Photographic Tutorial: Making Balsa Nosecones Look Like Plastic...

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

K'Tesh

.....OpenRocket's ..... "Chuck Norris"
TRF Supporter
Joined
Mar 27, 2013
Messages
22,446
Reaction score
14,747
Well, some may remember my plea for help a few months back (Making Balsa Nosecones Look Like Plastic... How Do You Do It???). Well, I've made progress since then. However, I don't remember seeing a step-by-step photo tutorial on how it's done. Mind you, I don't claim to put a Nathan level of gloss on my nosecones, but then again, who (besides him) can?

First thing, for best results, upon getting the nosecone (either as a spare part, or part of a kit) is to protect it from damage. I have a number of nosecones that got dinged because I waited till I learned how to make balsa look good. This means more work for me on those projects.

Important safety tips:

Super Thin CA glue is pretty nasty stuff. Having a fan blow the fumes away from you is a pretty good idea.

Wear some kind of protective clothing while using thin CA glue, but make sure that the clothing isn't something you value (CA messes up clothing pretty bad). I got two scars on my stomach from the 2nd degree burns I got when large drips from a nose cone fell onto my shirtless stomach, then began to cure. I had my hands full of glue covered nosecone, glue, and napkins while trying to wipe up the spots. I wasn't a very good juggler that day.

Now, on with the tutorial...

Here's a brand new cone:



The best method I've found to protect it is to go ahead and seal it with Super Thin CA glue. Starting with the nosecone pointed down slightly, drizzle the glue slowly over the surface of the nosecone, working from the shoulder down towards the point giving it a complete covering. I like to repeat the process of adding glue until it starts to feel "slimy". Using the reflection of glue on the balsa, I try to get it covered until it's completely glossy. Then I hit it with Insta-Set to accelerate the curing process.



Next I paint the nose cone with a sharpie pen. This allows me to see the low spots on the nosecone when I'm sanding. If the nosecone isn't going to be painted black when it's finished, I try not to mark up the shoulder by covering it with a scrap of body tube.



Now I'll use some 320 Grit Wet/Dry sandpaper to sand off all the black Sharpie. I keep the scrap body tube on the nosecone to protect the shoulder.



If I find that sanding a spot is making the region around the area I want to remove a blurry grey, I've probably sanded completely through the CA, and I'll need to re-glue the area to protect it and keep it looking even. After gluing the affected area again, I'll 'paint' it with another colour Sharpie, and sand it until that colour is gone. This won't get rid of the blurry area, but it does protect the balsa underneath it. In the photo below, you can see a slight discoloration around the upper knot in the balsa.



After removing all traces of the Sharpie, the cone is ready for a quick wipe down to remove dust, before painting.



Lately, I've started gluing a label onto the bottom of the nose cone with my name, email address, and SAM# typed on it. If a lost rocket is recovered, the finder can use the info to help get it back to me. I also am doing this to my balsa couplers to prevent ejection gasses from blowing through the coupler, and popping the nose cone off of the rocket without deploying the parachute (had this happen once while testing a baffle in a payload carrying rocket).



For lighter colours (yellow, red, orange, white, etc.) priming the nose cone with a base coat is needed for best results. Especially if the nosecone and the body tube below it are supposed to be the same color. Dark colors (Black, Dark Blue, etc.) does a better job of hiding the color of the wood below it, and so I'd say priming is optional.



So, that's how I do it now. Sure beats Aerogloss (presuming you can still find it).

All The Best!
Jim
.
 
Last edited:
Nice work. For the real test, take a close up picture of an object reflected in the nose cone. You need a bright light and an object with a lot of contrast to get the full effect. (Note: my nose cones look like plastic because they are plastic)

pdx3h.jpg
 
Thanks for the tip Nathan!

Here's that same black nose cone from the original set of images.


taken with my cell phone

Same layout, different angle/lighting:


taken with my cell phone
 
Last edited:
Wow... I know this thread is a year old, but I have to say, if you see this reply, I sure hope you post more tutorials like this. That's nice!
 
Glad you liked it Daniel. :)

I do have other tutorials on the forums... just not enough time to go and find/list them right now.
 
Last edited:
How timely for me! I really need to get better at searching the archives here. I'll definitely try this technique!
 
I missed this last year... I was focused on another hobby for a while and only looking in on the forum occasionally during that period. Thanks for the great tutorial. The CA technique is what I do, as well, but the sharpie bit is a new innovation for me. I have done something similar using filler primer, but a pass or two with sharpie makes a lot of sense. I will try this on my next balsa-coned project.

K'Tesh- I always like your threads!

Marc
 
I wish I had seen this before I built my Pigasus. The nose cone was a little rough and I just hit it with CA and lightly sanded it. Then I glued the ears and snout on and hit it with primer. Now I'm trying to get a good finish and it's a PITA to sand. Lesson learned.
 
I tried this this evening and here are some beginner's notes...

I have just finished the sanding stage, but I am surprised at how smooth this gets the balsa! That's very cool. Can't wait to prime and paint it! I did the transition section and the 5" long nose cone of an Estes Reflector.


