Thursday, April 7, 2016

Estes Hi-Flier XL, #3226 Build, Part 8, Tube Seam Filling



More first timer tips:
On the forums I see some seam filling with a lot of filler being used. Too much filler and you'll spend too much time trying to remove it.

Sometimes the seams are narrow and hard to see. Use a fine point pencil and run it down the seams for a high contrast guideline.


Dip an old, dull X-Acto knife in your thinned CWF.
You only need to dip 1/4" to 3/8" of the blade tip.
Wipe off the excess filler from the back side of the blade on the lip of the jar.
Set the blade into the seam trench and drag it back and forth leaving a bead of filler in the seam. You'll be able to cover about 1 1/2" before dipping the blade again.
This doesn't take that long to do once you learn the technique. 22" of BT-60 tube took under ten minutes.
The inset picture shows the dried filler beam in the seam.

Using the knife blade guarantees the filler is worked all the way into the seam trench. It also centers the filler in a small bead so there is less to remove after it dries.

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