Rocket Box Build (for Storage)

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By John Partridge

I am still developing my fleet of rockets and really don’t have a huge number (although it seems to be growing) but I have already become concerned about how to store my rockets and how to transport them without them getting damaged. I set out to build a "rocket box" specifically for transporting rockets to and from launches and I suppose I will have to worry about how to store my growing fleet at home as a separate project. The cost for this project is low, because I am cheap the entire thing was essentially free because I used stuff that was left over or recycled from other things.

I started with a tall box that I had saved from a recent shipment of rocket stuff.

Next to protect the nose of any rocket that might touch bottom I lined the bottom of the box with several inches of bubble wrap. I think soft foam would work as well or even better.

I wanted to weave a grid of yarn into the upper portion of the box so that the rockets could either lie on it or hang from their fins (don’t get excited you’ll see what I mean in a minute) so I needed to make a series of holes around the box. I considered several ways to make holes but I suddenly realized that my cordless drill would make nice holes and would be much quicker than any of my other ideas. I also had considered using string for the weave but decided yarn would be much softer, more elastic and less likely to cause damage to the rockets or to scratch the paint.

I started weaving the yarn through the box but before was finished I filled it up to the level of the holes with packing peanuts and shredded newspaper.

Then I finished weaving.

The whole project took about an hour and cost me nothing. Even the yarn was left over from one of my wife’s projects and she happily donated it to the cause (she’s a keeper).

This works well for small rockets but probably won’t for some bigger ones. Even the Estes Amazon in the picture is a bit too tall, so I may eventually open the bottom of the box and make it taller. I also found that the shredded newspaper doesn’t work as well as I’d hoped and is more difficult to slide the rockets through than I had suspected. I will eventually replace the newspaper with packing peanuts as more arrive in our home. Overall I have been pleased with this design and will be using it for some time to come.

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