how tight is to tight on a 50 shoot rack

[ken150]

after completing my first 50 shoot rack i decided to go back and put a plywood outer covering on it to make sure there would be no failure on the inside structure. this is in case something did go wrong the outter covering would hold together the rack. when putting the mortar tubes in they were real tight. after putting them in the ends would pull up easley but the middle was tight. the bottoms were where the tightness was comming from. i could move the tops back and forth some but the middles were not comming out by hand. i dont want the tubes to melt and mess up the round shape. does this seem to tight. during a show i will not be shooting multipal shoots out of the same rack. once the rack is used it will be put up for a while intill used again.

[heavy d]

if u posted a pic of the rack it would help people see what you are talking about. i built a 50 shoot and did not cover it and its strong.

[ken150]

i wish i could but this computer is very old and even has trouble getting on the web sometimes. plus i dont know how to do that stuff yet. i do have one of my coworkers comming over to help out this wed. to do some things in the pyro barn. i have asked about putting some pictures on the boards here and he said he could help. maybe this is the chance for me to learn and at the sametime put the picture on the board here of my rack. the reason for the outter covering is i have read that when firing a rack that it produces a shock wave that moves acrose the rack and that it can shack it apart that is why i did the outer covering. i even had one person look at it and he said IT SHOULD HOLD TOGETHER those are not words of incourgement. ( and this person knows racks.) it is made of expensive wood, 3 inch wood screws pre drilled, and weighs about 70 lbs but weight is not a problem. maybe by thur.of this week i will have a picture up on the board here.

[carp]

I would loosen things up a bit. I had a couple racks that the bottom side board were real tight against the mortars. They warped and since I use fiberglass, some of the mortars blistered where they met the side board.

[Mr. A]

put a plywood outer covering on it to make sure there would be no failure on the inside structure. this is in case something did go wrong the outter covering would hold together the rack.
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the reason for the outter covering is i have read that when firing a rack that it produces a shock wave that moves acrose the rack and that it can shack it apart

Obviously without photos it's difficult to assess your rack, but if your rack is of a quality/proven disign, drilled pilot holes for all screws, used quality wood glue, and made sure all connections were flush, you shoulnd't have to worry much about your rack rattling apart. However, if possible, loosen things up a bit... the tighter your rack is the less the rattling/shock will dissipate.

[ken150]

im a little bit up set here but these things happen. the truck did not get in intill the we hours of the morning and tony who was comming over to the house to help out and take some pictures of the rack had to stay and run the truck last night. so last time i checked his wife said that it was lights out for him still. maybe one day i will move up to the 21st. century and up date this computer, but wait that means that i might have to take away some money that is directed to the whitfield pyro firework fund, i think not. everyone knows that isnt going to happen. :lol: