First Scratch Midpower?

[blike]

Hey guys! I'd like to build my first scratch midpower, but I'm not real familiar with online retailers. What's the best online retailer for individual rocket parts?

 

[GL-P]

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8599

Giant Leap I heard is real good! Lots of variety.

 

[rocketkid88]

I find the best retailer for midpower parts, if you wan't to build scratch, is the dumpster. Seriously, other than the MMT I don't usually buy anything (save the recovery system).
get creative, mailing tubes work great... foam is allot easier to turn than you think. add wood from the local hoby shop for fins/CRs (I usually use stuff i get for free tho) and you can make *almost* anything

 

[hokkyokusei]

Originally posted by rocketkid88
I find the best retailer for midpower parts, if you wan't to build scratch, is the dumpster. Seriously, other than the MMT I don't usually buy anything (save the recovery system).
get creative, mailing tubes work great... foam is allot easier to turn than you think. add wood from the local hoby shop for fins/CRs (I usually use stuff i get for free tho) and you can make *almost* anything

Absolutely! That's _real_ scratchbuilding
Lack of lathe means I find the nose cone to be the hardest part.

 

[rocketkid88]

Originally posted by hokkyokusei
Absolutely! That's _real_ scratchbuilding
Lack of lathe means I find the nose cone to be the hardest part.

for MPR stuff, say 2" and under, just any old drill works alirght to turn foam... no need for a lathe or drillpress, though they *would* be afull nice

 

[Bowhunter]

Scot at JustRockets https://www.justrockets.com has a good sel. of parts and kits

 

[DynaSoar]

Originally posted by blike
Hey guys! I'd like to build my first scratch midpower, but I'm not real familiar with online retailers. What's the best online retailer for individual rocket parts?

I buy lots of parts and I can't honestly say any one retailer is best. Many if not most are very good. Very few have everything. Even at the best of times I end up having to hunt around for one thing or another and if I happen to find someone who has everything I need, I just buy it then and there. Now, that's retailers.

As for suppliers (whose parts I buy from retailers, but who also sell retail themselves) I deal with Public Missiles and Giant Leap a lot. In fact my last three ordering cycles were mostly directly from these two, with some other stuff from Totally Tubular and Balsa Machining. Suppliers are less likely to be out of something than a retailer, although some retailers will charge a little less. The amount you'd save if going through retailers who discount parts would be wiped out if you couldn't find someone who had everything, because you'd have to pay shipping to two different places.

I like to use web based ordering with secure shopping carts. What eats my lunch is when someone has this, but doesn't update it according to stock, so that they accept your order without telling you they don't have something. Sure, I could call and check stock (and with some places you need to) but that's a waste of both of our times. Any retailer or supplier that maintains their online shopping system with in/out of stock is top notch in my book.

Oh, and if I hear that a particular retailer or supplier has a good name for going to launches and otherwise supporting rocketry in ways other than just selling, my thought is they definitely deserve the business. They're not only promoting rocketry, but also supporting its sense of community, which is stronger than many other hobbies. If any are the "best", it's these.