Published

Invisible Wall Mount for LEGO Apollo Saturn V

This is custom-designed 3D-printed wall mount for the LEGO Apollo Saturn V rocket. It is freely available for download and printing from its MakerWorld page.

Saturn V mounted on a wall

Components

3D printed componentsComponents in Onshape

The first two stages of the rocket (S-IC and S-II) each require two parts to mount - a larger and stronger support at the bottom, and a clip holder at the top. The bottom supports are carefully designed to be strong and stable, yet well-hidden between the five engines of each stage. The top clips are smaller and thinner, and serve mainly to prevent the rocket stages from tipping over if they are not mounted perfectly vertically. That said, the top clip of the first stage is strong enough to hold it by itself - I just would not recomment relying on that for a long period of time.

The package also includes octagonal covers for the first two stages. This is completely optional, but can be to avoid exposing the colorful internal attachment mechanisms between stages, giving a more realistic look to the top of the first stage, and to prevent dust from accumulating inside your rocket. The covers are not attached to anything and are held only by gravity.

The remaining componets - the third stage (S-IVB), the command and service module, and the moon landing scene - are each held by a single support at the side. The each rely on a different attachment method, suitable for the weight of the component.

  • The third stage is held by a single custom 3x1 plate that replaces a LEGO plate of the same size from the original rocket. This is the only part of the rocket that has to be removed or otherwise modified.
  • The command and service module (CSM) holder features a single LEGO stud. One of the four RCS thrusters on the CSM can be attached to that stud, which allows the CSM to be rotated to any orientation.
  • The moon landing scene holder has a triangular profile with studs on top, similar to LEGO inverted slopes. The octagonal gray plate from the original set can be attached to those studs.

All inserts are compatible with the Universal Wall Mount elements from MakerWorld. The full assembly requires two Medium-Duty bodies and five Light-Duty bodies. Only the "body" part of each mount is requires, the "slide" parts are included in the Saturn V wall mount.

Printing Instructions

We recommend printing all parts in gray, this way they blend in with the gray engine assemblies, the CSM and the moon landing plate. The PLA Original Gray from AzureFilm matches the LEGO brick colors very well. Alternatively, you may wish to print some of the parts in white, to match the color of your wall.

If you do not own a 3D printer, contact us - we can print them for you, but you will have to pay for shipping and handling. Still, we recommend buying a printer anyway.

Assembly

First stage (S-IC)

First stage, bottom viewFirst stage, side viewFirst stage, top view First stage, parts

The wrench-like jaws of the Stage 1 - Bottom support go around the center F1 engine, while the rest sits between any two of the four outer engines. You may need to temporarily remove the black movable parts of those two engines, and possibly of the center engine as well, but do not remove the whole center engine. The stage is not perfectly symmetrical because of the two raceways along the sides - choose the side you wish to be in the front, then place the support on the opposite site. Don't worry, if you change your mind, this can easily be rotated later.

The round rod-like part of Stage 1 - Top attaches to on of the four sets of jaws that would hold the second stage in an assembled rocket. The hold should be strong enough to be able to hold the entire stage, but still not cause damage to the bricks. Afterwards, you can place the Stage 1 - Cover on top to prevent dust from accumulating and to make it visually nicer.

Attach two Universal Wall Mount bodies to the wall - a medium-duty one for the bottom support, and a light-duty one for the top. The recommended method is using wall screws, but double-sided mounting tape works well enough as well. Then slide the rocket stage with attached supports into the wall mountings.

Second stage (S-II)

The second staged proved the trickiest in our experience, especially if you mount it at an oblique angle and not vertically.

Second stage, bottom viewSecond stage, top view

Remove the center J-2 engine, along with the white rod that holds it in place. Do the same for at least two outer engine, though it can be easier to just remove all five engines. Then attach the Stage 1 - Bottom support to the plate that held the center engine, then reattach all the engines. If the center engine cannot slide all the way to its original position, you may need to enlarge the hole in the bottom support. You can use a sharp hobby knife and/or a deburring tool for this purpose.

The top holder does not securely attach to the rocket stage. Instead, it is merely inserted into Technic hole at the top. This serves to prevent the rocket stage from falling over if it is mounted at an angle, but cannot hold it securely if the bottom support fails.

Third stage (S-IV)

The third stage is much lighter than the first two, so it can be held in place with only a single mount. However, attaching that mount is more complicated, as you need to remove some parts, and replace one of the original parts with a printed one.

Detach one of the four channels at the side of the rocket, and partially disassemble it.

Third stage, step 1Third stage, step 2Third stage, step 2

Replace one of the white 3x1 plates with the Stage 3 support, then reassemble and reattach the channel.

Third stage, step 4Third stage, step 5Third stage, step 6

You may choose to display this stage with the fairings and the launch escape system (LES), with only the fairings, or without fairings. Depending on your choice, the center of gravity may change, so adjust the placement of the 3x1 plate to be as close to the center of gravity as possible. If you include both the fairings and the LES, it is best to replace the white 3x1 plate right next to the two gray 2x1 with internal attachment joints.

Apollo command and service module (CSM)

The command and service module is the easiest - the CSM support attaches directly to one of the four RCS thrusters on the side of the module. You can easily rotate the CSM within the plane of the wall.

The moon landing scene (LEM)

The moon landing scene includes an octagonal gray plate, the lander (LEM), two astronauts, and a flag. The gray plate can be attached directly to top of the Moon support.

Command and Service ModuleMoon landing scene

Source CAD files

The source files are freely available on Onshape. You may use them to make your own modifications to the design.