Fliskits Morning Star

[JAL3]

I took a break from the exacting, for me, fin work and decided to spend some time doing something a bit more mindless. I sanded down the nose cone and decided it was not quite smooth enought for me yet. Some, but not all, of the sanding had worn through the CA impregnated layer. I decided to give it one more dose. About an hour later, I sanded again and, satisfied, primed the NC with Kilz.

 

[JAL3]

The kit comes with five wooden toothpicks to dress up the fins. I don't know if they're supposed to be gun mounts, antennae, probes or parachute/streamer conversion devices but they should dress things up a bit. The instructions have a full size template against which to lay the toothpicks and then cut off one end at a bit of an angle. It was some of the easiest carpentry I've done.

 

[JAL3]

Since I had alread rounded the outer edges of the fins, I needed to take a sanding block and flatten them again to make the toothpicks fit better. This was easily done and did not remove too much material.

 

[JAL3]

With the edges flat, the application of the toothpicks to the edges with yellow glue presented no problems. A double joint was used and the results certainly look better if the bevel cut is placed so as to be aligned with the trailing edge of the fin. (Don't ask me how I know.)

 

[JAL3]

The last of the real components was the launch lug. It was glued in place just above the transition, centered between 2 fins with yellow glue.

 

[JAL3]

That completed the construction and it was time to move on to the finishing.

 

[jflis]

She came out purty What is your take on the instructions and construction of this kit?

Also, how are you going to finish her? Colors?

jim

 

[JAL3]

She came out purty What is your take on the instructions and construction of this kit?

Also, how are you going to finish her? Colors?

jim

I thought the instructions were fine. I just needed to keep them in mind and re-read them instead of relying on a reading more than a month before. Had I used that bit of common sense, I don't think I would have had the problems I did.:bang:

Even though I goofed, the kit went together fine. the instruction were understandable. The balsa in the fins was very good. The nosecone somewhat less but well within normal parameters. It was much simpler than I thought it would be.

As to the colors, I'm pretty much following the face card. I don't have much originality when it comes to artistic matters. Occasionally I have a flash of brilliance but I usually don't have the skills or know how to carry of the mad plan. More often, its just a matter of sitting there and wonder what I should do and defaulting to the face card.

 

[JAL3]

Most of the time, I prime my rockets with Kilz. When I was ready to start on this one, I found I was completely out. I searched around and found some cheap, generic white and decided to try that.

The rocket was put in the booth and given 3 coats of white. When it was taken out, I did some sanding to remove some rough spots and then gave it one more coat of white.

 

[JAL3]

The first of the "real" colors I used was a light yellow. Since it would be the lightest, I did not bother to do any masking. I put the rocket in the booth and started to spray, making sure that all the areas that would be yellow got covered. I did not worry where black would cover.

 

[JAL3]

The next color to be used was to be a light blue. I did not have anything that exactly matched the face card so I searched for the 2 lightest shades I did have. I chose the one that seemed to complement the blue on the decals best.

The masking was tough but doable. I used Frog Tape and aluminum foil to mask off most of the body tube, leaving the NC exposed, and then masked off the fins along the root edges. I left the tips of the fins exposed. Because I was worried about leakage under the tape, I tried something I read about on TRF. I sprayed the masked area with clear sealer in the hope that it would help form a barrier.

 

[JAL3]

With the masking done, I set the rocket in the booth and started spraying the light blue I had chosen. I got the nose cone and the paper transition. Again, I did not worry about overspray because the next color was black and I figured that would cover fine.

 

[jflis]

That's actually a pretty nice blue you got there. What brand/color is that?

One thing I need to start adding to the kit descriptions is a call out of the actual colors to help folks who want to match the color scheme. The color on the cover art is teal.

Looking good!
jim

 

[JRThro]

I decided that I wanted to seal the fins before putting them in place and wanted to do it easily. I decided to try a method I had only tired once before and used peel and stick labels to do the sealing. I peeled the backing off of an Avery sheet of 8.5x11 labeling and pressed the fins down flat. I then used a razor blade to trim away the excess. When done, I flipped the fins over and applied the labeling to the opposite site and trimmed them out. Some thin CA was then used to seal all the edges. I don't really expect any trouble from this step either.

