Semroc Micro Mars Lander, KMX-02, Part 2, Leg (Fin) Prep

The lander legs are cut clean on some 1/32" thick basswood.

Before removing the legs from the sheet, the strut holes were cleaned up using a small rat tail file. Just a light twist to smooth out the laser cut holes. I found out later this wasn't needed, so skip what I did here.

On the Semroc MMX Orbital Transport, I used only one coat of filler/primer. Those fins were basswood and I thought that would be adequate as there is very little grain to fill. I wish I had used two coats, there was still some grain showing through on the O.T. after painting.

The leg pieces were left on the sheet for spraying and sanding. I wouldn't normally leave them on the sheet for a filler coat, but these pieces are small and a little fragile. The picture on the left shows the lower right quarter of the sheet after sanding down the filler/primer with 400 grit. On the right is the center piece that glues between the leg support pieces - these are very small.
TIP: Keep all the small parts in a zip lock bag after they are removed from the laser cut sheet. These can be easily dropped and lost.

This shows the filler/primer left in the basswood grain after sanding.

Go light when sanding, I did break one of the thin upper areas when fitting the legs.

The edges do have some laser burn "chatter". Sand smooth but not enough to change the shape. Be very careful if you decide to sand around the thin upper rod near the "control cylinder".