What did you do with your Rockets of the World?

[gpoehlein]

Just out of curiousity - I just ordered my copy of ROTW from NARTS, and I was wondering how others use the book. I assume that it is a perfect or stitch bound hardcover - if so, does it lay flat enough to allow copying pages for scale data packs? If not, has anyone "chopped up" their copy so the pages can be removed and used as needed? Personally, I would find the book to be most useful as either an electronic edition (all pdfs) or loose-leaf so the pages can either be placed in a notebook or see-thru sheet protectors.

 

[troj]

Yeah, it lays pretty flat.

I've never needed to go that far with it, but I wouldn't have any problems getting fairly clean scans/copies.

-Kevin

 

[Pem Tech]

No problems with it laying flat so there shouldn't be any reason the "chop it up." That is unless you want the Ghost of Rockets Past to come visit you on a dark and stormy night.

 

[sandman]

I think mine is a pretty early edition (1993) spiral bound.

It has glue and paint all over it.

It looks well used.

 

[georgegassaway]

I think mine is a pretty early edition (1993) spiral bound.

It has glue and paint all over it.

It looks well used.

The two spiral-bound books Peter Alway did in the early 90’s were:

“Scale Model Rocketry - a Guide for the Historian-Craftsman”, in 1990. I guess it could be considered as “ROTW Beta 0.5”, since ROTW has much of the same content, but many many more rockets in it. Could you have been thinking of that?

And then “The Art of Scale Model Rocketry”, in 1994. It has some scale data content that also later was in ROTW, but it’s main focus is about researching and building scale models, including some plans for scratchbuilding some specific rockets. I wish this book was still around, due to the scale tips that were unique to it (I have a copy, I mean still around for others)

Rockets of the World, first printed in 1993, I think has always been hardbound, not spiral bound.

It certainly makes for a much better book that way. When I have gotten invovled with a project that used info from the book, I have usually photocopied pages and only allowed the copies in my workshop, so as not to risk the book getting messed up.

I’ve not had a significant issue with getting photocopies from the book. But if it really bugged a person badly enough, they could buy two of them, and cut up one of them. I think that most of the people who do have the book enjoy it as a hardbound book. If you threw in the significant number of non-modelers who have bought that book to use it as a reference book (or even a coffee-table book, and some libraries), the percentage who prefer it as hardbound over spiral bound would skyrocket.

It is ironic that a year ago, to even get a copy of this book you had to pay $100 or more for a rare copy, if you found anyone willing to sell it. Now that it is back in print, the complaint is over how it is bound.

- George Gassaway

 

[sandman]

What can I say?

The binding looks...spiral to me.

I do have a later hardbound edition that I keep in the "library".

 

[georgegassaway]

What can I say?

The binding looks...spiral to me.

I do have a later hardbound edition that I keep in the "library".

OK, I forgot that the original was spiral-bound. Strange, I thought I had a copy of the first ROTW, which then ought to be spiral-bound. But I have not seen that first one for a few years and since last summer's move the only copy I have at hand right now (out from among the stuff still boxed up) is a second edition from 1995 (well, I know I have, or had, two ROTW's, now I am wondering if both were 2nd editions).

- George Gassaway

 

[MarkII]

I don't understand -- why on Earth would anyone want to remove pages from their copy of the book? Such a waste of a vital, and, until recently, a quite rare resource!!

Kind of like razoring out pages from a Gutenberg Bible, no? (Only a slight exaggeration...)

Mark \\.

 

[sandman]

I don't understand -- why on Earth would anyone want to remove pages from their copy of the book? Such a waste of a vital, and, until recently, a quite rare resource!!

Kind of like razoring out pages from a Gutenberg Bible, no? (Only a slight exaggeration...)

Mark \\.

Gees...I wouldn't do that!

I like the spriral bound version 'cause you can lay it flat to the page on your workbench, like I do, or put it in my scanner and make a copy if I want to make notes on the page. I don't write in my book.

When finished with a model and the notes I made are important (to me) for future use, I make another copy, re-write the notes on the copy, (so they look neat and leave the copy in the spiral bound edition.

 

[MarkII]

Gees...I wouldn't do that!...

Yeah, I know! I was referring to Greg's original question asking who had "chopped up" their book. Yikes! I get a cold shiver down my back just thinking about it!

Mark \\.

 

[powderburner]

Just out of curiousity.... has anyone "chopped up" their copy

Ewwwwww. I mean, I know that Friday the 13th is looming, but this is just creepy.

 

[MarkII]

Ewwwwww. I mean, I know that Friday the 13th is looming, but this is just creepy.

Before NARTS fulfills any ROTW orders from the Lone Star State, for example, they ought to ask if the customer happens to have a chainsaw...



(OK, Texans, you know that I'm just kidding...)

Mark \\.

 

[gpoehlein]

Yeah, I know! I was referring to Greg's original question asking who had "chopped up" their book. Yikes! I get a cold shiver down my back just thinking about it!

Mark \\.

Yeesh - you'd think I was advocating torturing small rodents in the name of rocketry science (which I won't ever do, so don't even go there!). I mean, come on - it's not like I'm talking about running the pages through a shredder or anything - just removing the binding and placing them in loose leaf sheet protectors. Not to mention that it isn't a rare book - if it was out of print I wouldn't even consider removing pages. But, if it will lay flat enough to make copies from, I won't cut it up. Happy now?

 

[RocketT.Coyote]

I use mine as a reference/resource in teaching my model rocketry course at camp. Example: "See, the Estes Viking is not a scale model." As I show them what a real Viking looks like.

 

[PeterAlway]

I have to chuckle. just stumbled into this thread years later. For the record, "Scale Model Rocketry," my first book, was spiral bound, and part of the first run of "Rockets of the World" hard bound, and part was "Wire-O" bound, which isn't exactly spiral bound. All later editions were hardcover. "The Art of Scale Model Rocketry," the red how-to book, was also "Wire-O" bound.

Just last week I noticed that the copy of "Scale Model Rocketry I had set aside to keep in nice condition is a freak--it's got a bunch of extra pages (an extra signature must have slipped in). I don't know if I even *have* a normal copy of it. And cutting out the extra pages seems somehow wrong.

 

[troj]

Just last week I noticed that the copy of "Scale Model Rocketry I had set aside to keep in nice condition is a freak--it's got a bunch of extra pages (an extra signature must have slipped in). I don't know if I even *have* a normal copy of it. And cutting out the extra pages seems somehow wrong.

Peter, I have the perfect solution -- send me that copy, and work on an updated version to get printed.

-Kevin

 

[JStarStar]

I've never had problems laying the hard-bound version flat on a scanner plate to copy off a page for data.

The spiral-bound editions are legendary and would probably be better for use in the workshop, but it works fine either way.

 

[dlazarus6660]

I don't have "The Book", but I do have the poster!

 

[Rocketbuilder]

I don't have "The Book", but I do have the poster!

Me too. It sure helps with designing "scale-like" rockets.