homemade or permade kits

[corpse]

which one do you like ?

i'm start to like making my own stuff.
it fun to see if it will fly or crash.

so far the 1st homemade did alot of loops and crashed .
the 2nd one went real good and the rest are still waiting to fly.

 

[corpse]

oops forgot pic

 

[jetra2]

I voted homemade. I really enjoy the feeling that I get when the rocket that I designed takes off and goes on a perfectly straight flight! But, I will buy a premade/bagged kit anyday, simply cause I like it or it's on sale. Truth be told, I think I actually build more kits than scratch builds, but I still like scratch building better!

Jason

 

[corpse]

a nother homemade one
still in the works

 

[rocketkid88]

definitely scratch built... there’s nothing like building your rocket from ground up with your own turned NC, and even your own parachute i guess the only thing better would be building your own motor as well Actually, i never bought myself a kit (other ppl bought me kits, but i had never bought one myself) until two weeks ago! I bought a PML amraam2... and even that i did with a gift certificate that i got for Christmas. I have probably built more scratch builds than i have built kits.

 

[jflis]

well.... ....i voted "homemade" too. It's weird... the term "Kit" has a whole new meaning to me now LOL

*but*, so far I notice that five out of FIVE have voted "homemade" and no one has voted "KITS"

Comeon guys, throw me a freakin' bone here!

jim

 

[jetra2]

(throws Jim a freakin bone)

Go git it boy...g'wan, GIT IT!



Well, Jim, you're kits are so close to homemade... truthfully, they are!!

Jason

 

[illini]

I'll second that...have another bone. 1) Fliskits are original, so I buy them. 2) Flisparts expanded offerings are becoming a one stop shop where I can get much of what I need for scratch builds. I prefer to design and scratch build, but a good kit is a good kit.

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Originally posted by corpse
i'm start to like making my own stuff.
it fun to see if it will fly or crash.

right now I like both..... Later when I get better at making my own, I will like homemade better........ I like the fun part of seeing it fly...... It's a nightmare to see it crash....... (that's why I like premade also, less worries about it crashing)

 

[Austin]

I like "kitting" a homemade model...lots of fun!

Carl

 

[rocketkid88]

Jim, if yer interested in sending me a kit i'll see if meby i change my mind about which i prefer
but you guys who build 'scratch' with pre-made rocket parts... your missing out on the whole point of scratch building (or most of it anyway)! oh well... thats up to you. i haven’t kitted any of my rockets yet, tho i've thought about it... meby for some extra $ over this summer??

 

[rstaff3]

I like both, but that being said, will say homemade every time. HOWEVER, my fleet is only 52% scratch. Hmmmmm.....

 

[kenobi65]

At this early stage in my BARness, I'm not yet feeling capable enough to try and design my own. I'm still getting a lot of enjoyment out of building premade kits.

 

[doxiedog315]

I voted for kit,but having said that...none of my rockets have stock fin designs.

 

[limd21]

Back in the old days - when I was a rocketeer of the non-born-again variety, I built a number of kits. I soon got hooked on all the detailed bits and pieces one could buy from the Estes catalog at that time and built almost everything from scratch except for an occasional exotic where custom plastic and decals were integral.

Now, my recent builds have all been scratch except for the one Quest Viper I got for the first one to build with my 4yr old. The bomb-proof plastic fins make for a totally reliable rocket that I'm sure would survive landing on concrete even if the parachute failed to unfurl.

 

[rocketkid88]

At this early stage in my BARness, I'm not yet feeling capable enough to try and design my own. I'm still getting a lot of enjoyment out of building premade kits.

i got my first RTF (an estes tidal wave) when i was 12... within two weeks had my first scratch built ok, so the balsa grain was parallel the bt, the NC was from a foam airplane and not totally round, i rolled the bt out of paper (and launch lug as well).... but it flew, and it was repairable! i still have it, don't like to launch it much tho. almost every time something else gives out.
its amazing to see how much i've learned in only a few years since my first rockets.... and there's still so much more out there!!!
any way so the point of all this blabber is that there is no reason to be 'afraid' to scratch build... i still put together old parts laying around in the workshop without checking the stability from time to time, just to make sure that i can still 'duck and doge' like i could when i started and had to do that relatively frequently

 

[illini]

Originally posted by rocketkid88
...but you guys who build 'scratch' with pre-made rocket parts... your missing out on the whole point of scratch building (or most of it anyway)...

Well...I confess to being a scratch building lightweight, then. I'm constantly running an optimization problem on how to get the most out of my limited rocket building time. So far, making the parts ranks pretty low on my priority list. Hats off to the scratch building ninjas, but I'm content for now to use [mostly] pre-made parts.

 

[kenobi65]

Originally posted by rocketkid88
any way so the point of all this blabber is that there is no reason to be 'afraid' to scratch build...

As I think about it more, I think that, for me, I'm getting enjoyment out of seeing if I can build the kits properly, and the satisfaction that comes from winding up with a good-looking model. Ultimately, I'd like to get my building skills honed to the point where I can take on an Orbital Transport kit (which I've lusted after since I discovered the hobby in '76) and get it to come out right.

Who knows, maybe I'll feel inspired to design my own at some point. I'll confess that I'm an incredible dilettante when it comes to hobbies (much to my wife's chagrin), so I may never get to that stage. Matters not to me, as long as I'm having fun (which I am).

Mike

 

[Austin]

Oh, now don't get me wrong as I enjoy kits immensely, as shown by my "Wall of Flame", a bedroom lined in old and new kits What a way to go to sleep every nite and the kids love it!

<a href="https://www.rocketryforum.com/reviews/wallnew.jpg">Wall of Flame</a>

So I am a supporter of mfgr's, but still like scratch building better.

Carl

 

[sandman]

I seem to remember waking up to that!!!

sandman

 

[slim_t]

Although I have far more kits than scratch builds for now, I do have to say I get more enjoyment out of a scratch build.
Now that I have a good supply of parts and materials, I'll probably get alot more of those scratch ideas built.

Tim

 

[rocket trike]

I like the make Home made that is what got me into the making kits. Here is a picture of one of next kits. This is a 3 13mm cluster

 

[rocket trike]

here is the Bottom

 

[rocket trike]

Here is going to be our Flaming Ring

 

[graylensman]

Upon becoming a BAR, i was disappointed in the apparent lack of good kits available. So, I've bought tubes and cones from BMS, downloaded plans from JimZ... and THEN I'm directed to TRF (thanks Jim!) and discover a thriving subculture of kitmakers.

My point is, that while I'm becoming better at cutting tubes, I think I'd rather just rip open a bag and start assembling. Plus I don't have to worry so much about decals. So once I finish with the parts I've got lying around (and that's a bunch right now) I'm going to give more time/money to the cool kits that are available these days.