Building the Estes Saturn V

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Rocketbuilder said:
It looks great so far! :)
If you are masking off a large area, you can use a piece of paper with masking tape on the edges, saves time and money. The service module does look a little long, but maybe I am just crazy, too. ;) I wouldn't worry too much about it. (But, if you want to fix it [assuming that it is inaccurate] at 1/100 scale the SM should be about 1.68 inches long. If you have access to a printer, go here: https://jleslie48.com/satv20/ and print the page with the service module at 96% and assemble it. This will give you a 1/100 model of the SM to compare to the Estes model. Hope this helps! :))
For painting, follow the instructions on the can, especially the part about how far away to hold the can, and how long to wait between coats. Apply light coats, so the paint won't run.
Keep up the excellent work! Remember, so long as YOU are happy with it, it's all good. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks you a lot for all your help!!!! It helps greatly. I cut a little of the service mudile and made it a little smaller. Thanks you again!!!! Hope to be able to paint the model very well.
 
asennad said:
Oh god no! It's crazy expensive. Just do what you are doing. Burnish the edges down with a round tooth pick to ensure paint doesn't seep under it.
Click to expand...

Yeah. That is what I will going to do, but you are right, Tamiya tape is really awesome. It is a must have. Thanks!!!!
 
Sully said:
I used the regular blue masking tape with our Estes Saturn V: It worked OK in some places, but around some of the "corrugated" wraps I didn't seal the edges well enough. Combine that with some really awful Krylon black spraypaint and my clumsy novice techniques, and you get a mess: black paint dripping under the masking tape and oozing down over all the nice white wraps. I had to mask off the black areas while still wet and do some emergency white coverup spraying (my son wanted to take it to school the next morning for a presentation on the space program). The result looks great from >20 feet away! I reassured my (5th grade) son that nobody would suspect that his father helped him with his project, that they'd just pat him on the head and say "well, at least you tried to paint it!" It must have been OK, because he keeps it on display in his room and won't let me launch it!
Click to expand...

Actually maybe if the paint job wasn't quite museum-quality people would be more likely to think he did it all by himself. :wink:


When I built my original Centuri Saturn V 15 or so years ago, the instructions said to paint black first, then do the masking, etc etc for the WHITE surfaces, at least for the corrugations.
 
Last edited:
Guys I need your help!!!! Yesterday I was cutting the fins slots in the fairings and they don't look very well. What can I use to fill the imperfections? Can I use putty, etc?

Please, help me!!!!!
 
Use Squadron White Putty *VERY SPARINGLY* You can thin it with plastic cement (not the gooey tube kind). Alternately, you can wick CA into the gap and dump SIG Microballoons on it - wait a minute and tap the uncured microballoons back into the can. (Practice the CA/Microballoon trick first, you can really hose it up if you're not careful)
 
PhlAsh said:
Use Squadron White Putty *VERY SPARINGLY* You can thin it with plastic cement (not the gooey tube kind). Alternately, you can wick CA into the gap and dump SIG Microballoons on it - wait a minute and tap the uncured microballoons back into the can. (Practice the CA/Microballoon trick first, you can really hose it up if you're not careful)
Click to expand...

I decided that I will be buying the replacement parts from Sirius Rocketry. I am afraid to use CA or Putty on the fins. I always make a mess!!! Thanks you for your help though!!!!
 
For future reference, if you need to fill something non-structural (i.e. gaps in balsa assemblies, bubbles in fin fillets, or any other purely cosmetic imperfection) you can use commonly available bathroom caulk, used for sealing showers and tile. I used this on my QCC Explorer, and it worked great! Just make sure you get the paintable kind. :)
 
Gabriel315 said:
I decided that I will be buying the replacement parts from Sirius Rocketry. I am afraid to use CA or Putty on the fins. I always make a mess!!! Thanks you for your help though!!!!
Click to expand...

Good move. Trying to repair already inefficient parts is another waste of time.
 
Gabriel315 said:
I decided that I will be buying the replacement parts from Sirius Rocketry. I am afraid to use CA or Putty on the fins. I always make a mess!!! Thanks you for your help though!!!!
Click to expand...

I don't blame you. Mine were a pain in the backside...
 
Hello guys!!!. I was unable to post all my advancement because my PC was a little crazy and I took it for repair.

Well, I made a lot of advancements during these weeks.

I painted the entire model white and now I am painting the black areas.

I began with the third stage. I have finished painting all the black areas there but I still need to fix some imperfections. I think I would need to mask all again and spray a little more paint in the black areas. What are your recommendations?

Thanks!!!!
 
When I've painted roll patterns, which were a pain to mask, I just masked the edge that needed touching up and brushed on a Testors flat black paint that blended in really well.
Did you get you upgrade parts yet from Sirius?
We'd love to see some pictures when you get it all finished up nice! :D

Oh BTW, a little OT, but I heard that SpaceX is considering building it's private launch site in Puerto Rico. If they do, I'll sure be jealous of you, getting to watch all those launches! Of course, we did have the shuttle here in Florida, and we've got some other Gov't stuff too, but still...

Anyway, good luck with finishing up your rocket!
 
Rocketbuilder said:
When I've painted roll patterns, which were a pain to mask, I just masked the edge that needed touching up and brushed on a Testors flat black paint that blended in really well.
Did you get you upgrade parts yet from Sirius?
We'd love to see some pictures when you get it all finished up nice! :D

Oh BTW, a little OT, but I heard that SpaceX is considering building it's private launch site in Puerto Rico. If they do, I'll sure be jealous of you, getting to watch all those launches! Of course, we did have the shuttle here in Florida, and we've got some other Gov't stuff too, but still...

Anyway, good luck with finishing up your rocket!
Click to expand...

