Estes Saturn 1B, #7251 Build, Part 26, Masking & Painting The Fins

I used the height of the black/white body separation line to draw a mask line on the fin sides.

I stacked some CD cases to get close to the correct height. A piece of cardboard between the cases got it to the right height.

A horizontal pencil line was drawn on the fin.

TIPS: Keep track of the fin positions! Mark the fin positions on the inside of the body and root edge of the fins.  

Notice some black paint got on the underside of the sharp scallops on the shroud. This will have to be removed with some careful use of Goo Gone on a Q-tip. That black paint could rub off onto the eight white booster tubes when it is slid over them. The fit is tight!   

I used marked Scotch tape down the pencil lines for the edge masks.

On the left  is a low black mask, 

on the right is a high black mask.

I double checked the fin mask line to be sure it was 90 degrees to the body.

You can set any true small square into the root edge corner. 

Here's all the fin masks - 

I know there is only seven showing, one fin remains white.

I painted the fins off the body because I didn't see an easy way to mask them after they were glued on.

Build time:

Mark & mask fins: 25 minutes

Total build time so far: 20 hours, 10 minutes