Hi-Flier XL Build (Help Requested w/ New Fin Jig)

[smstachwick]

I don't understand what I'm looking at. Why do the fillets look like wall spackle?

I made the XL over a year ago and it's one of my luckiest rockets.

I experimented a bit and got one of those thick gel-type CA glues and it must have cracked a lot while drying. The primer I used makes surface irregularities highly visible so it’s a combination of those two factors.

I feel like I’m running up against the limits of CA. I’ll hold onto some of it for field repairs but going forward I think I’ll use something that takes longer to cure.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

I experimented a bit and got one of those thick gel-type CA glues and it must have cracked a lot while drying. The primer I used makes surface irregularities highly visible so it’s a combination of those two factors.

I feel like I’m running up against the limits of CA. I’ll hold onto some of it for field repairs but going forward I think I’ll use something that takes longer to cure.

Sage advice. I've decided that epoxy is too heavy for wood/cardboard and CA is best with plastic. I'm a big fan of thin CA for making repairs.

I suspect that CA causes paint to crackle. It seems to happen more frequently near areas where I used CA like the pods on the Interceptor. OTOH, I used a crap load of CA on the SS Cestris blow mold NC and didn't have any crackling of the paint (or maybe a few tiny spots) so not sure what's going on.

 

[smstachwick]

I decided to forgo trying to get the boundaries of the paint sections exactly right and painted the whole aft end of the rocket black, which is what I should have done from the start and what I’ll probably do with other paint jobs going forward. That’s all dry now and I’ve got the nose and fins taped up so I can put a red coat over the body tube.

 

[smstachwick]

The red paint is going on. I didn’t look all that closely at the label and ended up getting one intended for fabric. Oops. The droplets are huge and the coverage I’m able to get per coat isn’t great compared to the white and black I was using.

Holding the rocket horizontally by the aft end and painting only the forward end for now seems to work better for avoiding running than trying to hold it vertically with a paper wand and trying to get it all

I’ll need a lot more work before it’s range-presentable. Thankfully I have until the night of September 1 to get it ready to go.

 

[user 35280]

Something bigger to think about when you get ready,
https://www.launchlabrocketry.com/shop/p/vanderburnhi-flierxxlkit

 

[smstachwick]

Oooo that’s pretty cool.

 

[smstachwick]

After carefully scrutinizing every square inch of the surface, I could find no hint of undercoat and declared the paint job complete early this morning.
Decals will likely be scanned (to create a backup set. Looking at you, little Goblin!) and applied later today.

 

[smstachwick]

The build is complete! The decals went on without a hitch and I gave it an acrylic clear coat.



Next time though, I’m going to need some masking tape that’s specifically made for painting. The stuff I’m using has too much bleedthrough.

First flight is scheduled for September 2.

 

[neil_w]

Next time though, I’m going to need some masking tape that’s specifically made for painting. The stuff I’m using has too much bleedthrough.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tamiya+tape

 

[CrazyModelGuy]

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tamiya+tape

Best paint masking tape ive EVER used is. Frog tape. Literally never had bleed through. And always had crisp lines and also has proven to not leave residue behind. I have build over 200 plastic models old planes boats cars and tanks using Frog tape. So just my $.02

 

[neil_w]

Best paint masking tape ive EVER used is. Frog tape. Literally never had bleed through. And always had crisp lines and also has proven to not leave residue behind. I have build over 200 plastic models old planes boats cars and tanks using Frog tape. So just my $.02

Frog tape is very good. Do they make it in very skinny, hobby-sized rolls?

 

[CrazyModelGuy]

Frog tape is very good. Do they make it in very skinny, hobby-sized rolls?

I have found them 1/4" wide rolls at a hobby shop. But havent seen them in a while. So I think if I had to make it thin I would use a hobby knife. But I havent seen thin rolls in about 5 years maybe.

 

[Cape Byron]

Frog tape is very good. Do they make it in very skinny, hobby-sized rolls?

I've placed a strip on CLEAN glass (I use a glass pastry board) and then cut it with a fresh single edged razor blade and a straight edge. I usually use Tamiya tape, but when I run out...

Single edged razor blades are God's gift to modellers. I might try cutting body tubes with one next time.

 

[Bruiser]

I use single edge razor blades for cutting body tube all the time. Light pressure, several passes. I don't think I could do any of my scratch builds if not for single edge razors blades! You can't beat the price either...

-Bob