mcgunsmith
New Member
Hello from Marine City, MI where I am a professional gunsmith and general hobby nut. My first love has always been model aviation with a close second given to submarines. My first successfully finished and flown rocket was at age 10, c.1977 an Estes Bandit. It flew REALLY slow owing to its multi-coat butyrate dope finish and ginormous weight, but lift-off was totally cool and no wadding ?! Bonus.
I flew off and on over the years, the hit a giant dry spell until about 2010 or so. Then in '16 we had to basically empty my house (it adjoins my gunsmithing shop) and turn it into additional retail space. My hobby corner went away. BUT, now I have the entire upper floor basically one huge room and it's all mine.
The model rocketry is getting unpacked!!
I have at least a dozen kits to build, and the same number to finish. There are two PML high power kits needing a bit more paint then decals. Since I thought I might provide the local Scout troop with rocket supplies, I still have a few full bulk boxes of A, B, and C size motors, even a handful of Ds.
...and I have issues, lol. Seems I had modified a STANDARD AGM-78 from Launch Pad Models into a cluster motor mount. Must've seemed like a good idea at the time, but I'm gonna pursue this. Anyone ever compile notes on successful mods like this? I had a 3 ring binder bulging with plans, notes, other BS...it remains packed somewhere. I'm going down that path that says "how far would I have to upscale an Estes Bullpup 12D to accept a D motor? How do I balance a model for which I've designed a booster stage? CAN I do this at all?"
That's where I'm at but hey it's great to buy new tubes of glue lol. I'll take some pics of my "building" kit stash and whatnot and post here if anyone wants to see a field of un-painted paper tubes and balsa wood that look just like rockets.
I flew off and on over the years, the hit a giant dry spell until about 2010 or so. Then in '16 we had to basically empty my house (it adjoins my gunsmithing shop) and turn it into additional retail space. My hobby corner went away. BUT, now I have the entire upper floor basically one huge room and it's all mine.
The model rocketry is getting unpacked!!
I have at least a dozen kits to build, and the same number to finish. There are two PML high power kits needing a bit more paint then decals. Since I thought I might provide the local Scout troop with rocket supplies, I still have a few full bulk boxes of A, B, and C size motors, even a handful of Ds.
...and I have issues, lol. Seems I had modified a STANDARD AGM-78 from Launch Pad Models into a cluster motor mount. Must've seemed like a good idea at the time, but I'm gonna pursue this. Anyone ever compile notes on successful mods like this? I had a 3 ring binder bulging with plans, notes, other BS...it remains packed somewhere. I'm going down that path that says "how far would I have to upscale an Estes Bullpup 12D to accept a D motor? How do I balance a model for which I've designed a booster stage? CAN I do this at all?"
That's where I'm at but hey it's great to buy new tubes of glue lol. I'll take some pics of my "building" kit stash and whatnot and post here if anyone wants to see a field of un-painted paper tubes and balsa wood that look just like rockets.