I would like to put some photos but my PC is a headache. I'm still having problems with it. But don't worry, I will post a lot of photos later.

About Space X launch site in Puerto Rico, Yes!!!!! I have heard of it. I hope they choose PR. It would be awesome!!!. I heard that they are also evaluating Florida and Texas for their launch site. I was jealous of you guys in Florida too. LOL!!!!. I really want to see a rocket launch!!!!!!!

The Saturn V looks awesome until now so I am very happy with it. Hope that this piece of trash (PC) be fixed very soon.
 
Gabriel315 said:
Hello guys!!!. I was unable to post all my advancement because my PC was a little crazy and I took it for repair.

Well, I made a lot of advancements during these weeks.

I painted the entire model white and now I am painting the black areas.

I began with the third stage. I have finished painting all the black areas there but I still need to fix some imperfections. I think I would need to mask all again and spray a little more paint in the black areas. What are your recommendations?

Thanks!!!!
Click to expand...


Aren't compooters fun?!
I have a set of Koh-I-noor rapidographs, so I filled one with black ink and one with white and cleaned up all my edges with 'em.
 
i forgot to tell you guys that I used Duplicolor gloss paint. What other alternatives do I have to cover the imperfections? Can I use a Testors gloss black marker over the Duplicolor black paint?

Thanks!!!
 
Here are the photos I promised guys!!! Please let me know what you think. I think they are awesome for a 16 years old guy. LOL!

Thanks!!!

IMG_1249.jpgIMG_1254.jpgIMG_1261.jpgIMG_1264.jpg
 
Gabriel315 said:
Here are the photos I promised guys!!! Please let me know what you think. I think they are awesome for a 16 years old guy. LOL!

Thanks!!!

Great work!
I wish my my first Saturn V turned out this well when I built one at 16!
Click to expand...
 
I'm impressed!

Did you get the Sirius Molds? The bottom heat shield looks good! :cool:

How are you painting the black stripes? What paint are you using?

- R_R
 
rosko_racer said:
I'm impressed!

Did you get the Sirius Molds? The bottom heat shield looks good! :cool:

How are you painting the black stripes? What paint are you using?

- R_R
Click to expand...

Hello!!!! Yes I got the sirius molds. They didn't look too good but all it is not that big deal. I am using Duplicolor's Premium Enamel Paint. They are awesome!!! I REALLY RECOMMEND THEM TO YOU.

Gabriel
 
Looks very sharp!!

I think (well actually I know) the F-1 engine bells on the first stage are supposed to be silver, is that picture just dimly lit?

Happily as I recall from building my own Sat V, painting the engine bells is a much easier masking job than the roll patterns on the main body, which you want to be razor sharp.
 
JStarStar said:
Looks very sharp!!

I think (well actually I know) the F-1 engine bells on the first stage are supposed to be silver, is that picture just dimly lit?

Happily as I recall from building my own Sat V, painting the engine bells is a much easier masking job than the roll patterns on the main body, which you want to be razor sharp.
Click to expand...

The real Saturn V had the F-1 engines painted in gunmetal. I painted them that way so they look more realistic. (Actually this gunmetal I used is not the same real color)

1057236484_61e6105589_z.jpg
 
Wow! Those are some great paint lines! Certainly better than what I could do, but you've got a couple years on me, in my defense. :D
Fortunately the Saturn V I am building is cardstock, so the printer paints it for me. :p (Not to mention that it's free... But then again, it doesn't have the cool 3D corrugations and everything. I say, build cheap and fly more!)
 
Nice looking. I have one of the original 30 year anniversary models that I built and modded into a five motor cluster with motor bell housings. I love flying it, in fact I have spent this morning cleaning the dust off of it and repairing the damage to the tower from the last flight.

Those vacuum formed parts are a pain in the butt to get right. I was going to replace them with the cast resin ones but so far I have not had too much of a problem with them (cross fingers). I did build my tower out of music wire though, and it still breaks on impact sometimes. I think I have that issue fixed now.

When do you think you will be able to fly it?
 
DM1975 said:
Nice looking. I have one of the original 30 year anniversary models that I built and modded into a five motor cluster with motor bell housings. I love flying it, in fact I have spent this morning cleaning the dust off of it and repairing the damage to the tower from the last flight.

Those vacuum formed parts are a pain in the butt to get right. I was going to replace them with the cast resin ones but so far I have not had too much of a problem with them (cross fingers). I did build my tower out of music wire though, and it still breaks on impact sometimes. I think I have that issue fixed now.

When do you think you will be able to fly it?
Click to expand...

Thanks!!!

I am not planning to fly my rocket because I live in an island and there is no space for it to fly. I haven't prepared the rocket for flight neither. (it has very heavy fins and fairings "sirius rocketry upgrade") BTW, about what cast resin parts are you talking about. They are a good idea for the future!!!!
 
Gabriel315 said:
Thanks!!!

I am not planning to fly my rocket because I live in an island and there is no space for it to fly. I haven't prepared the rocket for flight neither. (it has very heavy fins and fairings "sirius rocketry upgrade") BTW, about what cast resin parts are you talking about. They are a good idea for the future!!!!
Click to expand...

The cast resin parts ARE what you got from Sirius. I opted to make my own. I don't have a decent pic of the tower though.

DSCF2734.JPG
 
Gary Byrum said:
The cast resin parts ARE what you got from Sirius. I opted to make my own. I don't have a decent pic of the tower though.
Click to expand...

They are really nice!!! The ones I bought from Sirius weren't too good but they were my only choice. Congrats!!
 
Sorry for not writing about my progress with the rocket in a while. I was busy for a long time and I didn't make any advancements since then. Well, I need to paint the first stage with black paint and then put the decals in place. Will try to post photos.

See ya!!!
 

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