  • *Be careful near the shoulder. You don't want to CA the masking tape or coupler you are using (if any) to the balsa.
    *Thin CA works well, especially on a 5" nose cone.
    *Take care to use a lamp or other bright light to make sure you got the entirity of the balsa. It can be tricky as the CA starts to dry. You'll know if you missed a spot as when you go to sand, you won't be able to sand some of the Sharpie off as it went deep into the wood (and wasn't stopped by the layer of CA).
    *When sanding, the Sharpie dust -- that would be ink -- goes everywhere....on your hands, your clothes, your desk. Be mindful of this. :)
    *Don't forget that balsa is soft. I did and in gripping it hard so I could sand, my fingernails left some impressions. Take care not to do this.
 
Along these lines, what about filling balsa fins with CA? I tried this on one rocket, but did only one coat, and I could still see the wood grain after sanding. I haven't tried it on subsequent rockets, but I'm curious if I should give it another go. I'm always looking for better/easier/different ways to fill fins.

(Before you mention papering fins, I've made a mess of a few fins that way. I need to work on papering before I turn to it regularly. I know it's supposed to be easy, but it's not my forte, I guess.)
 
One other interesting technique - after sanding the CA smooth, an alternative to painting is to simply hit it with a Sharpie again - I have a red Magnum just for this purpose. The result is very light (more perfect for competition models) and the grain shows through giving a really lovely look!

(Man, the Hoosier rocketeers are really represented in this thread! :cool: )
 
Along these lines, what about filling balsa fins with CA? I tried this on one rocket, but did only one coat, and I could still see the wood grain after sanding. I haven't tried it on subsequent rockets, but I'm curious if I should give it another go. I'm always looking for better/easier/different ways to fill fins.

(Before you mention papering fins, I've made a mess of a few fins that way. I need to work on papering before I turn to it regularly. I know it's supposed to be easy, but it's not my forte, I guess.)

Actually, papering with CA is a snap. I use copy paper (home computer paper) with a touch of spray adhesive sprayed on it. Apply to fin, trim closely, then saturate with thin CA. Leave on wax paper or similar to cure. Flip fin, saturate other side. Light sanding. Done. Even the most porous, grainiest fins are easily made paint-ready this way! I could never get the white glue version of papering to look good, but this CA papering has been my go-to method for a while now. It's a snap. Just use appropriate protective measures with the CA & fumes!

Marc
 
Along these lines, what about filling balsa fins with CA? I tried this on one rocket, but did only one coat, and I could still see the wood grain after sanding. I haven't tried it on subsequent rockets, but I'm curious if I should give it another go. I'm always looking for better/easier/different ways to fill fins.

(Before you mention papering fins, I've made a mess of a few fins that way. I need to work on papering before I turn to it regularly. I know it's supposed to be easy, but it's not my forte, I guess.)

Biggest mistake people make is using too much glue... it's ALMOST to the point you cannot use too little glue, but you can DEFINITELY use too much!

Basically, you want JUST enough glue to cover the paper where the fin will glue down to it so that it's extremely thinly but evenly coated, and NO MORE.

Also, white glue is much easier to work with (and better in this application) than yellow wood glue.

Later! OL JR :)
 
CA is my go-to method of "case-hardening" balsa and kraft paper tubing.

The trick is to avoid using the bottle to dispense the CA. You should instead twist the cap off the bottle and dip a cotton swab ("q-tip") into the CA and spread it on the surface. The swab will act like a brush and provide a great deal of control in spreading the CA evenly and in a thin coat. After a few minutes the swab will harden up and you might have to use a fresh one. I should point out that CA will run down the handle of the swab so try to keep the cotton end of the swab pointed ~down~.

If you look online you can find 6" long swabs that work great for treating the inside of the nose cone end of the body tube. I also treat the couplers used for alt-bays. Don't forget to sand the treated areas smooth before using them. There is usually a bit of swelling involved so sanding may be necessary to provide a good slip fit. Captain Low & Slow sands his CA treated couplers on a lathe.

Treating balsa and paper tubing with CA also helps prevent or at least minimizes swelling due to humidity.
 
Really? You tried my foolproof method, and it didn't work? If so, what went wrong? If not... Why don't you give it a shot?

I did, and I had problems. First thing, I had a gap at the leading edge, I guess from not holding it tight enough against the wood. I couldn't burnish that gap out. No matter how much I tried, I had that weird gap between the fin and the paper. I tried this on all three fins of one rocket, and each time, had to peel paper off, leaving residue behind.

Now, these were tiny fins, and I find small parts hard to work with, so I need to try this on a larger set of fins. But I made a huge mess of all the glue and the paper, and just ended up with weird clumps.

CWF is a pain, but I know I can successfully fill fins with it. I'm going to keep trying papering fins so that I have that in my arsenal. But I'd like other options as well. For example, I'm currently working on a rocket with two parts - the main fin part and a long, thin vane. I'm not even sure how to paper a fin of that shape, even if I were good at it.

I've tried plastic putty (worked OK on basswood, but shrinks too much for balsa), which was nice, and dried quicker, but wasn't any less messy. That was actually worse.

