Painting around fillets

[Troy3003]

So if you wanted to paint just the fins, or if you were painting fins a different color than the booster what is your preferred procedure to mask the area. Would you mask where the fillet meets the fin or where the fillet meets the booster?
This has always been something I've avoided because I can never seem to get a good straight line or I feel like I went too high or too low with the transition.

 

[AfterBurners]

depends on the size of your fillets? If my fillets are say 1/4" I like to split them or go above. I don't think it really matters just make sure they even.

 

[dr wogz]

ditto.. split the fillet in two.. and be consistent!

 

[Troy3003]

I suck at consistently when taping around fins, especially when a fillet is feather edged where you can't see any defining marks. I guess I was hoping for a magical solution, lol.

 

[prfesser]

I've seen a paint job where masking was applied to make a red stripe about 1" wide (4" airframe) for the length of the airframe, centered on the red fin. Just two long strips of tape 1" apart (plus overspray protection of course).

It's not exactly what you're looking for but it gives a pretty nice look to the model, and the fillets and fin are all the same color that way.

 

[Troy3003]

Thats not a bad idea either. I'll have to mock it up and see what it looks like. That is the kind of idea I was looking for when I made the post. Thank you.

 

[Troy3003]

Well I went with the whole fillet and fin after a few different tape jobs that didn't look just right. I'm not sure this is what I wanted but it turned out good enough to fly I guess.

 

[DaHabes]

Looks awesome. My preference is to make the fillets the same color as the fins. If they are well shaped, they give a clean look.

 

[afadeev]

I've tried it all different ways, including painting fins and body same color, to avoid paint masking challenge altogether (I hate painting).
One other variation that hasn't been brought up is leaving fins as a unique 3rd "accent" color. I'm not convinced it's such a hot idea, but I've BTDT, and even found a picture to illustrate the outcome:



P.S.: If anyone is curious, Glenmarc/Rocketpoxy sells an assortment of florescent color pigments:

 

[teepot]

I've done it both ways. It depends on the rocket and fin color as to which way I paint the fin and filet.

 

[jqavins]

I've done it both ways. It depends on the rocket and fin color as to which way I paint the fin and filet.

Yes, that. And, as others have said, the most important thing is to pick one and stick with it. (Or even pick a hybrid scheme, like fin color on the clockwise side and body color on the other side. Or fin color on two of three fins' fillets and body color on the others. Just whatever you do, do it consistently.)

I personally lean toward making the fillets the fin color. I imagine construction of a larger rocket, where the fillets are integral to the fin assembly before it is mated to the airframe, so the whole fin assembly, fillets and all, is painted as one. But that's all in my head.

Splitting down the middle sounds good, but it also sounds really hard to get right. I'd never attempt it. But again, that's me.

 

[Nathan]

Putting a paint mask line directly on a fillet is not going to look perfect. That's why I never do it. When planning my paint schemes I always avoid designs that would require masking directly on or across a fin fillet.

 

[Troy3003]

Putting a paint mask line directly on a fillet is not going to look perfect. That's why I never do it. When planning my paint schemes I always avoid designs that will require masking directly on a fin fillet.

Beautiful paint jobs you have there.

 

[prfesser]

Well I went with the whole fillet and fin after a few different tape jobs that didn't look just right. I'm not sure this is what I wanted but it turned out good enough to fly I guess.

I like that look better than my suggestion!

 

[icyclops]

So if you wanted to paint just the fins, or if you were painting fins a different color than the booster what is your preferred procedure to mask the area. Would you mask where the fillet meets the fin or where the fillet meets the booster?
This has always been something I've avoided because I can never seem to get a good straight line or I feel like I went too high or too low with the transition.

Use a small 12” metal ruler and place it up against the leading edge where the top of the fin meets the body tube. Draw a light pencil line from the top of the fin to the bottom. It will cover a little of the fillet depending on how big of fillets you made. Then tape it just outside the pencil line so when you paint the fin the pencil line is covered.

 

[Troy3003]

About done with it now, just a few more things to wrap up.

 

[aviserated]

That clear looks smooth, what brand is it?

 

[Troy3003]

I think I used dupli-color on this one. The biggest reason is I have wet sanded it and used some polishing compound.

 

[tomsteve]

i tried quite a few different ways.
then tried looking at it form 50 feet away. perfection!

 

[tOD]

My paint schemes always look best from 40ft. below the rocket as it's hanging in a tree.