How to spraypaint between fins on Vesta Intruder?

[Bill S]

I'm working on an new Estes Vesta Intruder, and am forseeing an problem that I'd like to get advice on. The fins in question are 3 part (5 really, with the cardstock glued on pieces). I am trying to figure out how to get spraypaint in between the front pieces (the main fin has 2 side pieces that stick way out front with a large slot in the front).

If I attach them as the instructions say to, then I can't easily get in between the fin front pieces with the paint. I then thought of keeping the pieces separate before assembly, cover the area that gets glued onto the main fin, and spray that side dark grey (the basecoat), but then when I go to assemble and prime the fin assembly, I'll have a hard time keeping the primer out of that slot, etc.

Thoughts?

Picture of the fin in question:

 

[kuririn]

Use a brush in that tight area.

 

[neil_w]

I asked a similar question with the fin assemblies on the old Laser Lance, and the answer was: don't worry about it, enough paint will get in there to be OK.

I suppose you could also run a brush in there to fill in, or my beloved Testor's Micro Sponges which I'm guessing would work *really* well there.

[partially ninja'd by Kuririn]

 

[teepot]

The spray will get in there no problem.

 

[Bill S]

Thanks guys. I guess I'll see how it goes and if need be, touch up with some acrylic dark grey brush paint.

 

[hcmbanjo]

I simply directed the first shots of gray paint directly in the tight areas.
I also concentrated the first gray shots of spray at the root edges of the long crescent pieces at the center
of the model.
Then followed with painting as normal.

 

[Bill S]

Thanks for the tips, hcmbanjo. I figured that perhaps you'd eventually have the Vesta Intruder on your blog, but I didn't want to wait until it came up to see if there were any gotchas. I did leave the motor assembly off the rocket, and primed separately, and will paint it off the rocket, only gluing it in at the last. I figured with all those fiddly little fins, it'd be hard to get good paint coverage on those without excess spraying onto the main fin area.

 

[hcmbanjo]

Thanks for the tips, hcmbanjo. I figured that perhaps you'd eventually have the Vesta Intruder on your blog, but I didn't want to wait until it came up to see if there were any gotchas. I did leave the motor assembly off the rocket, and primed separately, and will paint it off the rocket, only gluing it in at the last. I figured with all those fiddly little fins, it'd be hard to get good paint coverage on those without excess spraying onto the main fin area.

The Vesta Intruder build will be on the blog after I finish up the Super Mars Snooper.
You are smart to paint the motor mount separately, I painted it off the model for the same reasons.
I painted the mount in a metallic black for some low end contrast.
Good luck painting the four canopies, it's a difficult mask.

 

[Bill S]

I figured the front canopies would be a bit challenging. Good thing I recently bought some Tamiya tape for curved surfaces, etc. Hopefully it'll work okay.

Were the centering rings on your motor mounts kind of loose/not well fitting? Mine were.

 

[Buzz McDermott]

My solution to this problem is a little different. I filled in the open space. I also cut out the areas in the fins that had 'simulated' cutouts. Still some sanding and filling left to do. The result of this is 3 VERY solidly attached fins.

I used small split shot and epoxy for nose weight equal to approx twice the weight of the two clay pieces supplied with the kit.

 

[boomtube-mk2]

So I was reading an article where Mercedes Benz was using a computer controlled paint sprayer that could lay down a line of paint only a millimeter wide with absolutely no overspray to either side.

Imagine if that technology, like 3D printing, gets cheap enough that virtually anybody could afford it.