Mr. Bliss's Art Room

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Materials Needed to Build an Art Rocket Launcher 1x25/32x1 Rubber Stopper 5/16x5/16 brass barb splicer Snap-in Tubeless Tire Valve (small 0.453 inch hole, 2 inch long) 2 small hose clamps 1/4 to 5/8 10 feet of ¼ inch inside diameter flexible plastic or vinyl tubing 1x3/8 inch flat steel with holes punched 2 long carriage bolts with nuts and washers 2 short carriage bolts with nuts and two washers each bicycle pump and a square piece of plywood Get ready to make your launcher 1) Begin with the tire valve, you must cut off the large rubber end and whittle the rubber down till about ½ inch of the brass tube is showing. Now taper the rubber up from the brass tube to the original surface. This taper is to help seal the tubing to the valve so a gradual taper is better but any will do. I used a Dremel Tool with a sanding drum and this worked well but a sharp knife and some patients will also do the trick. Remove the valve from inside the tire valve and then insert the tapered end into the tubing. Use the hose clamp to secure the valve to the tube. 2) Next use a 5/16th inch drill bit to drill a hole into the rubber stopper. Set this aside to use later 3) The next step requires the use of a vise or vise grips to bend the 1x3/8th inch flat steel bar into the launch pad support according to the shape illustrated. Count the number of holes to determine the placement of the bends. All bends should be a 90° angle. While cutting the steel also cut a piece that is 3 complete holes long. This will be the clamp to hold the barb splicer in place. Now is time to assemble all the parts. 1.      Place the brass barb splicer into the top center of the launch pad support. Then drop the clamp piece over the splicer and bolt in place with the two short carriage bolts. 2.      Press the rubber stopper onto the top of the splicer. Push it down all the way to the launch pad support. 3.      From the underside slide the tubing onto the other end of the splicer and secure with a hose clamp. 4.      Bolt the entire assembly to a square of plywood using the long carriage bolts. The bolts should extend two to three inches beyond the bottom of the plywood; they also double as steaks to hold the launch pad to the ground. 5.      Attach a bicycle pump to the other end of the tubing and you are ready to launch.

Bryant Writes Our Writers Read Their Stories ______________ Podcast Supplies needed in the Art Room 1) Wet wipes for cleaning hands 2) Kleenex for cleaning noses 3) BIG sponges for cleaning tables Help for parents This web site will help parent child dialogue when viewing art works. For more in-depth reading please click on the Visual Understanding in Education link to the left on this page. Basic VTS at a Glance

Last Modified: Jan 31, 2007