Rocket needs refinishing

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Tonimus

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My partner in crime got his uncle's model rockets when his uncle passed. He dug out one that we want to use, but the paint is toast. It's cracking and chipping. I plan on sanding it down, but I was wondering if anyone has any other tips to re-finish old or poorly painted rockets? It's cardboard body tubes, PVC nose and wooden fins. Thanks in advance, guys.
 
Leave it the way it is. Its the way his uncle painted it. It adds characture to it. Any old kits or motors maybe blue tube D-13s or B-14s.
 
If you want to repaint them, you're on the right track... you can sand them down and then shoot some new primer and/or paint right over them.

If you want to take it down to bare material, well, it depends on what they were painted with. IF they were painted with enamels, lacquer thinner will soften and wrinkle it and allow it to be literally "wiped" off the tube. Be careful of plastics though-- some aren't particularly friendly with lacquer thinner.

Of course the decals will go up in smoke, if there are any. You can get new ones from various sources, or perhaps find them online and print out your own, or decorate it your own way.

Depending on how bad the paint is and what you want to do, you might just leave it... thing is, they're YOUR rockets, do with them as you please...

Later! OL JR :)
 
We'd be a lot more likely to dispense good advice if we had some pictures.:wink:
 
Ask and ye shall receive.

Untitled

This is what I find most troubling. You can see a slight curve in the fin as well as the splitting. Not quite delaminating.

Untitled
 
Well, that fin is delaminated...slightly. You can pry the cracks open with a small screwdriver and using a toothpick guide/force whatever glue you use down inside the cracks trying to hit the sides of the cracked pieces, too. Then a couple of flat pieces of metal and "C" clamp or a vice to clamp things together. After the glue dries I'd bet the curve is gone.
 
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