Estes Modeling Secrets

Here's a great article from the September/October issue of Sport Rocketry. Mike Dorffler wrote this one in 1996.

I always looked forward to the catalog "Tech Tips" and the MRN "Idea Box" page. Back then I picked up many building techniques from these sparse sources.

This article tells how Estes builds models for catalog shoots and trade shows. These models were packed and transported. They had to be built clean and stronger than you might do at home.

As Mike wrote the models had to be almost perfect.
"The smallest flaws show up in good photography for catalogs and sales sheets."

Just through experience I found I build much the same way the Estes folks do.
It is harder to fill balsa when a complex fin unit is glued together. I try to fill the wood before gluing it to the model.
On it's showpiece models, Estes substitutes basswood in place of the kit balsa.
It depends on the build, sometimes I do the same. But, the Tung wood that is now included in kits is harder than the balsa we got in the old kits. Granted you have to fill the grain pores but it doesn't bother me to do that.

The article adds: "Don't make the effort to try to radius all the fin edges. They look better if the edges are almost square." The models might photograph better with square edges.

Fin marking and gluing is done with two body tube lines, not just one. You attach the fins between the lines.
The inside of the body tube on the engine mount side is painted flat black, again for catalog photo reasons.

I use the same technique of taking off the excess glue off a root edge by running your finger down the sides of the root edge (before gluing the fin). This leaves an even thickness line of glue with less to squeeze out when the fin is pressed in place on the tube.
Mike doesn't like wide fillets: "The fillets we want are where the fin-body tube joint is just blurred by the fillet."

At the time this article was written in 1996, Estes was using Krylon almost exclusively. This may have been before the Krylon changed their paint formulas. Personally, I only use Krylon if I am stuck needing a certain color.
A great article for builders and a good insight into how Estes builds them for show.