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Oops.
Nike Smoke
- Thread starter skaffgeorge2
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Help Support The Rocketry Forum:
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Definitely a scam site. I tried to buy some stuff from them - run away.
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Most unfortunate. Received a refund of sorts?
Nope.
Thanks for helping protect the TRF community from scams.
skaffgeorge2
Well-Known Member
Thank you. I'm happy now that I 3 unopened kits in my collection. Much apprciated.
It is better to say you have one sitting on the shelf and sell them one at a time over a few years. You have to keep the price high. There are a lot of hoarders out there to part with them, but not many will. I probably have three myself. I just have to find them in my shed.
'I'll keep one, and sell the other two, one piece at a time, as Cash said, with a bunch of time in between, for the reason that you mention. Good advice.
I'd just offered to sell one to scaffgeorge2, but he'd found one elsewhere. If you'd like to buy mine, let me knw.
Jim
gldknght
Well-Known Member
I can confirm this is a scam site, sort of. I ordered a Nike Smoke from them. They never processed my order. After a month of not hearing from them, including at least two unanswered phone calls, I sent an email and a last phone call directing them to cancel my order.
I say it's a scam, because they never processed my order, but only sort of, because they also never took my payment.
gldknght
Well-Known Member
I just picked up a copy of the 3" SBR Nike Smoke. Even comparing it to the Estes PsII Smoke at original prices, the SBR Smoke is a much better deal at $125.
Th SBR version has actual plywood fin parts that get laminated together so the builder can make the proper "diamond" airfoil. NOT having plastic fins like the Estes one had is more than enough reason to get the SBR version. But, it also has some fine detail bits, a wood display stand, and parts included to fly with 54mm, 38mm, or 29mm motors. Rail buttons and shear pins are included, but no parachute, which is probably a good thing. It's possible to build it much lighter and only fly it on mid-power motors, so the builder would want to choose his own parachute sized appropriately.
And speaking of which, has anyone here actually built one of these SBR rockets with the printed nose cone? SBR recommends coating the inside and outside of the cone with epoxy to "strengthen" it.
So the two-part question... Is the epoxy coating really necessary for a rocket that will never see a bigger motor than a small H? And two, epoxy doesn't like to stick to plastic. The printed cone is not smooth like a regular plastic cone, but Is the printed surface of the cone going to be rough enough to give it some "tooth" for the epoxy to stick?
This is the build video done by SBR for the Nike Smoke.
He starts talking about the epoxy coating at 30:50 if you don't want to watch the whole video.
... and that's where I'm stuck with the Fusion kit I bought last year.
Seems like a good idea to coat the 3D printed nose cone, because like all 3D printing the filaments are not really molded together.
But, I haven't done it. Dunno why. Too hot, too cold, no room in garage, don't want to make a mess, I'm lazy, etc.
For a custom shape like Nike Smoke, it's probably worthwhile to print and coat the nose . But for a regular 4:1 ogive like Fusion, not really.
I LIKE the PSII plastic fins on all the PSII rockets that have them. I have broke Mach on an Asender on an H motor.
The KEY is most folks don't want to mess the finish of the fins up and skimp on glue, and air gets inside them and rips them apart.
So put the Fins, for a Nike or an Asender down on wax paper and put your ZAP-A-GAP all over the spots they are to have the glue on. Use 4 for each fin Huge Binder Clips to clamp each edge of the fin down on. Let dry A DAY.
Now look into the fin edges and see if their are any holes or other gaps and if so glue them with ZAP-A-GAP.
The regular rocketeer is in horrors right now as those nice plastic fins have all sorts of glue print on them.
Not to fear, break out your 400 grit wet sand paper, get the wife or girlfriend out of the house and run the kitchen sink on water and with a sanding foam block wet sand those fins down until they look like a race car ready to paint.
Let dry for 3 days, paint, let dry for 3 days , then mount fins on the rocket, no fillets needed only glue inside the rocket.
The KEY is most folks don't want to mess the finish of the fins up and skimp on glue, and air gets inside them and rips them apart.
So put the Fins, for a Nike or an Asender down on wax paper and put your ZAP-A-GAP all over the spots they are to have the glue on. Use 4 for each fin Huge Binder Clips to clamp each edge of the fin down on. Let dry A DAY.
Now look into the fin edges and see if their are any holes or other gaps and if so glue them with ZAP-A-GAP.
The regular rocketeer is in horrors right now as those nice plastic fins have all sorts of glue print on them.
Not to fear, break out your 400 grit wet sand paper, get the wife or girlfriend out of the house and run the kitchen sink on water and with a sanding foam block wet sand those fins down until they look like a race car ready to paint.
Let dry for 3 days, paint, let dry for 3 days , then mount fins on the rocket, no fillets needed only glue inside the rocket.
Addendum, if the the fin to body tube seal is worrisome at the slot, use a silicon sealer to run a clear fillet over that. The only purpose to keep air from getting under the tube and causing problems; it is not needed to add any sort of strength.
One rocket I used a very thin yellow wood glue over the slot as my silicon sealer was all used up that year.
I believe this is a federal crime.
https://about.usps.com/publications... 1-877-876-,to report suspected fraud online.
Good luck getting it enforced.
gldknght
Well-Known Member
Yikes! that's a lot of work! I'm betting that in about half that amount of time, I could cut, finish, and mount made from scratch plywood fins, and never have to worry about the delamination issues some of my friends have with those plastic ones.
Rocketjunkie
Addicted to APCP
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Amazon has a very few. This is the BT-50 version (oops). https://www.amazon.com/Estes-Walker-Flying-Model-Rocket/dp/B01GKB4KYE
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I have made that mistake before.
For me, it was much less problem then working with wood. I actually hate working with wood. Next your going to have to shape them, seal them, prime them and hope paint coat is not going to orange peal them...
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Let me make sure I've got this right. Performance Hobbies is a scam site?
ljwilley
I’m pretty sure it will work…
No I meant the "science lab supplies" website. It was talked about earlier.
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Right. I had to reread things.
gldknght
Well-Known Member
Lol. I feel you. I've developed some pretty good techniques for finishing wood fins, but to each his own, right?
Maybe. I've heard that enough people file complaints, they can send a cease and desist letter.
gldknght
Well-Known Member
I tried contacting a them month ago or so regarding the purchase of one of these, got no response.
