Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 17, Pulling The Tape!

The mask was pretty clean, 

There was some small bleeds under the corners.

Instead of scraping - 

Try pushing the little paint overspray tics back into the red. 

I use a pocket knife, it's not as sharp as a hobby knife. Too sharp a knife might cut in and chip out the white paint underneath.

Here's the cleanup results up until now.

I'll follow with some white touchups. 

Ace Premium enamel is sprayed into a cup and applied with a brush. Applied light and carefully, the Ace paint mixes and "melds" into the paint already on the model.

Launch Pad Inventory Sold To Estes?

From the Rocketry Forum:

"Pleased to announce that The Launch Pad has moved to its new home, with Estes in Penrose Colorado. They will be making the rest of the original TLP inventory available on their website, and they will be integrating the TLP designs into their product line. I think Chuck would have been pleased to see his life's work carried on by Estes."

I have no other information. There is lots of speculation on how these kits and parts will be sold or if Estes may produce kits from the scale data. The kits may just be sold as is - probably at collector's prices.

I've only built and finished one Launch Pad kit, the Pershing. 

You can see the build in reverse order: CLICK HERE

Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 16, Taping The Mask

I wasn't looking forward to this mask - 

The rear "peaks" have outside mask lines. The first angled tape strip is set down. Below it you can see the pencil line for the next piece.

The upper peaks are inside masks with rounded sides.

The curve was cut with small scissors. That curve on the left side almost works like a hinge, allowing you to set the tape at a few different angles until the tip meets at the top.

The top and bottom pieces are in place.

The open center is covered with brown masking tape.

I tried wrapping some grocer bag plastic around the fins but the peaks of the lower red masks were in the way.

Brown masking tape covered all the fin area.

Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 15, Complex Mask

The kit supplies a wrap around masking guide. It's printed on 20 lb. stock, it's a bit floppy.

Center one of the long stripes between two fins. Check back and forth with the other side and be sure the top is even with the end of the body tube.

It took a few minutes to get everything in line. Sight down between the fins from the rear.

Tape down the guide with small pieces of tape, leaving the "V" ends open for pencil tracing.

Trace around the guide using a soft, sharp pencil.

Any pencil lines that remain after spraying the red can be easily erased.

White or Yellow Glue?

When I starting building model rockets in 1969, 

white glue was recommended in the Estes kit instructions - that was all we had in our house.

Centuri recommended white glue or their own "Superbond" yellow glue. Centuri Superbond was actually rebottled and relabeled Titebond.

When I got back into the hobby in 2005, I started back building with white glue. Over time, I switched over yellow glue. I still use white glue for carded rocketry where outside fillets are visible.

I copied the following information after an internet search:

__________________________________________________

Key Differences Between White and Yellow Wood Glue

Setting/Working Time: Yellow glue sets faster (5-10 minutes) than white glue, making it better for quick clamping, whereas white glue allows for longer, more complex assemblies.

• Sanding/Finished Texture: Yellow glue dries harder and is much easier to sand without gumming up the sandpaper. White glue stays slightly softer and can become gummy, making it harder to sand properly.
• Heat Resistance: Yellow glue has higher heat resistance, which is beneficial when sanding, as the friction from sanders can cause white glue to soften and turn sticky.
• Cleanup and Water Resistance: Both clean up with water, but yellow glue is generally more water-resistant (often water-resistant rather than water-soluble) compared to white glue, which is generally water-soluble.
• Color/Appearance: Yellow glue dries slightly translucent (often a yellow-tinted amber) whereas white glue dries clearer.
• Application: Yellow glue is thicker, which helps with gap-filling, whereas white glue is often thinner and is commonly used for school projects or hobby work. 

Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 14, Finally! Gloss White

After three passes of gloss white and sanding - 

allowing 48 hours between coats - 

I finally have a decent finish of the tail cone and fin support pieces.

After 48 more hours I'm going to attempt the complex red mask!

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 33, Priming The Recovery Probe

Initially I was just going to spray the long "recovery probe" black.

In the mid 1970s, I was disappointed with the long, unsightly extension. 

There was some tight and shallow body tube seams that could probably be filled with a good shot of filler/primer and sanding.

This probe will be painted flat black "so it won't be as noticeable on the launcher". HA!

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 32, Things To Fill

After spraying the shite undercoat, pinholes showed up in some of the glue fillets.

The intercooler fillets needed some sanding.

A crack showed up at the top of the secondary hull.

This was closed up with CA glue.

How did I not see this?

The seam on the retainer ring was pretty obvious.

CWF filled the seam and sanding followed. 

Then, another white undercoat.

Estes USS Enterprise #1275, Part 31, Fillets and Paint Prep

Back to the Enterprise! 

I took a break from the frustrating Enterprise build. That, and the Arcas paint is drying.

I actually got a good fit of the pylon braces in the tube slots. There is still a seam gap though.

Wood glue fillets will fill any gaps.

More glue fillets followed where the supports met the vacu-formed secondary hull halves.

A dowel with an engine casing was glued into a dowel for a painting wand.

The front coupler was taped off to keep out paint. 

Onto the white undercoats - fingers crossed!

Waiting For The Paint To Dry - Upcoming Projects

I'm usually a few build posts ahead - but not right now!

Each sanded white coat has been evened and smoothed out the tight rough areas.

Spray and wait two days. Sand and spray again.

While the paint dries -

I've got a few ideas for future projects - 

I'm getting estimates to 3D print the finned BT-50S nose cone in the Sandpiper kit.

