Rain! . . . and more rain!

Just about the time the humidity drops at 2:30 p.m.  It rains! I can't paint.

Work continues on the Mini Scale Combo Pack rockets, but is stalled by the weather!

School Supplies - Rocket Supplies

An annual reminder - Back To School Supplies are on sale!

I don't use school glue. I use wood glue.

But - the wood glue nozzle is too wide! 

Buy a bottle of school glue, and change the two nozzles.

The threads are the same.

At the Dollar Tree store - 

Clay nose weight for $1.50.

It's also good for trimming boost gliders.

 

Occasionally I can use glue sticks.

They are great for paper body wraps.

Another buy at the Dollar Tree store.

Mylar table cover sheeting for streamers and parachutes.

Also available in a chrome finish.

This sheeting is pretty thin, it's more prone to ejection charge  damage. 

So, be extra careful when packing the wadding: CLICK HERE

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 12, Sanding White Undercoats

Here's the same fin, before and after fine sanding after a white undercoat.

The die-cut pressure crimped the backside of the fin edges.

It's finally smoothing out after initial sanding, filler/primer and sanding and now sanding the white undercoats.

The paper shock cord anchor looks okay after light sanding. There is still a shock cord hump.

 

The tube joint should look better after the color coats.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 11, The Exocet Launch Lugs

Here's the instruction launch lug illustration:

The forward lug should be set back 3/8" to hide it behind the leading edge of the upper fin. 

The lower lug is set into the root edge of a lower (offset) fin.

If the lower lug is set into the root edge,

(The upper picture is a dry fit)

Enlarge the picture - 

Note the lugs aren't in line if glued on this way. This could cause friction on the launch rod.

The lugs are larger than the instruction illustrations suggest.

The lower lug was glued on a little to the right of the lower fin root edge.

Now the two lugs are in line.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 10, Gluing On The Exocet Fins

I didn't trust the fin marking guide from the instruction sheet. I used the one I made from the Tomahawk build.

Enlarge the inset picture - 

TIP: Continue the pencil lines around the end of the body tube. If you are centering the root edges on the pencil lines, it helps to have an alignment point looking from the rear. 
 

The smaller rear fins are even with the end of the body tube. Check their height by setting something flat against the low end.

I set a wrap of tape with the top edge at 1 3/8". The top of the tape aligns the trailing edge of the upper fins.

The eight Exocet fins -

From the rear, double check your even spacing. The model is small, this could take some extra time.
 

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 9, Gluing On The Fins

The Tomahawk marking guide ends matched up when wrapped around the tube. I marked the fin locations.

TIP: Always check the guide by rotating it one quarter turn around the tube. At the second mark, the pencil mark didn't line up with the arrow on the guide!

I made up a marking guide and got the fin lines evenly spaced. 

A wrap of tape insured the tips of the root edge were at the same height. This is one of the few models where the trailing edges aren't even with the low end of the tube.

Glue fillets followed - 

On the left, the primer has been sanded down to the body tube for the launch lug to be centered between two fins.

On the right, is the shock cord cover position not in line with the launch lug.

That raised cover might cause friction with the launch rod.

Estes Mini Scale Combo Pak, #0874, Tomahawk & Exocet, Build, Part 8, Covering The Shock Cord

It's easier to use tweezers to grab the end of the shock cord.

Pull the cord through the slit until 1/4" sticks outside the body tube.

I traced around the paper shock cord anchor, then scraped off the gray primer for a better glue bond.

Apply glue to the back of the exposed shock cord and press the cord down onto the body tube until the glue sets up.

Glue the paper anchor over the shock cord and body tube area.

Use the center marks to line it up. Shape with a burnisher.

When the anchor is still wet with glue, you can shape and mold the paper cover.

I won't know how good this will look until paint is applied.