Rocket Building Attention Span

[Hospital_Rocket]

As I look around my workbench, my desk, my wife's sewing table, the laundry table , etc....

I was wondering how many rocket projects most of you have going at once. Repair jobs don't count.

 

[BlueNinja]

At least 4... I'm building off all my AT rockets so that should lower it to 3 1/2...

 

[sandman]

I tend to focus on one thing at a time.

my old boss once called me into his office and started to chew me our because I wasn't "omnidirectional enough".

His partner overheard this walked into the room and asked, What does omnidirectional mean?"

My boss replied, "He (me) has this bad habit of getting in a job and staying on it until it's finished!"

Just then I walked out of the room shaking my head thinking..."what an idiot!"

sandman

 

[flying_silverad]

I'm sure that if I was in high school now, my nick name would be A.D.D.!! When i read a book, I can actually follow the words and about a paragraph or whole page later realize...what did I just read? I don't know the difference between multi-tasking and A.D.D.
At present this is a rough breakdown of projects-

Rocket designs of mine,
Pumpkin Head- Instrcutions in progress
Smoke N' Fire- Beta Test IP
Double-Up-Beta Test IP
Hank-Beta Test IP
F24 Panther-On it's way to Beta Test
X-Type chutes-Mom's sewing em as we speak
Regular chutes-Cutting em every other day
Mike IX-Just beginning
Whizzer-Just beginning
Stealth-Design IP

Kits-
40-some odd kits from every vendor known to man. Huge Pile!!
5 of which are on the build bench...Phoenix, Corona, Corona (beer bottle ) Cheorkee D, Apogee, SR71.

Tasks-
Don't even get me started.

I have a pile of rockets in the "Body SHop" waiting for warm weather. Wen painting season starts it's walk outside every ten minutes all day long!!:kill:

 

[Steward]

5

 

[rbeckey]

Not counting painting, I have no rockets under construction right now. I have about six kits on the shelf. I have been distracted lately by customizing a rifle stock for my sons to use. It is ready for final sanding, staining and then about six hand rubbed coats of tung oil. The rifle is a Ruger 10/22 and here is a photo of an original stock and the mod together. The fore end near where the barrel band was is one inch less in diameter than original, and the swell of the hand grip is also about an inch less in diameter. Lots of sanding. Lots and lots of sanding.

 

[rbeckey]

A close up of the fore end. When it is stained the difference will be much more obvious.

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Right now,

Upscale Bullpup (paint job and decals)
Upscale MK-109
Praetor
Phoenix
V-2
Big Bertha (paint job)

Wow, only a handfull

 

[Micromeister]

Rarely do have only one model occupy 100% of my time. Maybe the poll should have been" how many projects have you started but may never be finished? I friend of mine.. Tom Lyon has a Estes Saturn-V he started back in the 70's.. he flyes is every once in a while but to this day has never finished or painted it

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

Originally posted by flying_silverad
I don't know the difference between multi-tasking and A.D.D.

Easy...

Multitasking you get paid for, ADD you enjoy


Oh, and just for the record:

LOC VIPER III
AT Sumo (L1 project)
AT G-Force
PML Quantum Leap
Estes Outlander
Fliskits Acme Spitfire
Quest Flat Cat
Upscale (2X) CCexpress

 

[Weekends]

Just one at a time. I start a project, get halfway through, put it away, start another.

 

[astronboy]

I honestly do not even know how many kits I have going at once. If you count 1/2 painted rockets, it is like 12-15!!

 

[Zippy]

I limit myself to 2 on the bench at any one time. One is always a high power and the other a low power. That keeps me from getting bored but doesn't entirely consume my tiny work area or budget. I may be aquireing parts for a third project allready fleshed out and working on the design of yet a fourth project. Of course theirs allways maintenance of existing rockets as well as maintenance of existing and construction of new launch equiptment. But ungh ungh, no way will I let this sport become an all consuming passion that sucks up every extra dollar and minute of my free time... not while beer's still legal at least.

