Semroc Laser X

[sandman]

Started on this between wrapping Christmas presents and after making Rocketmaniac's nose cone.

This is production number 56.

So far everything is straight forward with no gotchas!

Pros so far:
Like the laser cut fins (man, cutting all the "radiator fins would be scary)
Everything fits perfectly

Cons so far:
Laser cutting charcoal gets on everything!
I'm a little worried about the charcoal on the white tubes.

Neatness counts!

sandman

 

[rbeckey]

I have a couple Semroc kits to do soon as an old Elf gets around to delivering them. The charcoal thing, do you think wiping first with some alcohol on a rag might help? Also, surely Kilz primer will cover the stuff.

 

[sandman]

The trouble with the charcoal is that it kinda mixes with the white glue and gets on your fingers...makes for brown fingerprints!

Not a big problem really...ya just gotta keep wiping your fingers.

This kit seems to take more paper towel than other kits is all.

Paper towel is cheap.

sandman

 

[sandman]

OK, I did this while I was waiting to go to my brother-in-law's house last night.

I made one minor change in the kit design.

After the upper "stage' shroud was attached to the upper tube and tube coupler I cut the upper tube just at the top of the coupler where the trailing edge of the fins attach and added a BT-5 tube coupler.

This will allieviate a lot of masking on the upper part in order to paint it like the cover photo.

Man is this going together easy!

sandman

 

[sandman]

Fins are glued into place and waiting for fillets.
sandman

These subassemblies will be put together to be primes and then I'll fix all the tiny flaws I find after the primer.

Then I'll take it apart again and paint the final colors. Base white then the red fins get masked off.

sandman

 

[sandman]

Last pic for now...gotta go to Chirstmas dinner.

Just so you can see the whole thing.

Hey, if I'm posting too many pics just say so.

sandman

 

[Stymye]

keep posting Sand,
the new camera does alot more justice to your level of detail
than the old one

great job on the Semroc too!

 

[cydermaster]

Originally posted by sandman
Hey, if I'm posting too many pics just say so.

Nope - keep them coming ... I'm going to order a Laser X in the new year, and these pics are bringing my planned order date nearer and nearer. Cool Kit.

 

[sandman]

OK, final "review" on the Laser X

Assembly was smoth and simple no real "gotchas".

Painting and finishing...that's another story.

Same old trouble with waiting for the base coat to dry and masking for the second color...yadda, yadda, yadda...

OK, I had a little trouble here...the third coat of paint"went funny" on me??? Not sure why...started coming out flat not gloss and then made some awful deep "cracks"

I think it wasn't shook-up enough...let dry wet sand...repeat. It's OK now (I've been happier with a paint job).

I outlined the radiator fins in silver using a Testor paint pen...neat little item those paint pens!

The decals are silkscreened. Kinda different for me. The backing film was a little thicker than I'm used to but they layed down nice.

Just different I guess.

I did notice on one section some yellowing but I just cut that out and didn't use it. I actually used almost 90% of the decals on the sheet. Everything except the stripes.

I can't say the Laser X was ever on my list of "desired" rockets but Centuri was never real strong in our arera (Michigan) that I can remember. But after building it it kinda grows on you.

I like it!

Now I guess I gotta do this all over again in EMRR

Hey, Nick, can I just copy and paste??

sandman

 

[cydermaster]

Originally posted by sandman
Hey, Nick, can I just copy and paste??

LOL - Have a thought for us formaters! We're the ones who have to make sense of cut'n'paste gibberish!

I'm glad you got a new camera for Xmas, sandman. We're really getting to see how good your workmanship is.

 

[Steve]

snip

Originally posted by sandman
I made one minor change in the kit design.

After the upper "stage' shroud was attached to the upper tube and tube coupler I cut the upper tube just at the top of the coupler where the trailing edge of the fins attach and added a BT-5 tube coupler.

This will allieviate a lot of masking on the upper part in order to paint it like the cover photo.


sandman

Beautiful!

I'm about to start on mine (#114), and just wondered if there was anything else you may not have mentioned that you would do differently? I haven't even read through the instructions yet, but I will follow your above mod when I get there... the less masking, the better!

 

[sandman]

Here are the only steps I can think of and they only apply to finishing and painting.

Paint the engine mount/radiator assembly seperately (black).

After the transition is assembled I cut the tube about 1/32" above the top of the transition, painted it all black and added a BT-5 tube coupler.

Painted the nose cone all black.

Mask all the "to be glued" and the big tube couplers so ya don't get paint on 'em...a little paint won't hurt here...you'll never see it.

The only "hard" part is masking the fins for the red.

Then decals, then clearcoat...done!

sandman