New Way Lunar Jumper Build, Part 13, Red Trim Tape

The red trim tape is cut using the cardstock template.

Set the tape down the lines and cut with a new blade. 

You are supplied with some extra red trim tape.

Near the top of the body tube, it gets a red line wrap.

I set down a wrap of masking tape for easier alignment and to make sure the red trim ends meet. 

The short BT-20 tubes get a wrap of red trim. Note the three wraps don't go from the fin fillet joint, around the tube to the other fin fillet. It seems short.

I marked the masking tape strip at the center with pencil. The red strip was also pencil marked at the center.

Set the red tape center over the mark on the tape and roll the ends around the tube.

Another strip of masking tape was set down for a guide.

The red strip was set down in line against the brown tape with the low end just a little beyond the curved trailing edge.

Carefully trim the red tape overhang that extends beyond the trailing edge to match the fin curve. Cut only the red trim, don't cut into the balsa fin.

New Way Lunar Jumper Build, Part 12, Decals

The forward ring is pencil marked inside for the glue lines.

Apply the glue on the pencil lines, slide down from the top with the glue lines to the sides of the forward fins outside edge.

Turn the tube so the glue contacts the outside edge of the fins.

New Way supplies two decal sheets so you've got second chances if one of your decals doesn't cooperate during transfer.

The decals are laser printed, they might be thinner than what you are used to. There is a slight texture to the aluminum paint so they could grab in the wrong position. 

Before transferring the decals onto the model, wet the position where they will be set.  

The squares decals weren't evenly spaced for a wrap around. I cut them into three pieces to get even spacing between the square segments.

The grid wrap (circles and squares) fit perfectly around the BT-50 tube.

New Way Lunar Jumper Build, Part 11, Which Paint?

I wanted to break up the overall silver on the model. There is a red nose cone and red trim, the decals are black.

I painted the large nozzle Metallic Black. Note the masking tape just above the shoulder.

I've been asked which spray paints I use, a favorite is the Rustoleum Metallics. I don't like their 2X paints and will never use the 2X Gloss White again.

The Rusto Metallic paints are a better formulation. On this build I recoated after 24 hours. Normally I'd wait 48 hours between different colors, but this paint seems to dry quicker.

The main body was painted with Rusto Bright Coat Aluminum. Actual Silver spray paint is harder to find and there really isn't that mush difference between Silver and Aluminum paints.

Here's the finished nozzle in place. It's not a full black, but almost a very dark gray. Under sunlight you can see the reflective bits throughout the black paint.

All the Rusto Metallics have shown good results. There is also a Metallic Blue available.

New Way Lunar Jumper Build, Part 10, Silver Paint & Light Sanding

Everything is painted silver except for the nose cone which is gloss red.

The silver paint shows some surface roughness and areas that required light sanding with 400 grit.

Here's another fin assembly showing the sanded areas.

The nozzle still had some molding marks. 

More sanding with 400 grit.

I'll let the paint dry for 48 hours then do another silver coat.

New Way Lunar Jumper Build, Part 9, Launch Lug & White Undercoats

After all these years, I'm not doing glue fillets on either side of the launch lug. Too many bubbles and too much time sanding the fillet smooth. 

I know, a smooth glue fillet is less drag. But, I'm a sport flier, not that concerned with a few extra feet of altitude.

I apply a fine line of glue and even it straight with my fingers. Pinch your thumb and index finger into a "V" and run it down the glue line making a narrow, straight line.

A balsa spacer is supplied to set the the lug height.

The upper ring tube is sprayed off the model. 

It's difficult to get paint inside the assembly if the ring is glued on now.

Here the ring is set on a painting wand to a wrap of tape, sticky side out.

Hold the tube areas under a bright, reflective light to se the glue fillet lines that might need sanding.

After fine sanding with 400 grit, 

The glue fillet high spots have been taken down. Most all of the rocket body has been lightly sanded, just dulling the gloss white.

New Way Lunar Jumper Build, Part 8, Tube Fins

While the tubes were still separate,

The edges got a wipe of CA glue. 

Sanding with 400 grit followed.

Using my aluminum angle, 

A pencil line was drawn down all the six tubes.

A glue line was applied down the lower half of the BT-5s,

Pres into the BT-20 tubes lining up the pencil lines.

Here's how the tubes look from the rear, the bottoms are flush.

Apply a line of glue down the pencil lines running down both tubes.

Press into the outside edges of each fin.

Visually center on the pencil line.

New Way Lunar Jumper Build, Part 7, Tube Marking

The fin marking guide matched up!

Mark the three fin lines and extend them the entire length of the tube.

On the body tube, the root edge gluing line was scraped for better adhesion.

The small upper fins are glued in place.

The masking tape wrap helps line up the leading edges.

The short tube was slid over the upper rib fins, no glue yet. 

This applied pressure to hold the small fins in place as the glue dried.

I thought the upper tube would completely cover the outside edge so it wasn't filled and sealed earlier. There was bare balsa below. I applied some CWF and sanded.

The dowel joint got some CWF to fill the gap.

The first coat shrank a bit. After sanding a second application of CWF totally filled the joint.