Source for centering rings for Estes PSII tubing

Has anyone come across a source for centering rings for the 2" and 2.5" tubes used in the Estes PSII kits? Estes will sell you the tubes themselves, as well as the motor mount tube individually, but doesn't offer the rings to join them. I know I could get rings for BT-70 & -80 tubes, respectively, and sand or turn them down to fit, but I'd prefer to find something is a direct fit if possible.

I'm searching for the same thing. The PSII nose cones offer tempting upscale and scratch build ideas. I keep hoping BMS will start producing them. Wouldn't be a bad idea for erockets to do the same. Maybe Apogee? But when Estes doesn't even offer them, makes you wonder.

Well, yeah, what's the point of offering the parts if they don't offer enough to actually build a complete assembly? I guess there's enough that you could modify the PSII kits, and build a new design, but then why bother offering the motor mount tube? And you can buy the nylon 'chute and the motor retainer, even the shock chord. Really, the only things missing are the centering rings. So I wonder what the strategy is, if there is a strategy...

BalsaMachining.com

Their site's been down for a day or so, so I can't check. I know that they offer stuff for the 3" tube and for AT 1.9" tube, but I don't recall anything for the 2" or 2.5" PSII tubes. Can you say if they have it, or are planning to have it?

Hmmm, domain name failure. That's not a good sign.

I thought they had rings and bulkheads for all the Estes BT-##, but I could be mistaken.

May be a moot point, now.

They do have rings for all of the standard BT-XX sizes, but these tubes aren't part of that standard.

They also used to make custom parts, but like said, moot point if they've closed up shop. Someone with their phone number should call.

I don't think that's happened - as was pointed out in another thread, they're actively supporting another launch at the moment, I suspect that there's some web maintenance or updating that's going to take place and they'll be back up. But it is kind of odd that just this week, Excelsior's site disappeared, BMS went down and MoreRockets.com also disappeared yesterday due to lapsed domain name (now corrected). It's enough to make us a bit edgy...

Quest sells centering rings which will fit a 29mm motor mount tube in the two inch diameter Estes body tube.

I believe the part number is '4929'.

No sanding or modifications required.

I can CNC any rings as long as you provide specs. Limited to plywood on hand, 1/8" and 1/4" premium aircraft ply.

Nat Kinsey, Upscale CNC can probably make anything you want. You can PM him here on TRF as "Wingarcher".

Bat-mite said:

They also used to make custom parts, but like said, moot point if they've closed up shop. Someone with their phone number should call.

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Bill Saindon (BMS) is at NARAM right now..... but last I checked he had NOT restarted his semi-custom centering ring operation after moving to Nevada, unfortunately.


Excelsior's domain expired and someone in Australia swooped in and wants more money for it. Much more about this over on YORF. Gordy will be back but depending on how it shakes out the domain name may change a little.

So.... I did a little chatting with Estes. They say it may take a little time, but they will be adding the PSII centering rings and possibly the fins to the website.

I cant wait. I have big plans for that 2" nose cone. Can you say custom build? Sure. I knew you could.

Draw concentric circles in a CAD program. Print it and attach it to the medium with spray adhesive.

jeff_j_black said:

Draw concentric circles in a CAD program. Print it and attach it to the medium with spray adhesive.

Click to expand...

Do wha huh?

jeff_j_black said:

Draw concentric circles in a CAD program. Print it and attach it to the medium with spray adhesive.

Click to expand...

Yes, this. oint:

Kruegon said:

Do wha huh?

Click to expand...

Print out a drawing of concentric circles of the needed diameter.

Affix this to your chosen centering ring material.

Cut out the circles by hand with a knife or a circle cutting tool on a drill press if available.

Repeat until you have the number needed.

Sand to fit as needed.

A web search on "model rocket centering ring template generator" found these tools:

https://www.payloadbay.com/index.php?page=Tools&action=RINGS
https://rocketry.newcenturycomputers.net/cluster.html

Searching this forum may find others. Doesn't Rocsim have a circle drawing tool ?



-OR-

Pay someone else to do it.

Wait for Estes.

samb said:

Yes, this. oint:



Print out a drawing of concentric circles of the needed diameter.

Affix this to your chosen centering ring material.