 

[jetra2]

I truthfully have to have several project going at once - I can't give you a for-sure count though. I usually will pick up a kit or start a scratch build really passionate about it, but then something will take me away from it, and I'll just put it away... it's kinda sad, but I know I'll have plenty to do this summer apart from my BALLS projects!



Jason

 

[Silverleaf]

I always have 1 model and 1 rocket in the building process. Right now I'm letting the Shuttle with Stacks - MiniCraft kit set and dry for about 2 weeks before I start adding the extensions onto the base. When done she'll be under power with smoke and SRB's seperating from the ET, while the shuttle is on her back, with main engines billowing.

The Estes Shuttle w/Stacks is on hiatus, while I decide whether I want to try and copy the shuttle and plastic parts. Read - while I ponder whether I want to waste the 60 buck Alumilite Resin kit that I've got sitting here, just to find out she won't work. lol

Othewrwise, I'm waiting on the digital camera to arrive so i can start the tutorial for the Argentina Orion 2.

 

[Johnnie]

Silver Leaf, I too seem to have A.D.D. as I haver a project that is over 3 years old... Semiscale Nike Hercules.

Other than that, When I start to build, I usually work way ahead while waiting for glue to dry, by building sub assemblies, or even starting on a smaller kit...case and point, I built the Quest Navajo side by side with the Quest Totally Tubular in a day, just to keep busy.

On larger projects that need more of a long term focal point, I tend to keep putting them off till another time: I have one of the last BlawkHawk R&D 5.5" AGM-78 Standard Arm missiles, that I would like to L3 with one day. I'm afraid to start the rocket, because of the amount of time I would need to devote to it to finish it completely is not quite available yet. Much like the Nike, I started it, and made loads of progress, but had to put it down for one reason or another, and is right now it is boxed up waiting for the next flurry of building time I might have available...

 

[graylensman]

I usually construct one at a time. But the painting? I've got three in various coats of paint (weather's not been cooperative) and a couple more waiting for decals.

 

[Micromeister]

JohnnieRkt:
I think we all probably have one "Scale" or sport scale model that is in a state of suspended animation while we try to figure out one stumbling block or another... I have a Scale of the Farside project with a first stage/2nd stage coupling/ cluster to single motor staging problem that has had me stopped for about a year now it's one of those Ah! I'll work it out later type things

 

[scadaman29325]

4 projects, but not all rockets...

The train table is being disassembled for reconsrtuction with a plaster mountain and tunnel... thinking of going with a sci-fi theme and making it a Mars or Lunar type base and have a launch pad section, hang some rockets from the ceiling over it...

Then there's the model car, 1970 Mustang Funny Car, the Blue Max. It's a level 3 model and I'm almost a level 2 type of guy. These things sure are more time consuming and tedious than rockets, and they don't fly! I signed up my son and myself with a model car club last month for his birthday. It's his thing, he's got a wall full of cars and trucks. Then another of my sons and my daughter wanted to do a model... it's another family thing now (BTW, they are also my rocket tracking and recovery team)

Speaking of family thing, my wife is Chief Detail Master for the train layout (she paints the people) and she's the Chief Rocketry Secretary (she keeps the notes at launches). My youngest son is Chief Locomotive Engineer (he likes to drive).

And finally (or firstly my personnal favorite) 2 rockets awaiting completion, an Estes Polaris in the final stages of finishing before final paint is to be applied (this is my first knowledgable attempt at a good finish, looks pretty good too) and an Estes Baby Bertha, assembled but no finishing yet. Big Bertha is laying on the train table quitely haunting me to be built.

 

[wwattles]

I'm space-limited so I can't work on more than 2 at a time (3 if they're small). My shop consists of a half-patio in an apartment that serves as woodshop, tool and paint storage and paint booth, not to mention the bbq grill/accessories and the igloo cooler that also lives out there. I tried bringing the stuff inside, but the wife had too many issues with all the shavings and dust, not to mention all the parts that invariably got left in a corner somewhere. Someday, I'll have a house with a garage, and then, let the games begin!

