Epoxy shrinkage issues

[SecretSquirrel]

All,

I’ve screwed up big time.

I bought the PML Little Lunar Express yesterday. I’ve always liked the looks of this kit and it just made my weekend to get one.

I stayed up all night building it and painted it this morning. For an extra durable finish, I used epoxy paint.

My problem is that I didn’t understand just how much epoxy, both glue and paint, shrink as they dry. This problem has really ruined my kit and I doubt it will ever fly now.

Here is a pic from the PML site so you can see how the assembled kit is supposed to look:
PML Little Lunar Express

Here is a photo of my finished kit. The Goblin in the photo was built and painted using no epoxy at all and is just for reference so that you can see just how severe the problem is.
Messed up Express

What can I do now?

 

[Stones]

Epoxy shrinkage??....
Perhaps if you water it regulary, for a week or so, it will come back around to it's "normal" size.
Nice job.

 

[BlueNinja]

Looks fine to me... maybe I'm missing something?

Then again... Sure it isn't a downscale?

 

[daveyfire]

Is the problem just the small rocket? Call me crazy, but it looks pretty close on alignment and all that stuff... and the nose cones look a little pointier... wait a minute, you scratchbuilt that from BT55 parts, didn't you? Cheater!

 

[BlueNinja]

Let me guess- darn epoxy "shrank" the MMT to 13mm or 18mm, right? Just a teensy coincidence, huh?



Ps, edit

When you say it won't fly, you mean on a 38mm motor?

 

[cls]

OK, you got me!! is it really still April Fool's Day?!???

LLE is also one of our favorites.