone t' bring out their MMX rockets t' give it a try. Pretty much as expected though, I was t' only one o' t' Alamo Rocketeers who had any MMX rockets and I only had two with me. Begad! One had never flown before and it was destined t' have its maiden flight coincide with t' maiden launch o' t' new system. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! That would be me MMX Centuri Vulcan.

For an igniter I used t' Quest variety without t' pyrogen. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I straddled t' leads over t' electrodes and clamped t' igniter in place with a clothespin normally used as a rod standoff. Blimey! I tried t' make sure t' igniter itself be at t' right height for t' t' rocket t' set upon.

As I tried t' set t' rocket in place, me hearties, I noticed that t' wooden clothespin holdin' t' igniter in place tended t' slip a lot. Avast, me proud beauty! Then I realized that I could probably do without t' clothes pin and use t' alligator clips t' hold the igniter in place and make contact with t' electrode. Arrr! T' rocket and t' rack then spent some time service as a static display before it be actually used. Aye aye! When t' time came, ya bilge rat, though, t' motor ignited instantly and t' rack performed as wished. T' flight be unstable but I could nay blame that on t' rack.

T' next victim t' be launched on t' new rack was a Fliskits Dead Ringer. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Usin' t' clips as before t' secure t' igniter, arrr, it be set in place with little or no fuss. Begad! When t' launch button be pushed, me hearties, this rocket too took t' the air instantly and had a good flight except for t' loss o' t' nose cone. Unfortunately, matey, matey, that loss precluded any more test flights for t' new rack that day.

Summary:
This rack accomplished most o' what I set out t' do but I already see room for improvements and modifications. Ya scallywag! I hope t' set it up for a few flights at an upocommin' Freedom launch and then will consider some of those modifications.

This is nay a light system but that mattered less t' me that its durability and ease o' use. Aye aye! Begad! So far, arrr, I am happy in those respects.

Amazin' Transformation:

Other:
Persons interested in keepin' up with this project as it evolves can follow it here.