WW

 

[slim_t]

I always have about 5 going at a time, all in different stages. Usually 1 scratch and a few kits. Right now I have 6 going and about 6 more in need of paint. 3 of those only need their shock cords attached so they'll probably get finished today. I did finish a quest quick kit yesterday. The Triton-X. Pretty nice rocket. I like the size and colors.
Here's a pic.

Tim

 

[scadaman29325]

Originally posted by slim_t
...I did finish a quest quick kit yesterday. The Triton-X. Pretty nice rocket. I like the size and colors.
Here's a pic.

Tim

That is a GOOD looking rocket! And looks huge in front of the yard toys... the stand (nice) and deck rail gives away the size though.

Good job!

 

[slim_t]

Thanks. Yeah, It's only about 33" tall and 35mm diameter.
I really like it. I love the size, and those yellow stripes on that grey and black just look great to me. One other thing I liked about this one is the stickers seemed thinner than my other Quest kits and had stronger adhesive. They blended in with the BT much better than my other Quest kits. Might look even better after I clear coat it.

There's more pics of it here: https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6822

Tim

 

[Aerobee300]

I had 4 kits in progress till this morning ... I finished one of 'em .... another will be complete tommorrow .... I usually have at least 2 in progress .... 4 was a bit over the top for me.

Finished a Semroc Rawhide (in pink with butterflies) for my Grand-Daughter.

D engine Venus Probe done tommorrow !!!

3 X D engine Fat Boy in progress.

Thrustline Mighty Mick in progress.

 

[nomopbo]

I like to only have one going in the building stage at a time. I have about six - eight in the paint stage just waiting on some decent weather.

 

[Initiator001]

I have three rockets in the process of being finished.

I also have an Estes Saturn V (K-36) & Saturn 1B (K-29) that have been in the process of being 'finished' since 1973 or so!


L-R: Estes Nova Payloader, Quest Aerobee-Hi & Semroc Lil' Hercules.

 

[Austin]

I'm a pretty focused person, working on one thing at a time.

One thing I do is multitask...I will work on another piece of the rocket while glue is drying to keep busy when my momentum is going. I currently have three HPR's in various states of build and seem to stop on them when I get to a point where I have to do somehting I really don't care for...the center fins on the HARM need glassed, then it's prime and paint time, the fins on the CB need glassed, nosecone needs shaped and glassed, then prime and paint. I actually like glassing but despise the sanding that follows.

The Tres is a work in progress, with everything ready for primer and paint except for the booster I am working on now. A stock Tres Clone of my son's is half primed. So what, that is 3 for me, one for him? One thing I can say is I always finish a project. I may put it off for a while or interupt it with other hobbies, such as R/C, but they always get done. These have seen and will see a few more interuptions yet, what with R/C flying season opening up and my boy bringing projects, like his Pine Car. Nevertheless, we will continue on and have fun, which is what it's all about!

Carl

 

[CharlaineC]

no more then 5 but depending on type of kit and all not counding cloneing I can knock them out fast

 

[noise]

As the flying season here comes to a close I'm struggling with the transition from "want to get it done for the next launch" to "have until next spring to get it done".

So I'm in the process of figuring out what I want work on next...it's kinda hard.

I also still have a few from this summer that I haven't flown yet because they need to be painted, I have to figure out how to paint inside without polluting the house.

 

[ben]

1/2 scale patriot - almost don building
1/2 scale Terrier-Sandhawk - just getting warmed up!
1/3rd scale Nike Apache - finishing
29mm Deuce - modding to zipperless

Not to many. Not as many as people think. I do have about 5 that need painting: 13, 18, and 24mm Deuce's need painting I am wating till I get them all sanded to paint them since they all get the same paint.

Ben