Super Big Bertha-- Part 5: Paint job
The Thrifty Rocketeer continues.....
It's almost time for the final step in this build thread. After gluing and finishing the construction, I've stopped just short of gluing the coupler and attaching the two halves of the body tubes together. The reason for this is that I'm going to attempt to install two rail buttons after construction is completed, but as long as the coupler isn't in place, I can still reach down the throat of the body tube and install one correctly. The other will be uncomfortably close to the "tail pipe" but should be clear of it.
So, the first step in finishing was to select a primer paint and spray the entire body tube, fins and nosecone. In my case, I had a few passes of Gloss White Rustoleum left in one can, and an entire can of "Primer plus Paint" flat white Krylon. So, after choosing carefully, I hit the sealed wooden fins with the Rustoleum once, and then moved onto the body tubes. I shot the body tubes with the flat white Krylon until all had at least one thin coat.
I let this dry for the rest of the day, and then used the dregs of the Rustoelum rattle can to hit the fins again, giving them a nice second coat that looked uniform. A second pass with Krylon on the body tube pretty much finished priming the cardboard portions.
Then I tried to duplicate the cover art from the box illustration. In short, I selected the best fin with the best coverage, and masked it off with a sheet of typing paper (copy paper, for today's generation) and a little blue masking tape to hold it in place and give a nice sharp line.
Then I pulled the two halves of the body tube apart, and wrapped the exposed coupler with one wrap of blue painters' tape.
I shot the upper body tube with a coat of semi-gloss white Krylon (matching brand name with brand name).
I then shot the lower half body tube and the exposed three fins with gloss Banner Red Krylon, and stopped after the first coat. I let everything dry for a few hours, and then made a second pass with both the red, and the white, and left them out to dry. An approaching storm made me move these rocket body parts inside, much to the annoyance of my family, who dislike paint fumes. I let them dry.
Eventually, I removed the mask off the white fin and judged the paint job on the lower half finished... except for decals and rail buttons. The white upper half also was judged good, though a slight run was detected. I left them to dry a couple of days and checked my rattle cans. I judge I have used half a can of each, and finished off the Rustoleum white. I salvaged the spray nozzle off the can and disposed of the empty rattle can into the trash.
Now for the decals... and the rail buttons.
I scored a pair of rail buttons from my friends at eRockets, and hunted up a couple of wood scraps. I sanded them down to a nice beveled edge all around, and then pre-drilled a hole that was slightly smaller than the rail button screw. For the bottom wood brace, I sanded the piece down to the curvature of the body tube, and then gave a crewtop sand down until it no longer obstructed the screw-on motor retainer at all. Then drilled a pilot hole for it also.
I measured two inches down the throat of the body tube, drilled a hole on the opposite side of the body tube from the launch lug and applied some wood glue to hold the brace in place.
(NOTE to self: When installing an inch long wood brace positioned 2 inches inside the tub, that means about half will be sticking on either side of the hole. If your coupler needs 1.5" clearance, you'd better not crowd that with your wood brace. Give yourself a little extra, or else shorten that brace.)
I held the piece in place for a minute or two, and then left it to dry for a few minutes. After five minutes, I inserted and screwed the bolt through the rail button, tightening it down against the body tube. Then, I backed it off an 1/8 a turn at a time, until the rail button spun easily.
I did the same for the lower button, but checked frequently to assure the screw-on motor retailer was clear. In some ways, the lower button was easier than the top one.
All that is left now is the parachute on the shock cord, tied to the nosecone, and some waterslide decals. And some floor polish to coat the decals and paint job to preserve them.
It's almost time for the final step in this build thread. After gluing and finishing the construction, I've stopped just short of gluing the coupler and attaching the two halves of the body tubes together. The reason for this is that I'm going to attempt to install two rail buttons after construction is completed, but as long as the coupler isn't in place, I can still reach down the throat of the body tube and install one correctly. The other will be uncomfortably close to the "tail pipe" but should be clear of it.
So, the first step in finishing was to select a primer paint and spray the entire body tube, fins and nosecone. In my case, I had a few passes of Gloss White Rustoleum left in one can, and an entire can of "Primer plus Paint" flat white Krylon. So, after choosing carefully, I hit the sealed wooden fins with the Rustoleum once, and then moved onto the body tubes. I shot the body tubes with the flat white Krylon until all had at least one thin coat.
I let this dry for the rest of the day, and then used the dregs of the Rustoelum rattle can to hit the fins again, giving them a nice second coat that looked uniform. A second pass with Krylon on the body tube pretty much finished priming the cardboard portions.
Then I tried to duplicate the cover art from the box illustration. In short, I selected the best fin with the best coverage, and masked it off with a sheet of typing paper (copy paper, for today's generation) and a little blue masking tape to hold it in place and give a nice sharp line.
Then I pulled the two halves of the body tube apart, and wrapped the exposed coupler with one wrap of blue painters' tape.
I shot the upper body tube with a coat of semi-gloss white Krylon (matching brand name with brand name).
I then shot the lower half body tube and the exposed three fins with gloss Banner Red Krylon, and stopped after the first coat. I let everything dry for a few hours, and then made a second pass with both the red, and the white, and left them out to dry. An approaching storm made me move these rocket body parts inside, much to the annoyance of my family, who dislike paint fumes. I let them dry.
Eventually, I removed the mask off the white fin and judged the paint job on the lower half finished... except for decals and rail buttons. The white upper half also was judged good, though a slight run was detected. I left them to dry a couple of days and checked my rattle cans. I judge I have used half a can of each, and finished off the Rustoleum white. I salvaged the spray nozzle off the can and disposed of the empty rattle can into the trash.
Now for the decals... and the rail buttons.
I scored a pair of rail buttons from my friends at eRockets, and hunted up a couple of wood scraps. I sanded them down to a nice beveled edge all around, and then pre-drilled a hole that was slightly smaller than the rail button screw. For the bottom wood brace, I sanded the piece down to the curvature of the body tube, and then gave a crewtop sand down until it no longer obstructed the screw-on motor retainer at all. Then drilled a pilot hole for it also.
I measured two inches down the throat of the body tube, drilled a hole on the opposite side of the body tube from the launch lug and applied some wood glue to hold the brace in place.
(NOTE to self: When installing an inch long wood brace positioned 2 inches inside the tub, that means about half will be sticking on either side of the hole. If your coupler needs 1.5" clearance, you'd better not crowd that with your wood brace. Give yourself a little extra, or else shorten that brace.)
I held the piece in place for a minute or two, and then left it to dry for a few minutes. After five minutes, I inserted and screwed the bolt through the rail button, tightening it down against the body tube. Then, I backed it off an 1/8 a turn at a time, until the rail button spun easily.
I did the same for the lower button, but checked frequently to assure the screw-on motor retailer was clear. In some ways, the lower button was easier than the top one.
All that is left now is the parachute on the shock cord, tied to the nosecone, and some waterslide decals. And some floor polish to coat the decals and paint job to preserve them.
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