First scratch built two stage, Stage Fright

[MarkII]

Re: the paint problems.

Trust me, I feel your pain.

Maybe this will shed some light on the issue, or maybe not. I get crappy coats most often when I am in a hurry or when I am distracted, or when I simply act as if I was in a hurry. I get the best coats when I hold the can at the right distance, angling the can so that the direction of the spray is perpendicular to the surface, and when I move the spray down the rocket at an even speed from beginning to end.

When I am rushed or distracted, one or more of those things go out the window. The thing that I have become most aware of lately is holding the can so that the spray hits the surface straight on. When I am rushed I tend to swing my spraying arm in an arc rather than in a straight line. This causes the paint to hit the surface a different angles and even different distances as I spray from one end to the other. This almost always produces inferior results. So think about how you were holding and moving the can, and whether you were keeping it at the same distance, spraying at an angle perpendicular to the surface, and moving at an even speed throughout each stroke.

Maybe this applies to your situation and maybe not. I have been getting a lesson on the importance of these steps off an on this summer.

Another thing that I have been getting reminded of is to not try for completely opaque coverage with each pass.

Finally 18 hours after priming is a lot sooner than I go with topcoats. I normally give the primer coat 24 hours to dry, and often longer. If it still smells like fresh primer, I wait. I should barely be able to smell paint, or not smell it at all, when I am in the same room as the rocket or reasonably near it. If the rocket no longer smells like I just primed it, it's probably ready. If I touch the areas that caught the overspray and they feel cool and a little clammy, I wait. I want it to feel like it is at room temperature and as dry as a sheet of paper. I like to give the primer a very light sanding before applying the topcoats. If I try to sand and only get dry, loose dust, I continue. If my dry sanding sponge picks up any paint (as opposed to paint dust) or things start to feel a little gummy as I sand, I stop and wait.

I don't know if any of this can be applied to your situation, but I hope that it will be helpful.

 

[CCR]

I'm ready to scream. I sanded it and reshot it, and it looked a lot better. But then it developed some bubbles. And a stupid bug landed on it. I think I'll color my next rocket with permanent markers.

I had the twin to that bug land on a lacquer painted rocket on Friday and and Rustoleum white recoat job go really bad today (the first coat didn't go so well either).

I feel your pain!

 

[o1d_dude]

I have been known to wait up to a month to finalize a paint job.

The secret to a good paint job is to smell the layer you plan to paint over. If you can still smell it, that layer hasn't fully cured. The smell is the outgassing in progress.

Patience is your friend. Especially if you plan to do any masking.

As to the bugs, well...you could paint inside your garage...

 

[qquake2k]

Thanks for the support and suggestions, guys. Some good info here.

 

[kelltym88]

I've found that the blue painters tape is good to a fault, like after an initial coat of white, but using it on a second color, as in your case, produces that "peeling". Frog tape seems to work best in that application, as it is not as tacky as the blue. Also, spray a coat of the base color around the edges of the tape, this acts as a sealer. Let dry a few minutes and add the color you want. Don't touch it for like a day, then remove the tape.

Initially, as has been said, if you get the peeling like you did, wet sanding is best. I spray all my rockets outside. I usually put a stick in the ground and set the rocket on that and spray it, walking around the rocket as I go. The trick is to spray light coats, little by little, going around the rocket. After it's coated pretty good, let it dry like 20 minutes, then add another coat until it's well covered. Let it dry for a day, sand/wet sand any areas that need it and apply again. Then, mask off and proceed w/the next color. Repeat as necessary. It's a process, but I've found it works well.

 

[gdjsky01]

Captin to be honest this is why you need to have two or more rockets being built together. So you can work on one while waiting for paint to cure. I shot paint on my dagger 38 and waited more than week to go to the next step. During that time I worked on the migletto and now the big Bertha. You can never have too many rockets.

Or add R/C to you list of hobbies!! That'll kill some time ( and money )!!!:wink::wink::eyeroll::y:

 

[o1d_dude]

Captin to be honest this is why you need to have two or more rockets being built together. So you can work on one while waiting for paint to cure. I shot paint on my dagger 38 and waited more than week to go to the next step. During that time I worked on the migletto and now the big Bertha. You can never have too many rockets.

Or add R/C to you list of hobbies!! That'll kill some time ( and money )!!!:wink::wink::eyeroll::y:

Jeff, I think you hit the nail on the head.

All of my building is done in parallel as opposed to in linear fashion. While glue is drying, I might be shooting primer on another bird. While the paint is curing, I work on a different rocket.

I have had very very few problems with paint.

 

[gdjsky01]

I have done two different ways: Shoot paint and take yer chances. That works if I get lucky AND use the same brand of everything.

