Painting rockets with the nose cone on?

[Rocketbuilder]

Is it a bad idea to paint a rocket with the nose cone on? Will the paint stick to cone to the BT?
It sure seems like painting would be quicker and easier if I didn't have to paint the rocket and nose cone separately.
Thanks.

[SSenesy]

I've never had any trouble with color paint (not sure about clear coat). I would strongly advise against it if your putting Future floor polish on after painting for protection. It will get into every joint and is at least as strong as white glue. I know ammonia will dissolve it, but sometimes it gets in so deep you can't get to it.

[Rocketbuilder]

Thanks, I'll be painting in a few minutes. Worst comes to worst, I'll just use a razor blade and maybe some paint thinner to pop the cone off.
If I do use a clear coat, I'll do that with the nose and rocket separated, just to be safe.
Future floor polish? Nah, I'm too lazy.

[SSenesy]

It's an alternative to clear coat. It works well to protect your decals and can be easily removed. You just have to be careful what you use to clean your rockets if you use it as anything with ammonia in it (like Windex) will strip it off. There's a whole host of threads on it here in the forums.

Good luck.

[Rocketbuilder]

Cleaning rockets with Windex?!
Well, I guess that makes sense if it's made of fiberglass. Mine are made of paper.

[crossfire]

I use some kind of spray cleaner all the time. Just spray some cleane ron a paper towel wipe the rocket, its never been a problem.
gp

[fyrwrxz]

Just my 2 cents- I wrap a band of tape around the shoulder equal to the step of the nose cone so I get a square face on the tube/NC and better seal. Plus the nose cone doesn't chip after you seperate it from the BT. Works best if they are the same colour. Obviously remove before flight!

[rbelknap]

If you're worried about the nose cone sticking (although I've never had a problem with it.) you can wrap the shoulder in masking tape, and insert it *most* of the way into the the body tube, then paint.

[Rocketbuilder]

If you're worried about the nose cone sticking (although I've never had a problem with it.) you can wrap the shoulder in masking tape, and insert it *most* of the way into the the body tube, then paint.

Good idea, I think I'll do it that way. The rocket would be painted by now, but, wait for it...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

I forgot the launch lug!

So it will be painted tomorrow when the glue is fully dry.

[JStarStar]

If you're worried about the nose cone sticking (although I've never had a problem with it.) you can wrap the shoulder in masking tape, and insert it *most* of the way into the the body tube, then paint.

I just do it that way; wrap the tape maybe 1/16" below the boundary line of the shoulder, so when the rocket is done you don't have a bare-balsa (or plastic) stripe.


If I paint the body tube and nose cone separately, I usually run a layer of tape around the interior of the tube at the location of the nose cone shoulder to mask while painting. Depending what kind of paint you use, it can sometimes get sticky or gummy and hang up nose cone ejection -- not good.

[Salvage-1]

Good idea, I think I'll do it that way. The rocket would be painted by now, but, wait for it...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

I forgot the launch lug!

So it will be painted tomorrow when the glue is fully dry.

You aint the first!!

[Rocketbuilder]

You aint the first!!

...And I certainly won't be the last! This certainly won't be the last time for me, anyways.

[Micromeister]

Is it a bad idea to paint a rocket with the nose cone on? Will the paint stick to cone to the BT?
It sure seems like painting would be quicker and easier if I didn't have to paint the rocket and nose cone separately.
Thanks.

For most of my builds I sand & prime the entire model as a single unit. occasionally I'll seperate the NC from the body if it's going to be a completely different color then the body but the "Norm" is at least base color coat the entire model with the nosecone on. I like to pull the NC out just a little 3/16" or 1/4" to allow the color coat to extend a bit into the shoulder (helps to make a better color match if the cone is up a bit).

Seems like leaving off the LL's is a right of passage...I seem to get worse at it the more I build. quite aggravating to notice After the model has been completely painted and Future applied.

[skybuster]

Just my 2 cents- I wrap a band of tape around the shoulder equal to the step of the nose cone so I get a square face on the tube/NC and better seal. Plus the nose cone doesn't chip after you seperate it from the BT. Works best if they are the same colour. Obviously remove before flight!

+1 same method I've been using, and haven't had a problem......until the Colorado winds pick up

[hcmbanjo]

I just do it that way; wrap the tape maybe 1/16" below the boundary line of the shoulder, so when the rocker is done you don't have a bare-balsa (or plastic) stripe.

This is the ticket! It works for me.

[Rocketbuilder]

Well, the rocket (a BT-55 Bullpup 12D) has received one coat of paint, which didn't go so well. I used Rustoleum Professional High Preformance Enamel, followed all the instructions, and the paint bubble all over. Fortunately, most of the bubbles are gone, but there it one stubborn spot that will likely have to be sanded all the way down to the tube.
Have any of you used this paint? If so, did you have this problem?
I'm thinking the next coat will be Valspar white enamel.

[El Phantasmo]

I tend to paint a little heavy, so I don't secure the nose cone until I'm done painting. Even on my first rocket, at about age 13, I thought painting a model with it's removable parts on was a recipe for disaster. I like to paint non-bonded structures separately when possible, then there's a little final assembly at the end.

[[POW]Eagle159]

Well, the rocket (a BT-55 Bullpup 12D) has received one coat of paint, which didn't go so well. I used Rustoleum Professional High Preformance Enamel, followed all the instructions, and the paint bubble all over. Fortunately, most of the bubbles are gone, but there it one stubborn spot that will likely have to be sanded all the way down to the tube.
Have any of you used this paint? If so, did you have this problem?
I'm thinking the next coat will be Valspar white enamel.

I had the same thing happen to me on a scratch build with the Rustoleum paint......

[DJDeadParrot]

One of the first rockets I ever built, I painted with the nose cone on. The paint seeped into the shoulder-BT joint and bonded it in there pretty good. I managed to get it out, and never since have I painted a rocket with the nose cone in place.

[Rocketbuilder]

Yeah, I'm thinking from now on I will paint the nose cone separately. When I put tape around the shoulder and partially inserted it, then painted it, the paint stuck the tape on the shoulder to the BT. Fortunately, I was able to separate it with no damage.
So far I've to the bubbles sanded off the nose cone, and today I'll finish sanding the tube and fins. Then it's back to regular Rustoleum white paint.