Sunday, June 23, 2019

Estes Saturn V #1969 Build, Part 43, Masking For The Silver

This might be a tougher mask than the insterstage wrap!
I used some frosted Scotch tape to mask the curve around the fairing.
I cut the 1/4" wide strips in as smooth an arc as I could. These were cut on my sliding patio glass. Two of the arcs have been removed here so you could see the arc and width of the piece.
It may take a few tries to get the arc curve right.
Look to the right side fairing and you can see the tape piece. Cut in the arc shape it should lay down straight around the fairing line.

You might have better luck using a Tamiya tape. I didn't have any and couldn't wait for a mail order.
The Scotch tape is stiff and doesn't lay down perfectly into the corrugations.

Here's how I cut around the lower launch lug.

After the Scotch tape strips were set down, a double layer of copy paper was cut to mask the area between the fins. Notice how it is creased and pressed into the fairing / body joint.
Masking tape was used on top of the paper and over the Scotch tape edge pieces.
Inside the bottom end, masking tape covers the inner tube edge. Paper towels fill the open engine mount area.
I still have to cover that launch lug before spraying the silver.

Assembly time so far:
30:00 minutes previous
  1:45 minutes this post
31:45 Total so far

2 comments:

  1. If you ever do want to get Tamiya tape, Chris, Colonial Photo and Hobby used to carry all widths in both making and vinyl. That's where I've gotten mine, in the past. They have reduced their hobby section substantially, so I don't know what they still carry.

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    1. Hi Metal,
      I know it's out there, but with the corrugations I don't think the Tamiya tape would have done much better. The Scotch tape did a good job. There was some touch up work, but not bad.

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