I lawn-darted my Mean Machine last time I flew it, and figured as long as I was repairing the front end, I'd try my first baffle (particularly since I wasn't sure the lawn dart might not have been caused by improper use (e.g. too much) wadding-- the ejection charge sounded like a "pfffft!") I have not yet re-launched it to see how well it works. Personally I don't think I'd ever use one on a tube smaller than a BT-60, but that size and above use an awful lot of wadding.

I'm not against longer shock cords, but I've never had issues with the estes-sized ones. Same goes for the tri-fold mount - I have rockets from when I was a kid where the tri-fold mount is just fine, and the elastic cord was disintegrated. I simply cut it out, and glued in some new elastic with a new tri-fold

I don't really get the finger-tab either. The old-fashioned style worked just fine. On the other hand, the plastic fin-cans with the motor retention cap you turn and pull off have never bothered me whereas others here seem to abhor them.

I'm not nearly as religious about fin filling/finishing/yadda yadda as the rest of you seem to be. I mainly build to fly. I do try to make them look decent but if you back up 3 feet you'll never see those tube styles anyway That said I've been doing that on my last few rockets just to see what all the fuss is about

Basically a rocket flying on a 'C' engine doesn't need to be built like it's flying on an 'H' or bigger. Some of the old techniques work just fine.