ESTES Redstone sticker sheets

[Johnnie]

So I've worked my tail off on this Mercury Redstone from Estes, I even filled the "spirals"...and I never do that. I go to mount the stickers, and the Redstone now looks like a Deadstone.

These stickers would not go on straight, they would stretch, they would rip. The finished result, wrinkles, airbubbles, missalignment...aaaarrrgggghhhhh!

So now I will need to get another Stone, and this time it will get a 24mm mount

assessment: 50/50 user/Mfg. error Maybe a waterslide set of decals would have been easier in being able to get them set in the right place...I don't know, maybe there is a school for sticker placement 101

anyone else have sticker woes with your rockets??

 

[sandman]

Don't panic!

You guys do tend to panic easily.

Call Estes customer service and tell them what happened.

800-525-7561 X 216 Leave a message and she will call back.

Don't be a jerk...be polite she will make it right.

Now go do a search on the Mercury Redstone. I found like 3 pages of "Mercury Redstone" threads!

There is a "water" way to apply the decals!

Mine went on nice and a coat of Testor's Dullcoat made the seam lines dissapear!

sandman

 

[flying_silverad]

If you have an inkjet printer and some Bel-Decal paper, you can make them. Here is the link from JimZ's site.
Merc Red

 

[Johnnie]

Thanks Silverad, but I believe I will do more damage if I try extrapolate these worn out decals...what I should have done is the window cleaner trick.

I need to get another Stone and a Patriot anyway, so I can 24mm these rockets, and get the decals right.

 

[astronboy]

Johnnierkt,

I think that I have a spare set of decals if you want them. You could always strip off what you have applied so far, fill, sand, prime, and repaint. Unless it has power pranged, no rocket is too far gone in my book!! It seems a shame to waste all of your work so far....

Private msg me if you would like the sticker set.

 

[Johnnie]

Astronboy,

I do appreciate the offer, and will take you up on it. As for the Stone, it is still being constructed, therefore it has not flown yet.

I had trouble with the lower wrap, but it turned out better than the upper wrap. The upper wrap is a mangled mess. I was able to remove it without even chipping the paint yeah!

Now Sandman,

I do get excited, and in this instance with the Stone, my wife told me to get over it, and offered up a solution if I had only just asked her...something about a drop of dish soap in a spray bottle full of water or something. That is when I remembered the window cleaner idea, that I tried to some success a few years back. In doing the search, I found in a search where you had actually given this advice to another Rocketeer who had the same problem with the stickers.

...when the paint is dry, spray the rocket with window cleaner, and apply the stickers, when they are posistiond correctly, squeeze out the excess moisture, and voila!

...and finally, I would never be rude to Estes, as I am too old to get that excited. I will not even call them, as my sticker dilema is at least 50% my fault, and I would not expect a mfg. to have to pay for my lack of experience in such problems. Once I knew I was in trouble, it was too late.

I have never worked with Testors dull coat, I will pick some up at Hobby Town USA sometime this next week and try that as well. Maybe it will help with the water slide decals on my Estes Blackbird I built years ago...the edges of the slides are blatantly obvious. But that SR-71 flies so straight, I may not even bother with it.

 

[sandman]

Johnnierkt,

I have an extra set too! I forgot all about it.

I'm making a Jupiter C and a LJ I out of one of my Mercury Redstone kits.

sandman

 

[sandman]

I will not even call them, as my sticker dilema is at least 50% my fault, and I would not expect a mfg. to have to pay for my lack of experience in such problems.

Once while talking to Christrine at Estes about needing some decals for a Mean Machine that spent 6 month in a big ol' tree, she asked me what else I needed to complete my remake.

She sent me 4 BT-60 body tubes, 3 tube couplers, a new parachute and the decal set I originally asked for.

Apparently "stupid" IS covered my Este's warranty!

sandman

 

[Johnnie]

Sandman,

Gotta love a mfg. that cares enough for their future that they will take care of their customers now. They are on top for a reason, and I believe that customer care is second to making an excellent product.

Thank for the offer on the wraps as well, hopefully I won't mess up the ones that I will try to aquire from Astronboy, there-by needing to beg for yours too...

 

[NewEntity1]

Don't panic!

You guys do tend to panic easily.

ROFL!

 

[n3tjm]

Don't panic!

You guys do tend to panic easily.

Look! A Spider!!!




Oh NO! A COW!!!!


:kill:

 

[Johnnie]

...so I get home, and what do my wondering eyes should appear...a package in the mail that has "Do Not Bend" written all over it...Astronboy had sent me the complete set of Mercury Redstione Stickers so I can put the Purty Purty back on my Stone...and he paid priority mail as well.

Please let me know if there is any thing I can do for you Asytronboy, you have gone to the ends for my Stone.

I will post a pick when I get it put on.

Thank you very much

 

[astronboy]

You bet:

Your mission Grasshopper:


Do the same.


I have found model rocketeers to be the most friendly and willing to give of any hobby I have had. At launches, I have had engines, igniters, parachutes, nosecones, and launch lugs just GIVEN to me by rocketters, simply because I needed them. (Or was too dopey to attach a launch lug!! ) I have had nosecones, body tubes, decals, plans, engine rings, etc, all mailed to me by members of this forum and other rocket lists that I belong to, simply because I mentioned that I was looking for a particular part.

This is one great hobby, and the people are what makes it great!!