Estes Argent

You're one step closer to pics like this!

Wow! Very nice.

Nytrunner said:

You're one step closer to pics like this!

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Nice paint job and launch photo! What motor? F22J?

I think I’ll get a chance to fly my Argent tomorrow. Looking forward to it!

offhand I would guess that it is an F26 (single use)
Rex

markg said:

Nice paint job and launch photo! What motor? F22J?

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Rex R said:

offhand I would guess that it is an F26 (single use)
Rex

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It's a G38 FastJack. I had to go back and check my PSII thread to be sure. The F smokies aren't oomphy enough at the start to lift it after the mods to high power motors (progressive burn)

Part of the purpose of building my Argent was to experiment with fiberglassing fins and with forming fat but consistent fillets. And I also used it to experiment with some metallic paints.



Those are the fillets above.

In the pic below, the Argent is third from the left. The layout of the paint scheme is like the standard livery, which is rare for me. The colors are a few of the Rustoleum Stops Rust Metalics. I wanted to see how they would look layered over each other.



On the far right is my upscale Silver Comet, which is where I applied what I learned from building the Argent to fiberglass the fins, form the fillets, and use the silver paint. The pic is right before loading up to go to LDRS. I actually only ended up flying the bigger HPR rockets, so tomorrow will be the first time flying the Argent.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

Part of the purpose of building my Argent was to experiment with fiberglassing fins and with forming fat but consistent fillets. And I also used it to experiment with some metallic paints.

View attachment 368478 View attachment 368479

Those are the fillets above.

In the pic below, the Argent is third from the left. The layout of the paint scheme is like the standard livery, which is rare for me. The colors are a few of the Rustoleum Stops Rust Metalics. I wanted to see how they would look layered over each other.

View attachment 368480

On the far right is my upscale Silver Comet, which is where I applied what I learned from building the Argent to fiberglass the fins, form the fillets, and use the silver paint. The pic is right before loading up to go to LDRS. I actually only ended up flying the bigger HPR rockets, so tomorrow will be the first time flying the Argent.

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Your fillets look really nice and I like the scheme!

Tyler P said:

Your fillets look really nice and I like the scheme!

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Thanks! We’ll see how it flies in about 2 hours!

ThirstyBarbarian said:

Thanks! We’ll see how it flies in about 2 hours!

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So jealous. I'm at work. I do work for a hobby shop, so it's not all bad, but this is day 6 in row.

Nytrunner said:

You will be waiting awhile or have to pay quite a pretty penny for an Argent. They are OoP and sought after

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Really? I have two in the build pile.

Chad Holm said:

My daughter and I finished putting one of those together. Its maiden flight will be in a couple weeks.

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That was the plan, here, too..

Andy Greene said:

Must be a father daughter thing with that rocket - lol .
I love my Argent - I have about 14 G40 flights on mine. View attachment 368281

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Hmmm...must be a daddy/daughter rocket. We built Leviathans together; we were going to build the Argents this winter.

I flew mine on Saturday. Sorry, no pics... It did great on a G40-7.

The Argent is a great rocket, I have a ton of flights on mine from F's through small H's. It's one of my go-to rockets for electronics testing because you can put a huge payload in the upper section. The only weak point is the transition... the plastic is thinner than it should be, and of course those plastic shock cord loops are ridiculously weak. Mine cracked and I unceremoniously just taped it together. If I managed to score another transition, I think I'd get some foam and fill it up.

gna said:

Really? I have two in the build pile.

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Which (unless you're willing to sell) doesn't help the guy that is trying to find one now.

cerving said:

and of course those plastic shock cord loops are ridiculously weak

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Hmmm, have you considered an eye bolt through a 2.5"bulkhead, coupler nut, then threaded rod through the transition to another 2" bulkhead and a nut? Makes a nice little transition sandwich. I did something similar so I could stuff a strstologger and lipo in the transition.

Putty sanded, rail button locations drilled, and ready for primer.

Primer on.

Now I have to figure out a scheme. I have a few ideas but not 100% sure yet.

I think the colours will be black, white, silver, and fluorescent red, but I haven't decided where they're going.

I usually try to plan ahead to paint a transition last so you don't have to mask it.
Easier to mask on the straight body tube, but a little harder to mask on a transition.

Here's a rough outline. Things have started and I have an idea of the direction it's going.

It sounds like it could be a complex paint scheme. Looking forward to seeing it!

ThirstyBarbarian said:

It sounds like it could be a complex paint scheme. Looking forward to seeing it!

