Designer Special

[sj_h1]

Estes used to sell a "Designer Special" package with a wide assortment of tubes, nosecones, various other rocket parts. Can't seem to find it anymore. Anyone know of something similar?

 

[Zeus-cat]

I bought one or two of those in my time. I haven't seen one in years.

You could always browse the selection of parts at Semroc. They sell all sorts of components individaually. Their selection of tubes, nose cones and other components is simply astounding. And by astounding, I mean really astounding.

 

[jflis]

FlisKits has been toying around with the idea for a while now. If there is an interest, we could put something together for this coming Fall...

Thoughts?
jim

 

[thunderdog]

HI,
ON EBAY ALL THE TIME TAKE A LOOK

 

[WillMarchant]

Try googling "estes designers special" and you'll find them.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006N73YC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 is one example.

 

[MysticalRockets]

Ah, the Estes Designer's Special.

Aka, we made too much of this junk and need some way to get rid of it. Ah, lets stick it in a box, throw some tubes and balsa in, and call it a "Designer's Special". That will sell.

 

[AndyJ]

Myself and the collegiate rocket club that I am vice president of would absolutely be interested in a "designer special" kind of package. A lot of people in the club (especially those with a few kits under their belts) would love to begin some custom builds for the contests we hold, and a scratch builders kit would probably be really helpful to our members. I'm sure many would find a lot of creative options with a package similar to the designer's special.

 

[RangerStl]

I have found the Estes Designer's Special to be way overpriced. They give nose cones, but mine had 2 NC-50Y, an SR-71 cone, an Interceptor cone, and a 4-pack of BT-5 and BT-20 cones. That's pretty poor. No 24mm mounts, three 18mm mounts (1 BT-60 and 2 BT-50) a couple stray centering rings, about 5 parachutes, half dozen motor hooks (more than mounts), a couple small sheets of balsa, a couple rubber band shock cords... I was underwhelmed.

The Red Arrow Hobbies assortment set has a good assortment of tubes and motor mount stuff. No cones, but that's the most custom part of your rocket and I like to get that right. Besides, if you have to go back to order a couple cones, you might order something else from them while you're at it. Plus it's WAY cheaper than the Estes one.

I like the idea.

N

 

[Pem Tech]

Hmmmmmmmm..
They could even be offered in different flavors: Sci-fi, sport, military etc...

:wave:

 

[gpoehlein]

Estes announced a short while back that the Designer's Special was among the kits they were discontinuing. Not a huge loss any more - last one I got was even worse than usual. Not only were the nose cones mostly useless, but about half the tubes were precolored short tubes left over from the E2X kits (I can always use 18" BT-20s, but 8 or 10" Black tubes are a lot harder to use!)

 

[chanstevens]

Red Arrow Hobbies offers a pretty good deal on something almost as complete--a poopload of tubes, couplers, centering rings, hooks, lugs, even streamer material. About the only thing missing would be nose cones, balsa, and elastic/kevlar. Thay also don't include some of those templates for fins/shrouds that Estes included, but it's still a good value, and a great resource for clone/scratch builders.

$28, available at https://redarrowhobbies.com/kits/body_tube_assortment/body_tubes.htm

 

[sandman]

Red Arrow Hobbies offers a pretty good deal on something almost as complete--a poopload of tubes, couplers, centering rings, hooks, lugs, even streamer material. About the only thing missing would be nose cones, balsa, and elastic/kevlar. Thay also don't include some of those templates for fins/shrouds that Estes included, but it's still a good value, and a great resource for clone/scratch builders.

$28, available at https://redarrowhobbies.com/kits/body_tube_assortment/body_tubes.htm

The Red Arrow set is one of the best bargains in the business!

 

[bob jablonski]

Check out the parts page at our web site. We have our version. Red Arrow has them in stock or you can get them from us. Most LHS don't carry much in parts outside chutes.
Mr. Bob
Starlight Dude
www.starlightrocketry.com

 

[sj_h1]

Check out the parts page at our web site. We have our version. Red Arrow has them in stock or you can get them from us. Most LHS don't carry much in parts outside chutes.
Mr. Bob
Starlight Dude
www.starlightrocketry.com

Couldn't find your "Builder special" on any of the online sites listed! :confused2:

 

[sandman]

Couldn't find your "Builder special" on any of the online sites listed! :confused2:

??? Just look at "Scratch Building Parts".

