Is it normal to buy three times as many kits as you have time to build?

wcravens · Oct 1, 2015

Like many, I got back into rocketry through an effort to enrich my children. Now I'm a full blow BAR. Oh boy, what fun. But I think that there must be some professional help that I need. Does sneaking kits and parts into the house and having both 'public' and 'private' stashes mean I have some kind of a problem?

It just feels so good to know 'I'll get around to it sometime'. Maybe there is a name for this that I can Google to get some help?

Wes

jbuscaglia · Oct 1, 2015

wcravens said:
Like many, I got back into rocketry through an effort to enrich my children. Now I'm a full blow BAR. Oh boy, what fun. But I think that there must be some professional help that I need. Does sneaking kits and parts into the house and having both 'public' and 'private' stashes mean I have some kind of a problem?

It just feels so good to know 'I'll get around to it sometime'. Maybe there is a name for this that I can Google to get some help?

Wes

No, buying three times as many as you can build is not normal. That's way too low. Five or six times as many is closer to normal.

les · Oct 1, 2015

Only 3 times? Nope - no issue there
Wait until it gets to 30 times.....

hornet driver · Oct 1, 2015

What's a Kit?? What's a private stash? I like to think of it as a parts yard waiting to be raped and pillaged by someone with world domination plans--me--H

SwingWing · Oct 1, 2015

no, but you'll learn to ramp it up a bit...

iqsy59 · Oct 1, 2015

You'll fit right in here, Wes! If I don't significantly increase my build rate (...to about 1 per week...), I don't think I'll live long enough to build all of my kits.

Cheers,
Michael

tab28682 · Oct 1, 2015

Three times is a little light. 5-10-20 times is not uncommon in this hobby and is also common in flying model aircraft and in plastic models.

K'Tesh · Oct 2, 2015

tab28682 said:
Three times is a little light. 5-10-20 times is not uncommon in this hobby and is also common in flying model aircraft and in plastic models.

I'd say this is pretty accurate (though a tad low...) 30-35 times isn't unheard of.

cbrarick · Oct 2, 2015

So, no problem there, just keep walking...

And don't ask to see my private stash! If the wife found out....

JStarStar · Oct 2, 2015

I just want to be ready if I have 5 years off and I want to build a kit a week, I won't be caught short.

:eyeroll::eyeroll:

KenECoyote · Oct 2, 2015

Hoard today, Gone tomorrow.

wcravens · Oct 2, 2015

Phew... that's a relief!!! Now what about the continuous perspective shift. I'm sure some of these rockets used to be a lot bigger.

tim cubbedge · Oct 2, 2015

wcravens said:
Like many, I got back into rocketry through an effort to enrich my children. Now I'm a full blow BAR. Oh boy, what fun. But I think that there must be some professional help that I need. Does sneaking kits and parts into the house and having both 'public' and 'private' stashes mean I have some kind of a problem?

It just feels so good to know 'I'll get around to it sometime'. Maybe there is a name for this that I can Google to get some help?

Wes

You're asking the wrong group of people.

fyrwrxz · Oct 2, 2015

I'm saving up for a herd of minions to finish off my build pile. I promised my wife I would get those done by the time I turn 105......

KenECoyote · Oct 2, 2015

wcravens said:
Phew... that's a relief!!! Now what about the continuous perspective shift. I'm sure some of these rockets used to be a lot bigger.

The bigger ones are often the ones you can't afford, so it is relative. :wink:

blackbrandt · Oct 2, 2015

fyrwrxz said:
I'm saving up for a herd of minions to finish off my build pile. I promised my wife I would get those done by the time I turn 105......

Papa seagull... I'll do work for room, food, and motor costs.

fyrwrxz · Oct 2, 2015

blackbrandt said:
Papa seagull... I'll do work for room, food, and motor costs.

Matt- see your other post-I'm moving in with YOU! You have COOL machines available now! I will require parking for two 40ft tractor trailers full of 'rocket crap' tho'.......

Bat-mite · Oct 2, 2015

I am probably the lone weirdo that only buys and builds one kit at a time.

blackbrandt · Oct 2, 2015

Nope. I'm in the same boat. My most I've ever had is 2. Now, if we're talking about the OPENROCKET queue of rockets that I WANT to build.....

hcmbanjo · Oct 2, 2015

I've got a big stash of unbuilt kits, some dating back to the late 1960s.
I'm to the point where I should bypass clearance sales, but usually give in.

It is nice to go into the rocket room and pick and choose the next build.
I'm not reduced to what Hobby Lobby has for sale.

iqsy59 · Oct 2, 2015

Bat-mite said:
I am probably the lone weirdo that only buys and builds one kit at a time.

Yep...that seems pretty weird! I wish I could do that.

I know I'm not most obsessed here, but I'm 50 years old and have over 300 unbuilt kits...mostly MPR and HPR. Even assuming another 30 good years of flying, I need to average 10 per year. That has never happened. The worst part is that I still have a long list of "must-haves".

Cheers,
Michael

Bat-mite · Oct 2, 2015

For me, I like launching more than I like building. As long as I have a handful of kits to take to a launch, I'm happy. I'd rather spend money on motors. I build a new kit if it helps me reach a goal, or learn something new. Right now I'm on a kit that will get me to Mach and maybe 10,000'. Some day I'd like to try staging or clustering, but I'm in no hurry. And Level 3 always looms in the distance.

75Grandville · Oct 2, 2015

Don't forget that you also need to hoard parts. I suggest Balsa Machining's 100-packs of centering/thrust rings and launch lugs, bins to hold nose cones, and racks/boxes to hold tubes.

Then there's the big tub-o-rockets to repair.

A place to keep all your built rockets, motors, motor casings.

Kits are but a symptom - sounds like you still have a relatively mild case...

K'Tesh · Oct 2, 2015

75Grandville said:
Kits are but a symptom - sounds like you still have a relatively mild case...

I'd disagree... Sounds like a severe deficiency to me.

Nathan · Oct 2, 2015

That is perfectly normal. As you progress to high power rocketry you will also find that your rockets are starting to cost as much as major kitchen appliances; don't worry, that is normal too.

thequick · Oct 2, 2015

My purchases breakdown along these lines:
For each kit I complete I have ~three I’m building
For each kit I’m building I purchase ~four that get put on the wailing list.
Ratio : ~12:1...

cbrarick · Oct 2, 2015

gee

I have somewhere north of 15 L3 birds to build...and my building partner left for parts otherwhere....so now I gotta do all the work :< I'd much rather fly them then make them..

morlock · Oct 2, 2015

Funny. As fun as flying is, my favorite parts are designing and building.

Still, I need more kits!!!

pyrobob · Oct 2, 2015

Yes, I can confirm, it is very much possible!

KenECoyote · Oct 2, 2015

cbrarick said:
I have somewhere north of 15 L3 birds to build...and my building partner left for parts otherwhere....so now I gotta do all the work :< I'd much rather fly them then make them..

Need help building them quickly? Have a build party/"build-mitzvah"! Just post over at the club site/FB site to see if anyone is interested in helping with a particular build...I'm sure some would want to help with an L3 build just to get the experience.

Is it normal to buy three times as many kits as you have time to build?

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