Tonight while trying to get myself psyched up for more work on one of the major projects I have going, I noticed something, that being that I normally don't have to psych myself up to work on my projects. Upon realizing that I was headed for a case of burn-out, I decided to take a breather and clean up the mess I've made in my shop of late. I was busily making piles out of different uncompleted projects when I noticed that I had built up a pretty good collection of scrap body tube pieces that were too big to throw out, but too small to do much with. I consulted my notebook and found that I had made BMS parts orders going back several years and had never followed through on the projects. This led me to my nose cone box and just that fast I had three new projects going. Tonight at work I'm cutting fins for the Astron Apogee, Astron Drifter, and Mini-Brute Screamer, three of the rockets that I planned to build years ago, but just never got around to. (Well, I built a Screamer, but I decided to fly it on an A10-3T on its first flight and never saw it again. This was to be its replacement.) Now I'm facing a weekend of lousy weather, but for a change I'm looking forward to it. I'm not sure where this might take me, but as long as it keeps me from taking the BIG break, it has to be good.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

Bill,

When I get to the "burnout" stage I do the same thing...clean my workbench!

It really suprises me how enthusiastic I get about an old project when I have a "clean workbench and find a whole bunch of "stuff" I lost.

The other thing I do when I get to that stage is make up some clone "kits" for myself to make.

So when I do finally get in the mood to build I can just go to my "made up kit" box.

__________________
"I'm a sandman. I've never killed anyone. I terminate runners when their time is up." Logan from "Logan's Run"

http://sandmandecals.com/

The Astron Drifter was one of my favorite early Estes kit...flew it many times but don't
remember what happened to it. Will have to build a clone of one this year. And those
Mini-Brutes, I pretty much gave up on them shortly after their introduction as I kept
repeatedly losing them. I really did like the Mini-Bertha, though.

__________________
Dave, NAR # 21853 SR.

Please don't take the BIG break, Bill. We might never see you again, and that would be a shame. Seriously.

__________________
John Thro, NAR #84553 SR
I was too old when I started! Now I'll *never* become a BAR!

Gordon,

*Hey.* Now *that's* an idea.

I'm at the point where I need to take inventory of my Temporarily Abandoned But Ongoing Projects (TABOP?).

And last summer I *did* make up some plastic baggies with all the parts for some of my original designs (minus the fin stock) that I was going to send to a Fellow Rocket Fiend... but I got bogged down, and never did write up the instruction sheets.


Cheers,

--Jay

When I was looking at the Screamer last year, it struck me as being Just Too Tiny, and probably a little more manageable (i.e., "recoverable") at a larger size... say, an ST-10 1.91X upscale. (And no, I haven't RockSimmed it, either. )


(feigning confusion) Do you mean, like, from reality?


Grinning, ducking, and running,

--Jay

Sorry. I was busy drooling. Did you say something?

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

Yes, it is too tiny. I lost the first one on its first flight. How do you lose a bright orange rocket on a fresh white canopy of snow?
Chan Stevens has done an upscale of this one that he wrote up on EMRR. I've been toying with the idea, but I should probably get my BT-80 Wizard flying first. I think the new Screamer is going to be a small field flier on 1/4 and 1/2A's only.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

Jay,

I found a bunch of cheap plastic "shoe boxes" that I labeled and put my "kits" into.

Then when I'm admiring how neat my shop looks after a sudden burst of "cleaning frenzy", all I have to do is look at the ends of the boxes and think, "What do I want to build next?"

They "kits" don't have to be fancy. Just a bag with all the precut parts and a downloaded copy of the instructions.

I guess you could make hang tags...if you want to...or feel an anal retentive need.

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__________________
"I'm a sandman. I've never killed anyone. I terminate runners when their time is up." Logan from "Logan's Run"

http://sandmandecals.com/

I printed out a parts list with a picture of the finished rocket at the top.


Y'know, that's even too anal-retentive for *me.*


Cheers,

--Jay


Bill Eichelberger: "You mean you've got an engine hook in your BUTT?!?"