Estes Space Shuttle Columbia Build #1385, Part 22, More Decals & Chute

The canopy decal is difficult to set around the molded contours. The decals are old and really didn't want to adhere around some of the edges.

Initially, I didn't know how to place the Shuttle hatch door decal. I pulled out my old Dr. Zooch Shuttle for a angle reference.

After the canopy dried, I tried some Micro Sol to lessen the folds in the decal. It worked to an extent but there were still raised folds.

I ended up slicing the raised areas and brushed Future underneath before folding back down the edges. 

I mentioned earlier about some parachute ink sticking to the decals.

I didn't want to scrape the red ink off before transferring the decals. I wanted to keep the clear coat strong while placing the decals on the model.

After the decals were in place and had dried for a day, light scraping with a sharp blade removed the ink. Scrape lightly - you want to remove the red blotches, not the original print of the decal.

The 18" parachute seems large to me. I'll add a snap swivel and probably go with a 15" chute.

TIP: On the left I'm tying some no-tangle shroud lines. The center of the shroud lines get a small overhand loop knot. A separate piece of string goes through the loops and ties the three parachute lines together.

The entire process is shown: CLICK HERE

TIP: The parachute was joined to the shock cord a few inches away from the nose cone. This prevents the nose cone from swinging in and out of the shroud lines after ejection, preventing tangles.