John, I'm glad you described this step in as much detail as you did, because I never understood just how the process of papering fins with labels (or probably with paper and glue, for that matter) actually worked. It seems really obvious now, but the way you (and probably everyone else) did it isn't the way I had envisioned it.

So... thanks!

 

[JAL3]

That's actually a pretty nice blue you got there. What brand/color is that?

One thing I need to start adding to the kit descriptions is a call out of the actual colors to help folks who want to match the color scheme. The color on the cover art is teal.

Looking good!
jim

I'll look it up for you when I get back over there, hopefully tomorrow.

 

[JAL3]

John, I'm glad you described this step in as much detail as you did, because I never understood just how the process of papering fins with labels (or probably with paper and glue, for that matter) actually worked. It seems really obvious now, but the way you (and probably everyone else) did it isn't the way I had envisioned it.

So... thanks!

You're welcome, I guess, though it seems the way I did it was nonstandard. One of the replies earlier in this thread explained things a bit differently so that a single sheet is used for both sides. I had not thought of that.

I have a project I started to give that method a try and it works better. I will be posting a build thread as I get the time.

 

[JRThro]

You're welcome, I guess, though it seems the way I did it was nonstandard. One of the replies earlier in this thread explained things a bit differently so that a single sheet is used for both sides. I had not thought of that.

I have a project I started to give that method a try and it works better. I will be posting a build thread as I get the time.

Well, what I would have done, which would have worked really poorly, is to have the fin lying flat and then apply the label paper to the *top* surface of the fin. And then somehow figure out how to trim off the excess. Your way just flips the whole thing over and makes it obvious where to trim (around the outline of the fin... duh).

As it happens, I have two engineering degrees and a relatively high IQ, supposedly. But at times like this it sure doesn't seem like it.

 

[JAL3]

As it happens, I have two engineering degrees and a relatively high IQ, supposedly. But at times like this it sure doesn't seem like it.

That part seems to describe me pretty well, except for the IQ part. I struggle to stay above "moron".

 

[rokitflite]

As it happens, I have two engineering degrees and a relatively high IQ, supposedly. But at times like this it sure doesn't seem like it.

Maybe get just one more degree and you'll be OK. Three should be the magic number.

 

[JAL3]

Maybe get just one more degree and you'll be OK. Three should be the magic number.

It wasn't for me. 3 BAs, 5 BSs and 3 masters and I'm still about as bright as your average dark alley.

 

[Peartree]

It wasn't for me. 3 BAs, 5 BSs and 3 masters and I'm still about as bright as your average dark alley.

I don't have that kind of time. It took me six years to get a four year engineering degree and five to get a three year seminary degree. I would consider a doctorate but I have to find something I can finish before I retire.

 

[JAL3]

I don't have that kind of time. It took me six years to get a four year engineering degree and five to get a three year seminary degree. I would consider a doctorate but I have to find something I can finish before I retire.

It took me six years for the first one as well. After that, they just kinda started to pile on.

 

[JAL3]

When the blue paint had dried, I did not remove the masking. Instead, I just added more masking to protect the blue areas and prepped the rocket for black paint.

 

[JAL3]

When the masking was done, the black was sprayed and allowed to dry for a day.

 

[JAL3]

Finally, the time came to peel back the masking and reveal the extent of the unmitigated disaster. The nosecone looked pretty good...

... the rest did not.

 

[JAL3]

Lifting the tape lifted much of both the blue and the black paint. The result was UGLY!!!!!!!!!!!!:eyepop::y:

 

[JAL3]

After the weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, I sanded away the worst of the offensive paint chips and began to mask for blue again.

 

[JAL3]

That's actually a pretty nice blue you got there. What brand/color is that?

One thing I need to start adding to the kit descriptions is a call out of the actual colors to help folks who want to match the color scheme. The color on the cover art is teal.

Looking good!
jim

BTW, the paint is Rustoleum Spa Blue. I've attached pics of the can.

 

[JAL3]

I was not yet ready to give up on the idea of sealing the edges of the tape with clear so I gave the rocket a couple of shots and let that dry for 15 minutes. I then started to spray the blue again.

 

[JAL3]

This time, I did not let the paint dry all the way before taking up the masking. The result was much better, although the black was going to be a bear.