Michaels Hosts Rocket Build Sessions

Michael's is promoting, in conjunction with Estes Industries, a "Space Exploration Rocket Days". This event, held at Michael's stores throughout the country from April 17, 2004 through May 1st, 2004, will provide Scouts the opportunity to complete Requirement 3 of the Space Exploration merit badge except for the two rocket launches.Estes Industries will provide a model rocket to be built to each Boy Scout registering for the event. Michael's will provide an opportunity for scouts to build their rocket at the store. Scoutmasters can bring troop members to participate and a certificate will be presented, upon completion of building the rocket, and the certificate can be presented to the merit badge counselor.

This is a Boy Scout event and does require registration prior to participation. REGISTER NOW! Call or visit your local Michael's store between January 2 and March 5, 2004 to register your troop.

To find the nearest Michael's store, call 800-642-4235 or visit

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(end advert.) Commentary: Posted from a newletter received from Keystone Area Council of the BSA.

Become a Space Exploration merit badge counselor NOW!

Note that the launch is not included. Expect significant demand at club launches in April and May. Note too that it says "REGISTER NOW", but you cannot register until the start of the new year. I plan on offering my services to the local Michael's store to support the build sessions, and to be able to advertise the existence of our club and launch site to a captive audience. With over 12,000 Scouts in the local area, I expect this to be a "sell-out".

Tom Ha President, Central Pennsylvania Rocketeers rocketha at netscape dot net

Reply to
Tom Ha
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Maybe it is across the country, but none of the Michael's stores in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area of NC carry any rocket stuff. Those 40% off coupons go to the wife for floofy stuff like picture frames and silk flowers! Oh, the shame...

Reply to
David

You're missing a few things, David.

wooden dowels balsa plywood glue knives and tools foamboard airbrushes and accessories paints foam and wooden shapes bristol board for transitions miscellaneous "oddroc" parts much, much more

AND those picture frames are good for rocket pictures also

8-)

-- Eric Benner TRA # 8975 L2 NAR # 79398

Reply to
Eric Benner

Not all Michaels in my 'radius' have rockets either. But most carry plywood, balsa, and xacto tools. Then there's paint and art supplies. Don't give up the savings quite so fast.....

Joel. phx

Reply to
Joel Corwith

I find other things to use them on besides their meager extes stock: hot melt glue guns, Krylon, paintbrushes, clay, balsa & plywood, dowels, styrofoam, cutting mats, wheel cutters, helium tanks, and food containers and the like.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Reply to
Bob Kaplow

Where is the store getting the staff to run these? Sounds like a good section outreach program. What we've found to be the real hook is to invite all the kids to your next launch. At a show we'll get maybe 5-10% of them to show up, but those are the ones most likely to join and become long term members.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Reply to
Bob Kaplow

Right on. Wonder if this is country wide?

~ Duane Phillips.

Reply to
Duane Phillips

LOL!

~ Duane Phillips.

Reply to
Duane Phillips

"oooo"... "aaaaahhh"... Triple point shot for Eric! Now let's see how succesful David is in getting the coupons back from the wife...

~ Duane Phillips.

Reply to
Duane Phillips

I can only imagine the disasters that are possible with this program. Have you ever seen how craft store personnel build Model Rocket kits? I am NOT making this up, I have decades of experience dealing with the fallout of 'craft store employee help'. First of all, they ignore the specific glue or cement listed in the kit instructions and have mom and the kids use either whatever they are used to using for gluing Styrofoam balls together or whatever they are "pushing" that week. This will be either hot-melt glue or "tacky glue". I have had to re-build or offer advice on how to rebuild dozens and dozens of rockets where the fins were falling off or the engine block was falling out or the shock cord mount was now filling up 3/4 of the area of the body tube (hot-melt is really bad/bulky in a shock cord mount - PLUS it falls out when it gets hot!).

If this was coordinated with Estes, I hope that they prepared some training info for the store help and told them in big bold letters to use ONLY the glues and cements recommended in the kit instructions. They could print it as large as their rocket car warning sheets.

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-Fred Shecter NAR 20117

-- ""Remove "zorch" from address (2 places) to reply.

Reply to
Fred Shecter

The fight is on!

Reply to
David

Do rockets fly faster and higher if they are filled with helium???

This is the rocketry equivalent of the old argument about whether bikes are more efficient if you fill the frame and tires with helium...

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Reply to
David

The Dude might :-)

But so far the HE tanks have been for birthday party use, although I keep threatening to bring the tank to a launch to put up thermal detector balloons.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Reply to
Bob Kaplow

Yoiu might try "hinting" that two coupons (buy another paper for 50 cents) would get a compressor and good airbrush for a bit over $100. Makes a very good X-mas present. You/she might have to hit two Michaels if the cashiers at your local store have any memory (mine don't).

Additional bonus, you could then start using the cheap acrylic paints that also go on sale for 44 cents a bottle, thin and clean up with water and don't smell like paint (faint smell of apples).

You still need rattle can primer, it's too much work cleaning Rustoleum or Kilz out of the airbrush, but one 44 cent bottle of acrylic can paint 5 or 6 QEstes size models or 2 mid size models. They even have some fairly good metal flake, but the flourescents are pretty poor.

Acrylics are also great for repairs, Ammonia will strip the Acrylic off, without touching the primer coat. Make your repairs, re-primer the repaired area and re-paint the model.

If you plan to spray enamels or dope, I suggest a cheaper airbrush dedicated just to that type of paint. The cleanup and solvents involved in thinning and cleaning those is much more difficult than cleaning up after acrylics.

Bob Ellis

Reply to
Bob n Robin

That's why I would think that local clubs would want to be involved. That and any possbile avenue to "Pay forward".

Tom

up, I have decades

First of all, they

or "tacky glue".

really bad/bulky in

cements recommended

warning sheets.

Reply to
Tom Ha

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