After it dried, you stick the top into the engine mount then spray the entire rocket orange/red.
I'm not convinced that's the best way to go. Painting orange over the black won't give a good color match of the orange body.
But how do you mask the top of a nose cone?
Here's the best solution I could come up with.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8Qhlrncg9MmkhyCMzSOWU1Merf2tiR1oSxZ42x560ZW4jjQPhJ1mKPdFX0BgNBGEmkRHcXGATlxLR_2FJgW4a7R_dFdLXnsy8KGG29YnUd5UgOOl2BxDXbcwo2By2Nc3TgD7pwwH7hE/s200/Copy+of+Jayhawk+G+008_WEB.jpg)
I found an extra Quest centering ring that would almost slide down to the black/white separation line in the nose cone.
I wrapped 150 grit sandpaper around the barrel of a Sharpie pen and used that to widen the inside hole.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAzt9n6qjXRLFU3_BQ-nqxC5TCYo1htRb4IovWoIB5yrzmtwhGUAZ5UQ6otNgT24o8EUl7ce-b346xSqzHQZfMdfAGrx909Q4HdO0OoD41awJPXwvZyfKvfTQLLBVaix1xf2qY7mSlxE/s200/Copy+of+Jayhawk+G+011_WEB.jpg)
I didn't want a fuzzy edge along the sanded inside edge so I applied CA to give me a harder surface to sand smooth.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyw-hun1ID5XehFFsVEsaFqt6vTelDRAHEhGaGhmT_h1RT2FzLEpj-y8lGRELbG2wdwKHKZjJu-Bf4QhmbSZinG6Nmt-KtSdzmh3Kvk1fjHKz2SVJPbjof5tZWrqg-mdjL7Km4FgYgf0/s200/Copy+of+Jayhawk+G+012_WEB.jpg)
I switched over to 400 grit, sanding at an angle to match the nose cone contour better.
Notice there is a card ridge under the bottom of the ring. I concentrated on keeping the top inside edge smooth and flat.
The wider ridge at the bottom will help give a better seal.
I did this more like how you did your Mini Honest Nose cone mask. I changed it a bit as I would print a skinny shroud, place wax paper on that, then tape on that. I would cut out the tape shroud (through all three layers - you would often do this on glass) and apply that 1/8" to 1/4" thick shroud on the rocket - leveling with a tube or ring like you have above. Then I would build out with tape and plastic bag to cover the rest of what I did not want painted.
ReplyDeleteHi Scott,
DeleteThis post was done before I figured out a better way. Both Centuri and Estes printed a method like this, usually a body tube stuck on the nose cone tip. The results were okay, but never perfect.
Well, I guess you did the mini honest john a year after this - in 2012. Any more current (2016) suggestions on how to paint a nose cone mask like the this?
ReplyDeleteNothing new on the nose cone masks. For now, the thin curved tape strip seems to work the best for me.
Delete