Two, as was posted here, wait till you smell nothing, and then shoot the next color. Bake this suck outdoors in the sun while I am at work. It's hard to do as you have to wait! But probably much more reliable. So since you (I?) can not go night after night staring at paint to dry, I work on other rockets... there is ALWAYS another rocket to be built. (And I want to learn to fly R/C helis.. )

Thing with C.L.a.S. is he has a prescribed launch season, and I can see if you want to fly what you already have, and what you have built new, and you build two or more at a time, that is pretty intense! You'll have a lot of rockets to get in the air!

:y::y:

 

[qquake2k]

Captin to be honest this is why you need to have two or more rockets being built together. So you can work on one while waiting for paint to cure. I shot paint on my dagger 38 and waited more than week to go to the next step. During that time I worked on the migletto and now the big Bertha. You can never have too many rockets.

Or add R/C to you list of hobbies!! That'll kill some time ( and money )!!!:wink::wink::eyeroll::y:

I've built rockets concurrently before, but from kits, so I had the instructions to refer to. When I'm building a scratcher, I'm doing it from the seat of my pants. I like to only concentrate on it, so I don't miss any steps (which I usually do anyway). I suppose I could start on another when the first is ready for paint. I have several kits, another scratcher, and a couple in the planning stages.

Many years ago, I raced 1/10 scale electric RC off-road buggies. Talk about an expensive hobby!

 

[El Cheapo]

Well, from now on consider patience and recoat times some of the more important steps in your scratch builds.

Do I need to change your name to Captain Impatient? :neener:

 

[qquake2k]

Well, from now on consider patience and recoat times some of the more important steps in your scratch builds.

Do I need to change your name to Captain Impatient? :neener:

LOL

I don't know why I'm so impatient. It doesn't look like I'll be able to launch it until November anyway.

 

[El Cheapo]

It's all about timing. Yesterday I painted the canards yellow on my recycled WAC Krapen. Affter I taped them off I shot a light coat of black to seal edges, waited ten minutes, quick coat of white, waited ten then two light coats of yellow. No issues but did it all in less than 30min. The black base coat was three days dry before taping.

Had this been anything other than a paper towel rocket I would have taken more care but I have come to appreciate the finishing imperfections when it comes to my poop tubers.

 

[kelltym88]

poop tubers.

:rofl:

 

[qquake2k]

It's been several days, so I sanded and masked it, and reshot it with two coats of orange.

 

[qquake2k]

The masking tape came off clean this time. No peeling, thank goodness.

 

[qquake2k]

It's far from perfect, but I haven't decided yet if I'm going to worry about these bad spots. That sure is a big wad of used masking tape. I should buy stock in Scotch!

 

[gdjsky01]

So waiting helped? Looks that way. From the pad she'll look just fine. Of course while waiting in line... :wink:

 

[qquake2k]

It doesn't look too bad overall.

 

[qquake2k]

So waiting helped? Looks that way. From the pad she'll look just fine. Of course while waiting in line... :wink:

Yeah, apparently patience made the difference. Now I have to wait until November to launch it. More patience. LOL

 

[o1d_dude]

What? No October Skies? LOL!

 

[qquake2k]

What? No October Skies? LOL!

You know, I briefly considered going down there... for about a millisecond! I have to say I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to experience those field conditions again. Even if I knew for sure they were going back to the field they used last October, gas prices would keep me home.

 

[Scotty Dog]

It doesn't look too bad overall.

I think its a thing of beauty. Nice job and design. Oh, it just hit me on the name"STAGE Fright. Havent read every post...you still going with the name and decals?

 

[GDJ]

I like it!

 

[qquake2k]

I think its a thing of beauty. Nice job and design. Oh, it just hit me on the name"STAGE Fright. Havent read every post...you still going with the name and decals?

Thank you! Yes, staying with the name, but I don't know about the decals. After the problems I had with the paint, I'm not sure I want to try a large waterslide decal. I may go with vinyl instead. I did find this graphic that I'd like to incorporate somewhere.

 

[qquake2k]

I like it!

Thank you very much!

 

[qquake2k]

I got the vinyl main decal. It looks good!

 

[qquake2k]

It's been probably 25 years since I've applied a water slide decal. Well, today was the day. The "Smile Now, Cry Later" decal went on the booster without a problem. The stage light decal on the sustainer took me two tries. I ruined the first decal, but I got it the second time. Tomorrow, after they've had time to dry completely, I'll spray them with clear coat. Then I'll apply the vinyl main decal on the sustainer.

 

[o1d_dude]

Wow, you're making up for lost time on the waterslide decals.

Who did your decal sheets?

 

[qquake2k]

Wow, you're making up for lost time on the waterslide decals.

Who did your decal sheets?

I printed them myself on a laser printer. Turned out pretty good.

 

[qquake2k]

I printed them myself on a laser printer. Turned out pretty good.

By the way, using a laser printer, you don't have to clear coat the decals before you soak them in water.