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I don't know about complex, but hopefully it turns out alright!

Here's a start to the colours. A few coats of AutoAir Flourescent Hot Red for the main. AutoAir Metallic Silver on the nose cone.

This is all going to have to cure up well before I do the rest, so it'll probably be next week before I start remasking and painting the final colours.

It's looking good!!

Peeled the first masking. This is going to be a challenge, I think. All I can do it try. Sandpaper is cheap, so if I really mess it up, it won't be an expensive fix!

Looks good so far!

I'm pretty happy with the red. It's super bright! I think the rest of it will work out but it will take some patience. Not super complicated but just a lot more masking and with masking over painted areas, always a risk of pulling up paint.

looks good so far.

That red is really bright! I like it.

Are you getting some paint bleeding under the tape? If so there’s a few techniques you can try.

First, keep the masking tape that you use for paint masking clean. If it comes in a plastic container, put it back in the container every time you lay it down. Don’t lay it down on your workbench or other surface. Fuzz and other dirt debris will stick to the side of the roll and will wick paint under the edge of the tape. I have tape that I use for general taping, and I don’t worry about keeping that roll clean, but the tape used for masking paint jobs gets special,treatment.

After you put the tape on, go back and press the edges down tight before painting. You can use your finger, or you can use a piece of balsa or the side of a plastic pen to burnish the edge of the tape down tight to the surface.

If the new color is compatible with the color it’s going over when wet, you can spray a small amount of the original color on before adding the new color. In your case, you’d spray some white right before spraying the red. If any paint bleeds under, it’s the same color as the original, and it will seal the edge, preventing the new color from bleeding under. This only works with compatible paints — usually the same brand and the same family.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

That red is really bright! I like it.

Are you getting some paint bleeding under the tape? If so there’s a few techniques you can try.

First, keep the masking tape that you use for paint masking clean. If it comes in a plastic container, put it back in the container every time you lay it down. Don’t lay it down on your workbench or other surface. Fuzz and other dirt debris will stick to the side of the roll and will wick paint under the edge of the tape. I have tape that I use for general taping, and I don’t worry about keeping that roll clean, but the tape used for masking paint jobs gets special,treatment.

After you put the tape on, go back and press the edges down tight before painting. You can use your finger, or you can use a piece of balsa or the side of a plastic pen to burnish the edge of the tape down tight to the surface.

If the new color is compatible with the color it’s going over when wet, you can spray a small amount of the original color on before adding the new color. In your case, you’d spray some white right before spraying the red. If any paint bleeds under, it’s the same color as the original, and it will seal the edge, preventing the new color from bleeding under. This only works with compatible paints — usually the same brand and the same family.

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Thanks for the tips!

Yes, I do have some bleed on this one. In this case I'm not super worried because the next colour will cover it, however I think I will try to be a bit more careful with my roll of tape. I did see some tape that comes in a container at the store, and I think I may go and pick up a roll, just so I have a container to keep subsequent rolls in.

I may go back to trying liquid mask on this one. Liquid masking film leaves perfect lines every time. It is just a pile of extra work on something like this.

Liquid mask is a no-go. Made a huge mess of my upper tube that is going to require a bunch of sanding and primer recoats before it is presentable again.

Water-based acrylics and cardboard tubes don't play nice together. To much moisture that softens the paper covering. Next time around I'm going to try a couple coats of waterbased polyurethane finishing resin to start. That'll give the tubes a much tougher base and it should allow for much nicer painting. In fact, I may coat the bottom section with it over the existing paint before I move on with masking.

Sorry to hear about the liquid mask issues. Thanks for the shared experience. Hang I there and looking forward to the recovery.

Bk

Brian Kirksey said:

Sorry to hear about the liquid mask issues. Thanks for the shared experience. Hang I there and looking forward to the recovery.

Bk

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Thanks! I took a little break and then got back to it. A gave the upper tube a nice coat of Deluxe Materials Eze-Kote, baked it on the heater for a bit, and then gave it a little sanding with 400. It's not perfect, but it is so much better and the surface is smoother.

With that small victory, I tossed the main tube into the booth and gave it a good coating. Baked it a bit and sanded again with 400.

I'm happy to say that I can move forward with confidence. The finish is much harder, so masking over the base coat shouldn't be an issue.

Lesson learned: first step after filling spirals and sanding will be 2 coats of Eze-Kote laminating and finishing resin.

Thankfully, I've got a second Argent to try the new sequence on later!