Ideas for painting 'just the tip' of nosecones?

It would be cool if there was an easy way to paint the tip of a nose cone in a nice even manner.

I thought it would be simple. Just cut a hole in a piece of cardboard and slip that over the tip. It 'sorta' worked but there was some blow by and it ended up tilted.

Use frisket paper. Can get at any art store.

David Schwantz said:

Use frisket paper. Can get at any art store.

Click to expand...

OK, given frisket paper, how do you do it?

Exact same way as OP tried with cardboard. Cut your hole to the size that you want, center it over NC, and press it down. Don't use a big sheet of it, just enough to make your circle, or shape, then use regular making around it. If you try to use a piece to large it may tend to wrinkle. I also use a burnishing tool for all the edges, this will help with paint from bleeding under it.

I'd use my drill press on a very slow speed and a small detail brush....

Never thought of that one. Not bad idea.

Whole article on it. Chris (aka @hcmbanjo ) is a master builder

https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter306.pdf

BABAR said:

Whole article on it. Chris (aka @hcmbanjo ) is a master builder
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter306.pdf

Click to expand...

Don't know about the "Master" part - I'm still figuring these things out.
For me, the whole trick is cutting your masking tape in a smooth curve on a piece of glass.
I mark the clear Scotch tape with a wide point Sharpie to see it against the nose cone.
Peel off the curved tape and apply around the nose cone tip.
It'll probably take a few tries to get the cut tape curve right to fit your nose cone shape.

Here's a few blog posts:
https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2012/07/wolverine-rocketry-phoenix-aim-54a_1990.html
https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2011/11/quest-striker-agm-build-part-10-nose.html
https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2017/09/apogee-shrockets-skonk-wulf-build-part_8.html
https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2013/09/semroc-spev-build-part-12-nose-cone-mask.html

I woulda thought painting the tip first, then masking to paint the lower portion might be eaisier. I see it easier to mask the tip, rather than trying to mask the other side..

Buy roll of pin stripe tape from Wally or Pep boys etc. only 3-4 bucks . 1/4in wide and very pliable/stretchy.
Slide a tube over tip that will be tight where ya want the line.
pencil around that tube edge. you now have a perfect line around NC.
Tape to that line and paint, Rustoleum silver metallic really looks aluminum.

blackjack2564 said:

Buy roll of pin stripe tape from Wally or Pep boys etc. only 3-4 bucks . 1/4in wide and very pliable/stretchy.
Slide a tube over tip that will be tight where ya want the line.
pencil around that tube edge. you now have a perfect line around NC.
Tape to that line and paint, Rustoleum silver metallic really looks aluminum.

View attachment 404152

Click to expand...

This is the method I use that seems to work best. I use Tamiya tape 6mm and it seems to work well. Whole secret don't complicate it. It's not that difficult. The hardest part is getting the tape to line up. Might take a few tries.

dr wogz said:

I woulda thought painting the tip first, then masking to paint the lower portion might be eaisier. I see it easier to mask the tip, rather than trying to mask the other side..

Click to expand...

This is what I've done. After the tip dries, I just set a body tube of the right diameter snugly on the tip, and paint the rest.

Perhaps you could cut a small hole in a balloon, and pull it down over the area that will not get the new color.

I make a centering ring with a hole just large enough for the nose cone tip to fit through and CA it to a coupler for a piece of tubing the proper diameter as the circle I want on the nose cone, insert the coupler into the tubing and push it down onto the tip until the outer tube hits the nose cone, scribe the circle around the end of the tube. The CR keeps the tube mouth perpendicular to the nosecone axis. then tape off with a good quality masking tape, perfect circle every time

blackjack2564 said:

Buy roll of pin stripe tape from Wally or Pep boys etc. only 3-4 bucks . 1/4in wide and very pliable/stretchy.
Slide a tube over tip that will be tight where ya want the line.
pencil around that tube edge. you now have a perfect line around NC.
Tape to that line and paint, Rustoleum silver metallic really looks aluminum.

View attachment 404152

Click to expand...

that is so simple even i can probably do it!

reading this over again: "Slide a tube over tip that will be tight where ya want the line. Pencil around that tube edge. you now have a perfect line around NC." im struck by the brilliance. one of those "so simple why didnt i think of that" kinda things

thanks Jim!

I always took the easy way out. Painted the tip whatever color it needed to be first then dipped the tip of the nosecone in Liquid Mask. Paint the rest of the nosecone and peel off the liquid mask.

Back_at_it said:

I always took the easy way out. Painted the tip whatever color it needed to be first then dipped the tip of the nosecone in Liquid Mask. Paint the rest of the nosecone and peel off the liquid mask.

Click to expand...

That's another great idea. Lots of ways to skin this particular cat it would seem.

Donnager said:

dr wogz said:

I woulda thought painting the tip first, then masking to paint the lower portion might be eaisier. I see it easier to mask the tip, rather than trying to mask the other side..

Click to expand...

This is what I've done. After the tip dries, I just set a body tube of the right diameter snugly on the tip, and paint the rest.

Click to expand...

That's what I did the one and only time I've done this, and it came out perfect. Easy peasey.

K'Tesh said:

Perhaps you could cut a small hole in a balloon, and pull it down over the area that will not get the new color.

Click to expand...

On the other hand, this might be what I do next time. Brilliant!

Another thing I might do next time is dip the nose cone tip in the paint color I want then hang it pointy end down to dry. I really don't think you can get simpler than that.

jqavins said:

Another thing I might do next time is dip the nose cone tip in the paint color I want then hang it pointy end down to dry. I really don't think you can get simpler than that.

Click to expand...

I wonder how thick the paint layer will end up if you do it like that. Obviously it will depend on the paint to some extend. I expect you'd get a built-up blob at the point (I always do when hanging a nose cone point-down while applying Future or CA). If you try it, please document.

They make this stuff called "paint thinner"...

And yeah, there'd probably be a drip dried in the tip to remove and touch up with a brush.

I've painted a different wood project this way and it worked very well, but in that case I was going for thick. If I ever try it with a nose cone I'll let you know.

neil_w said:

I wonder how thick the paint layer will end up if you do it like that. Obviously it will depend on the paint to some extend. I expect you'd get a built-up blob at the point (I always do when hanging a nose cone point-down while applying Future or CA). If you try it, please document.

Click to expand...

If you wait a minute or two, you can probably “dab off” the drop, with the remaining still wet paint sufficient to ooze over the surface and leave it clean with no breaks of significant drop remaining.