Sorry Bob, I didn't know you had that. Great!

https://www.starlightrocketry.com/Scratch_Building_Parts.html

It's the first item. EASY!

 

[sj_h1]

??? Just look at "Scratch Building Parts".

Sorry Bob, I didn't know you had that. Great!

https://www.starlightrocketry.com/Scratch_Building_Parts.html

It's the first item. EASY!

Yes, but he doesn't sell DIRECT! The online sites don't list it! :bangpan:

 

[spaceclipper]

Semroc also has some nice assortments, the Centuri Beginners Special, 2 different nose cone assortments, and 2 body tube assortments...nice stuff too...:dark:
https://www.semroc.com/Store/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=73

 

[dave carver]

FlisKits has been toying around with the idea for a while now. If there is an interest, we could put something together for this coming Fall...

Thoughts?
jim

jim, if you were to do this put me down for 3-4 to start, I know you'd fill it with the good stuff:cyclops:


I've bought 4-5 Estes packs over the years and I guess I got lucky, I never got the pack with 10 Argosy nosecones or the like, the first was half balsa cones too

I've pretty much run out of stock on all that I had, bunch of centering rings left even after useing 3 at a time.

 

[MarkII]

I do a lot of scratch-building; in fact, that's practically all that I have been doing for the past few years. (I also buy plenty of kits, and I actually build one every now and then, but I have been saving most of them for "later.") Back in the day though, if I was doing what I do now, this item would have looked very attractive to me. I haven't checked to see what anyone offers now, but I would be surprised (and impressed) if I found a custom assortment today that was so packed with goodies. If I did see one and the price was right, I might buy it (and maybe two or three more).

But on another level, this all goes against the way that I source parts now. I decide what I am going to build first, and then I go and buy the parts and supplies that I will need for it. I usually buy packs of certain parts and then save the extras, thereby accumulating a stock of parts and materials that I know I will use, because I have been able to make use of those items already. Additionally, I buy certain particularly useful and frequently-used parts (e.g., launch lugs, body tubes, screw eyes, etc.) in the amounts that are most practical for me. Occasionally I also buy parts that look interesting, but that I have no particular need for at the moment.

This approach allows me to tailor my stock of parts to include the items that I want and need, in the quantities that I want and need them in. Any prepackaged custom assortment of parts, on the other hand, will contain just a small subset of available parts that have been designated for inclusion by the vendor, and it will only contain limited quantities of them. A part of me just finds that approach to be too confining and restrictive. I would rather keep building up my supplies with my current method. If the deal was really good, though, I might be able to overlook that little problem.

MarkII

 

[mjennings]

I've seen a few at various hobby shops, check Hobby Town if they are in you r area, the one near me doesn't move a lot of rocket supplies so they had a few.

Jim I'd be interested in a Flis designer special

 

[Pippen]

FlisKits has been toying around with the idea for a while now. If there is an interest, we could put something together for this coming Fall...

Thoughts?
jim

I had a really interesting experience with kids building this summer. Previous to this year only my two boys had been scratch building and they always drew out designs then we ordered the parts. This year I was hoping to bump 4 more kids up to scratch building. The youngest was my daughter and she sat down and sketched something out. The other three agreed but then bailed out and decided to do kits instead...until one of the girls got over here and saw the Estes Designer Special and a few extra nosecones I'd brought home from a scratch and dent/overstock hobby place. Once she had that box of parts and sheet of fin options in hand she abandoned the kit and came up with the rocket below.

I loved it--she just needed a variety of parts available to get the creative juices flowing. (She's 12, btw.) It was a good lesson to me that not everyone goes about this the same way.

That's my long winded way of saying "Go for it!"

 

[chanstevens]

FlisKits has been toying around with the idea for a while now. If there is an interest, we could put something together for this coming Fall...

Thoughts?
jim

PLEASE don't misconstrue this for a knock on Fliskits, of which I am clearly a raving fan and have been for many years, but with regards to a potential Fliskits parts ack, I'd have to scratch my head asking why someone would want one unless it's significantly cheaper than something else out there or offers something not available in other packs elsewhere. Sure, if I'm looking at buying a kit, and tack on a parts pack that saves paying a second shipping charge with someone else, maybe, but otherwise I'm not sure I get it.

