Painting rockets in Apartments

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RoyAtl

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After years of having a large patio of my own and a two car garage to paint rockets in, I've downsized into an apartment in-town. I *could* use the smaller patio, covered with some dropcloth. Or the massive downstairs garage when everyone is gone to work. But does anyone have experience painting rockets (LPR and mid-power) in an apartment while protecting surfaces and not fumigating the place?

Any ideas or tips?
 
One solution is an airbrush and water-based paints, if you're inclined in that direction.

I admire the N00b's efforts but personally can't imagine painting with fume-y rattlecans indoors, regardless of what precautions I took.
 
You better not rattle can it in a communal garage as overspray will hit any cars in there. The finish will be rough on feeling it on a car and you'll be stuck "acetoning" any and all cars you hit. You're in a bind here. Go to a friends where you can spray outdoors and
deal with the embedded bugs. I doubt an indoor spray booth in an apartment would work completely perfectly plus you would be constrained to use it on fair weather days. Would need a completely sealed "booth" plastic or otherwise and air flow in and air flow out. Your neighbors smell funny business and the landlord or owners association will be knocking on your door. If you are a bachelor you can deal with it but the neighbors, spouse, significant other or roommate will not.Kurt
 
Another awesome old build thread that I didn't know about. Thanks for the link, I might be stealing some ideas there...

You may already know how to click on the name, "view forum posts". Pick any hornet driver thread, then prepare yourself for mind-blowing awesomeness !

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Another Hall of Famer - sodmeister
 
I used to take mine into the stairwell (on a floor other than mine, of course). Most people used the elevator, so there was almost no traffic on the stairs.
 
Paint- you do not need paint- you only want paint

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Nathan, it is true- paint is not a need it is a want. The rocket will fly just fine without it.

That said, you have great finishes. Frankly though, I would be afraid to fly the rocket for fear of messing up the paint job. Also, I would never have the patience to do a finish like you do- if it looks ok from 25 feet away that a cool by me.

Then there is the other rule. All rockets fly sans paint the first flight. They need to earn paint.


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Nathan, it is true- paint is not a need it is a want. The rocket will fly just fine without it.

That said, you have great finishes. Frankly though, I would be afraid to fly the rocket for fear of messing up the paint job. Also, I would never have the patience to do a finish like you do- if it looks ok from 25 feet away that a cool by me.

Then there is the other rule. All rockets fly sans paint the first flight. They need to earn paint.


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I think its time he share some more of his pretty work. :cool:

I paint on my back patio at my apt all the time- I have an extra can of black for when I accidentally overspray on the rail- quick re-touch and good to go, the 5 colors on the concrete- not so much :wink:
 
You may already know how to click on the name, "view forum posts". Pick any hornet driver thread, then prepare yourself for mind-blowing awesomeness !

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Another Hall of Famer - sodmeister

Wow! thanks, not quite sure I deserve that but thanks! I'll be getting back into things in a month or so. First I'll wrap up the JQ and then we'll start the scratch build Nike Herc(two stage).
As far as painting in an apt. It's not as bad as you might think. Those small spaces really help your technique. I do most of my painting on the porch year round. In the winter the sun warms the area enough to paint--I'll put the rocket out in the winter sun for a few minutes to warm the surface a bit before I begin. I usually work on top of a small bar height table covered with a drop cloth of some type. The ticket is to not spray too far away--8-12 inches works for me--spray in quick even strokes--DO NOT TRY TO COVER IT IN ONE COAT! That's where a lot of the over spray problems come from. Depending on the paint you use, most over spray is dry by the time it hits a nearby surface--a little breeze helps from time to time. The more gloss the paint has the longer any over spray will take to dry! Rusto paints are the worst but tend to give the best finishes--they take longer to dry overall. Rusto metallics are by far the worst. They dry slowly to let the clear come to the surface. The finished product is outstanding but buyer be ware--You will have over spray on EVERYTHING within about ten feet!
A small ,portable paint booth is a good idea if you have somewhere to put it. I find them a bit restrictive so I don't use one.
I also use a clear top coat. once the color coat is down just clear it. No muss no fuss and it drys fast!you don't have to worry about recoating the color over and over to get that shine you want. The big deal is just watch your technique and try to be a bit of a minimalist when it comes to spraying.
 
UTC SEDS always flies HPR competition rockets no paint. Why the **** would you pay money to add mass to a rocket? Nyet, Rocket is Fine, Comrades. Paint is luxury item on an engineering school budget. That's how over budget we went.

Gotta love Soviet Union style Design for Manufacturability. You save money,time, effort, and its a functional mass decrease.
 
Wow! thanks, not quite sure I deserve that but thanks! ....

Maybe not. Hmmm... Let me see, what do I like about a hornet driver build thread ? Imagination, the chops to make it real, doin' it in your apartment with knife, sandpaper, and rattlecans. Nope, mind still blown by the awesome, mind-blowing awesomeness of the whole enchilada ! :)

I'll be getting back into things in a month or so. First I'll wrap up the JQ and then we'll start the scratch build Nike Herc(two stage).
...

That's good news.
 
I’ve been known to paint mine at the range.
Sometimes I haven’t painted them, but I lost the bottom half of an unpainted Wildman Jr. and when I found it a few years later the epoxy had leached out of the fiberglass, leaving whiskers.
 
I’ve been known to paint mine at the range.
Sometimes I haven’t painted them, but I lost the bottom half of an unpainted Wildman Jr. and when I found it a few years later the epoxy had leached out of the fiberglass, leaving whiskers.

Chalk it up to my inexperience with commercial composite airframes, but how did the epoxy leach out? UV or chemical degradation?
 
You could look into maker spaces in your area. They may or may not be geared towards paining type activities but as one who also lives in an apartment, having tools and such available that you don't need to store is pretty rad as well.
 
Check with someone in your flying club and see if they will let you paint at their place.

I have built a booth similar to the one in the beginning of the thread, but I had it in a garage at my apartment. Worked great!!
 
. . . Frankly though, I would be afraid to fly the rocket for fear of messing up the paint job . . .

All the paint job pics that I've posted have been newly painted rockets. Once I start flying them they get scuff marks, paint chips, rail rash, etc.

I think its time he share some more of his pretty work . . .

Rocket painting season is over until next spring. Now it's rocket flying season. :cool:
 
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