So, I'm looking at different methods to use for different builds. Once I can master them all, I can pick and choose.
 
One other interesting technique - after sanding the CA smooth, an alternative to painting is to simply hit it with a Sharpie again - I have a red Magnum just for this purpose. The result is very light (more perfect for competition models) and the grain shows through giving a really lovely look!

(Man, the Hoosier rocketeers are really represented in this thread! :cool: )

What part of Indiana are you from?
 
I wish I had seen this before I built my Pigasus. The nose cone was a little rough and I just hit it with CA and lightly sanded it. Then I glued the ears and snout on and hit it with primer. Now I'm trying to get a good finish and it's a PITA to sand. Lesson learned.

Hi Chris,
There could be a problem with CA-ing the Pigasus nose cone.
The CA seals the wood and the ears and nose wouldn't stick to it!
You would get the best results by filling the parts separately with CWF or sanding sealer then gluing it all together.
 
Try using Avery shipping labels. I've used them on a few builds and the fins come out great every time. You only need to CA the seams.



Along these lines, what about filling balsa fins with CA? I tried this on one rocket, but did only one coat, and I could still see the wood grain after sanding. I haven't tried it on subsequent rockets, but I'm curious if I should give it another go. I'm always looking for better/easier/different ways to fill fins.

(Before you mention papering fins, I've made a mess of a few fins that way. I need to work on papering before I turn to it regularly. I know it's supposed to be easy, but it's not my forte, I guess.)
 
Good point Chris.

Hi Chris,
There could be a problem with CA-ing the Pigasus nose cone.
The CA seals the wood and the ears and nose wouldn't stick to it!
You would get the best results by filling the parts separately with CWF or sanding sealer then gluing it all together.
 
Try using Avery shipping labels. I've used them on a few builds and the fins come out great every time. You only need to CA the seams.

I have got to try this technique....it sounds so....pleasant. Just place the fin on the label, wrap over the leading edge, press gently, CA LE and TE and...done! No mess!
 
I have got to try this technique....it sounds so....pleasant. Just place the fin on the label, wrap over the leading edge, press gently, CA LE and TE and...done! No mess!

I'd recommend that you sand the overlap off. This allows the fibers of the paper to blend with the balsa. It also gets rid of the ridge that lcorinth complained about, and sent us off on this tangent.
 
So, for those who have tried my method of making balsa nosecones look like plastic...

PHOTOS!!! I want pics!

Thanks!
Jim
 
I'd recommend that you sand the overlap off. This allows the fibers of the paper to blend with the balsa. It also gets rid of the ridge that lcorinth complained about, and sent us off on this tangent.

Would I do this before or after sealing the trailing edge with CA?
 
I work as a professional model designer/builder in the aerospace industry.

With the advent of rapid prototyping, we build far fewer models from wood than we did 20 years ago, but we still do some things in wood.

My go-to method for finishing basswood (and balsa wood once in a while for certain needs) for paint, if not fiberglassing the wood surface, is not too different than what this thread discusses.

Typically, I apply two coats of thin CA to the bare sanded wood (sanded to around 120 grit beforehand for basswood and 180 or so for balsa).

I then sand the wood with 180 again to knock off the high points of the wood surface and get the entire surface roughed up. If you burn through the CA coating here and there, recoat the bare spots and repeat.

I then give the surface a thin skim coat of Evercoat body filler. As thin as possible all over, the goal being to get the low spots filled in. After curing, I sand off the skim coat of body filler with 150-180 and then finish sand with 220-240.

This leaves the wood surface in a pattern of Wood color at surface level and light blue Evercoat over the low spots.

I then apply two heavy wet coats of sandable lacquer primer, allowing it to go tack free between coats. Before I ever sand, I apply two more wet coats of a different color sandable primer. After it has dried overnight, or several hours in a hot box, I sand it out with 320 and look for flaws. Any remaining scratches or pinholes get a little bit of lacquer based spot putty. Any deeper issues get a wipe of Evercoat to fill, as it does not shrink as much.

If you are set up to spray paint with a compressor and HVLP gun at home, you can save time by priming with DuPont K-36 or equivalent catalyzed primer. One coat of this replaces two-three coats of lacquer primer.

Another double coat of primer and sanding out with 320 and 400 and the surface is usually ready for paint. I typically use DuPont Chromabase, which is expensive but good. If the model is to have a gloss finish, I take the primer surface to 500-600 grit before paintng. Typically go with two wet coats, a light color sanding and then two more wet coats.

Most of the models we build of military aircraft get a flat finish, which allows a slightly less than perfect surface since nothing reflects. If it is glossy, we typically apply several coats of clear lacquer with some fine sandng as needed.

Outdoor models get a two part catalyzed high solids polyurethane clear for the final finish.

All normal and appropriate safety precautions should be taken, of course.

After spending many hundreds of hours sanding and painting at work each year, I tend to not go too crazy on the finish of my personal model aircraft and rockets......:). I shoot for about an A- or B+ paint job, as the last 5% of the perfect paint job takes about half the total time spent....:)
 
Last edited:
Back
Top