Cones--OK, there are some different/interesting ones here, might be viable (Adfecta, Borealis come to mind)
Tubes--nothing out of the ordinary here
Balsa--Flis doesn't have their own special grove of balsa trees
Recovery--don't we all need more plastic chutes?

What Flis does clearly have that no one else has are innovative designs, which you wouldn't exactly stuff in a designer parts pack. Flis is also one of the very few sources for Micromax sized components (and certainly best selection), so it might make sense for a parts pack of really small stuff.

Many of us would probably buy a parts pack from Flis just 'cause we're regulars, but for my dwindling pool of rocketry dollars, I'd rather give Jim his cut towards stuff that's unique to Jim, and Semroc their cut for stuff unique to them, etc., typically for higher margin pricing, than spending premium money for common parts readilly available elsewhere.

 

[sj_h1]

The problem is I am relatively new BAR and don't have any surplus parts. I used to scratch build a lot. I really like to just gather a few things together just to get some ideas of what I like. What I would want is a mix of cones, maybe 1 or 2 unique cones in the mix. 4 bt20s since those get used alot, 2-3 BT50s, at least 1 bt55, bt60, and bt70. A mix of transitions, an assortment of centering rings, 4-5 engine mounts, some kevlar cord. Fin stock and elastic cord is easy to get here but the rest of the stuff is not. :2:

 

[bob jablonski]

Couldn't find your "Builder special" on any of the online sites listed! :confused2:

Most online venders want to sell parts not D.S.'s evidently. Yes we do sell direct ,we prefer to send the customers to the folks that support us so we don't have a shopping cart or anything like that but you can e-mail an order and it will be out usualy that day. and we do have paypal for that reason.
we charge flat shipping of $3.00 parcle post or $5.00 priority.
Mr. Bob
www.starlightrocketry.com
direct contact at [email protected]

 

[SCIGS30]

I really like the old Estes Designer kits and futuristic kits. I have collected about 20 or so of the old style kits and they are great. I like them because of the vintage parts. The new kits are terrible, they are just Estes left overs and are over priced. I build vintage Estes kits, and if there is a badly damaged part, the old designer kit keeps my build vintage. Also you knew what you were buying in the kits. There was no Internet when I was a kid, so it was convenient to buy one of these kits at the LHS and do scratch built rockets.

 

[j.a.duke]

The problem is I am relatively new BAR and don't have any surplus parts. I used to scratch build a lot. I really like to just gather a few things together just to get some ideas of what I like. What I would want is a mix of cones, maybe 1 or 2 unique cones in the mix. 4 bt20s since those get used alot, 2-3 BT50s, at least 1 bt55, bt60, and bt70. A mix of transitions, an assortment of centering rings, 4-5 engine mounts, some kevlar cord. Fin stock and elastic cord is easy to get here but the rest of the stuff is not. :2:

I often place an order with Balsa Machining (BMS), Semroc, or Apogee for kits and/or parts I need plus a few extra items in each order. I've now got a nice selection of cones, tubes, rings, etc. The biggest problem was getting it organized (which it finally is approaching).

Cheers,
Jon

 

[MarkII]

You could browse through the parts lists of vendors like Semroc or BMS and make up your own list of items for a "designer's pack" and just order them all at once. You could also peruse the old catalogs posted on Ninfinger and look at what was in parts specials from the days of yore for some ideas of what to include in your contemporary list.

I really like the old Estes Designer kits and futuristic kits. I have collected about 20 or so of the old style kits and they are great....

A-HA! So THAT's where they all are now!

MarkII

 

[Re-Bar Ricky]

The Hobby Town here in Austin, Texas has a few of the Designer's Specials left, at least they did a month or so ago. It is of course the new kit and I didn't pay attention to the exact contents. I may just have to go take a drive into town...

 

[sj_h1]

That was the start of this whole thread. I saw 3 at a local hobby town, but bought a couple of kits a month ago. I went back and they were all sold!:caffeine:

 

[MarkII]

That was the start of this whole thread. I saw 3 at a local hobby town, but bought a couple of kits a month ago. I went back and they were all sold!:caffeine:

See how everything comes around full circle?

MarkII