Which black paint to use for an Estes Saturn V (#1969)

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OverTheTop

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Hi. Almost ready to put the black on this kit. I am tossing up between gloss black or satin black for this, both in Rusto 2x. Thoughts? What have you used?

I suspect gloss will be the final answer due to the ease of decal application.
 
Hi. Almost ready to put the black on this kit. I am tossing up between gloss black or satin black for this, both in Rusto 2x. Thoughts? What have you used?

I suspect gloss will be the final answer due to the ease of decal application.

Would have to go with gloss if you have decals going over it, but IIRC, all waterslide decals on Saturn V go over the white paint areas (with the exception of the transition). If you have both (all my black paints are gloss, for some reason), go with whichever one dries faster and runs less!

The final look can be adjusted by either gloss or matte clearcoat.
 
Tape off the SM before using flat clearcoats. All set. I also use decal solvent for getting the decal to really lay down. IMG_0001 (17).jpg
 
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I used Rust-Oleum semi-gloss with mat clear coat. Very satisfied.
 
Thanks for the comments everyone. It looks like I will go for the gloss black. If I don't like the gloss I can tame it down when I overcoat it.

I have also purchased some Micro Sol, for when the time comes for applying decals.
 
I have done a number of Saturn V builds and have tried a matte finish with poor results due to the decals. Pretty good practice to use gloss on the color coats when waterslide decals are involved and then use a matte clear coat if you wants a matte finish.

There are some decals that go on the black surfaces. Here are a couple pictures of my last #1969 build and you can see the white squares that go in the black portion on the upper transition wrap and the numeral decals that go across the white and black portions on the first stage.

Micro-sol is pretty much mandatory on this build if you want the decals to sit nicely in the little grooves. I used the stick from a q-tip with the cotton removed to set the decals in the grooves then micro-sol to truly blend them in. As others have noted, been using micro-sol for years on almost every build that uses decals. If you need something sharper to push the decals down, I used a rounded toothpick, but you need to be super careful if you do that not to rip the decals. Especially once you have applied micro-sol. Remember that micro-sol is a solvent - it works by breaking down the decal. Once you apply it, the decal is very, very soft and can squish or rip easily. It is awesome stuff, but I highly recommend you practice with some spare decals before you try it on a Saturn V build for the first time. I use paint brushes of various sizes to move, adjust and smooth the decals while manipulating them on the rocket.
 

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Thanks for the comments everyone. It looks like I will go for the gloss black. If I don't like the gloss I can tame it down when I overcoat it.

I have also purchased some Micro Sol, for when the time comes for applying decals.

See if you can get a hold of Black 3.0
 
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