This one reminds me of  a downsized Jayhawk.

I suspended the build of the Starship Enterprise when I couldn't find a proper light gray paint.

I remembered using the Insignia White Tamiya paint on the Aerotech Astrobee D build. 

While the picture shows it as a cream color, it's actually more of a very light gray.

Another upcoming build - 

I just received the latest kit from New Way model rocket kits!

This design has some 1950s sci-fi vibes!

New Estes Gemini Titan Kit

It's about time!

Estes has just released a new "expert build" 1/48 scale Gemini Titan kit.

27" tall, 2.5' diameter.

Two C5-3 engine cluster, 350 foot altitude.

I had built the original K-22 kit in the early 1970s. The engines were slid into widened cardstock nozzles.

This new kit has (removeable for flight) scale nozzles. A finned cluster mount is slid in, turned and locked in place. A 24" rip stop parachute is included.

The online catalog page: CLICK HERE

To see the instructions: CLICK HERE

Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 13, Shock Cord & Streamer

When forming a paper shock cord mount, I like to form the glued up mount to fit the inside of the body tube.

Estes has developed new plastic, self-adhesive shock cord mounts for the BT-50, BT-55 and BT-60 tubes. The BT-20 and BT-5 tubes are too small. 

Note the pencil mark on the rubber cord to be used as a depth gauge, 1" down inside the tube.

I use tweezers to insert the paper mount to the 1" depth before pressing the glued mount to the inside of the tube.

The chromed mylar streamer had rough cut ends. 

For easier placement of the clear tape, the upper end of the streamer was lightly taped down to my work surface.

Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 12, First White Coat

The first white undercoats always show the glue blobs you didn't smooth out before spraying.

On the left - One side, very rough fillet areas.

On the right - I wish they all looked this good! There would be less work before final paint sprays.

Something I don't think I mentioned earlier - Look close at the balsa grain. It doesn't run down the leading edge line. The grain is parallel to the trailing edge.

Here's one quarter view after sanding with a well used piece of 400 grit. All the glue boogers have been lightly sanded to surface.

I'm going to try a "shading" decal to give the impression of diamond shaped fins. More coming up . . .

Two Stage Water Rocket?

 

I've launched a few single staged water rockets - 

This video shows a two stage water rocket 

with a parachute for the booster - 

CLICK HERE

Hairspray Powered Rocket?

It looks like a water rocket, but the propellant and controller are much different!

I'm sure this doesn't follow the NAR Safety Code, but interesting.

To see  the video: CLICK HERE

Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 11, Fin Support Gluing

That score line is open, I had to fill it with some CWF applied using the tip of a knife blade.

On the right side, the filler is sanded to surface.

Note the pencil marks, they are just inside the length of the fin supports. I also marked the high points of the tail cone/body tube joint.

Glue is set down in between the pencil lines and the fin support pressed in place.

The fit of the supports isn't tight into the root edge, not as close as I'd like. Glue fillets will help fill the gaps.

Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 10, Fin Gluing

 

The paper fin marking guide gave perfectly spaced fins. 

Part H (fin alignment and spacing tool) fit very well.

With the fin notches in line with the tail cone/body tube joint -

The trailing edges are about 3/32" from the end of the tail cone.

The fin support pieces should fit tightly into the root edge corners.

Go light with the glue fillets to allow a close fit of the support pieces to come.

Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 9, Fin Supports

The fin supports were butted up against each other and shot with filler/primer. Sanding followed.

On the instruction sheet there is a full size cut template.

Setting the fin support over the template, my sanded pieces ended up a bit short. I was trying to be careful not to change the length, but they ended up short. 

I used a single edge razor blade to "score" the center break line.

Cut about half way through! Score a line.

Here's a support after bending and breaking at the cut line.

Great - another gap to fill.

Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 8, Fin Primer & Sand

A strip of tape was set down the root edge to prevent the primer/filler from soaking in.

The tape strip was needed because the root edges weren't  straight. 

The fins were set on scrap cardboard for the filler/primer spray.

Here's the before and after sanding the fins and short launch lugs.

The filler/primer soaks in a bit and helps seal the surfaces.

For me - Balsa grain filling and tube spirals filling is a two-step process - 

STEP 1: After applying and sanding the Carpenter's Wood Filler (CWF) 

STEP 2: The sprayed and sanded filler/primer fills in any remaining grain.

Everybody has their best methods.

Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 7, Fin Fill

When applying the CWF, clear that small notch above the root edge round cut out.

After sanding the dry CWF, round out the root edge cut out with a small rat tail file.

Here's the before and after CWF sand.

The small notch above the cut out aligns with the boat tail / body tube seam.

The fit of the fin root edge was very good.

The original ARCAS fins had a diamond taper. This smaller version just has a rounded leading edge. It would be very difficult to sand a diamond taper in 1/16" thick balsa.

Estes Mini Arcas, #2441, Part 6, Fin Supports

The basswood strips were sanded down to 1/16" square.

About 12 lengths were cut. I'll only need 8, I'll pick the best shaped for the build.

The originals were left on the balsa sheet. Angled pencil lines were drawn for a cutting guide.

I used a single edge razor blade to cut the sides. 

Draw pencil lines on the top and bottom apex for a sanding reference.

Shade the sides for a visual contrast when tapering the ends.

On the right - 

The ends are tapered using the pencil lines and shading. Without the pencil markings it is difficult to see how much you are sanding off. Use 400 grit on a sanding block.

Round off the length of the support and the tips.

The pic on the right shows the underside, still square.