Cut out the circles by hand with a knife or a circle cutting tool on a drill press if available.

Repeat until you have the number needed.

Sand to fit as needed.

A web search on "model rocket centering ring template generator" found these tools:

https://www.payloadbay.com/index.php?page=Tools&action=RINGS
https://rocketry.newcenturycomputers.net/cluster.html

Searching this forum may find others. Doesn't Rocsim have a circle drawing tool ?



-OR-

Pay someone else to do it.

Wait for Estes.

Click to expand...

I'm waiting for Estes. Or BMS. Or anyone who wants to produce them for stock sales. I'm not paying for custom CNC work and I'm not trying it myself. I'm already having to get custom bulkheads made for my a/v bays.

Kruegon said:

I'm waiting for Estes. Or BMS. Or anyone who wants to produce them for stock sales. I'm not paying for custom CNC work and I'm not trying it myself. I'm already having to get custom bulkheads made for my a/v bays.

Click to expand...

Certainly, whatever floats your boat. I misread your "I can't wait" statement in post #14. It wasn't "I've got to have these things right now!" but more like "Estes has responded and I wait with breathless anticipation for these things to be made available from them".

I made some 1/4" plywood CR's for my PSII Ascender (2") and they fit like a glove. So I think I have the original rings around somewhere.

You can PM me.

Greg

When you design a rocket using OpenRocket you can save the file as a PDF. The PDF has all the parts listed, sim results, and templates for fins, centering rings, bulkheads and what not. It even does cluster rings. The rings for clusters will only have one center hole in the 3d model but will have them all in the PDF, this is a good way to make baffles.

I think my hole cutter is still set up for the estes 29 mmt, I would just have to adjust for the body tube. What size you want it for and how many? If you not in a hurry to get em - this is my first day off in over a week so I have some chores to catch up on but I have a long weekend coming up, I can cut you some. I have the 4 'basic' PS II kits so I can check for fit. PM me if you interested.

Mike

+1 OR templates I use them all the time.

That seems to be an area that OP has an edge over Rocksim, in Rocksim it doesn't print the ID of the ring, it just prints a solid circle. It also doesn't seem to model the ID of the centering rings either - they're shown as solid in the 3D view (which is also lacking) and changing the ID of the ring in the component editor does not impact its calculated mass. It actually looks like Rocksim disregards a centering ring's inner diameter entirely...

LOC Precision will make virtually any size centering ring you want.
They will be plywood and they may cost more than an off the shelf ring but not prohibitively so.
I think Public Missile will also and they can even make them in fiberglass.

After some back and forth emails with Bill @ BMS, he just sent me this:

[FONT=&amp]I just went to their site and ordered 1 of each tube type. Interestingly I did not see a coupler for their 2.0" tube. I even orderd a 3" tube to verify that it is a "big daddy" size tube which is what I suspect.

When I receive them I will create rings for them as standard parts including some cluster arrangements.[/FONT]

Click to expand...

This was after he asked where I saw the PSII parts available, because his vendor didn't list them. I pointed him to Estes PSII parts page on their site. Incidentally, he did find the 2" coupler after the fact. So, perhaps the wait will be shorter than we thought on these parts...

You beat me to it. I was on the phone with Bill yesterday and he told me the same. We will have centering rings and bulkheads in the near future.

Hopefully, it'll be the fairly near future and not the distant near... I've got the parts I need to build up something out of the Argent leftovers, provided I can install a motor mount. Incidentally, I did buy some centering rings from eRockets that are from Totally Tubular that put a BT50 into a 2" tube. But I haven't yet seen how they compare to the PSII 2" tube.

If you need centering rings that will hold a 29mm (motor) tube in the Estes PSII 2" body tube, Quest already sells rings which will work. I have been using these rings on several PSII models.

(See post # 10).

https://www.erockets.biz/semroc-centering-rings-universal-cr-50-101u-f-1pk/

BT52H is Aerotech 29mm size

Initiator001 said:

If you need centering rings that will hold a 29mm (motor) tube in the Estes PSII 2" body tube, Quest already sells rings which will work. I have been using these rings on several PSII models.

(See post # 10).

Click to expand...

I saw that, which is a good alternative. But since it appears that 1/8" ply rings will become available, I think I'd prefer to use those if possible, given the choice...