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 Aries SST, #1927, Build, Part 11, Gluing On Launch Lug & Rudders

I no longer waste time with glue fillets on the sides of launch lugs. That glue line was straightened and the width narrowed by pinching your thumb and index finger together. 

Run your finger "V" down the lug making a straight, narrow glue line. 

Carefully place the lug with the glue on the pencil line, 1 3/4" from the rear of the main body tube.

Here's the rudders glued onto the wing tips.

Assembly is finished, ready for white undercoats.

Estes Aries SST, #1927, Build, Part 10, Fitting The Rudders To The Wing

Stack the rudder assemblies to be sure the glued angles are consistent.

If they don't line up, apply a little warmth with the low setting on a heat gun and gently bend at the glue joint to match the other rudder assembly. 

On the outside (visual) seam,

Drag some CWF down the joint and immediately smooth and remove excess with a fingertip.

Sand after the CWF dries.

The outside side seam is sanded flat for a stronger glue joint against the edge of the wing.

Use a sanding block but don't go any wider the the 3/32" thickness of the wing.

Estes Aries SST, #1927, Build, Part 9, Sanding The Rudder Edge Angle

The root edges of the rudder fins have to be sanded at an angle.

Mark the flat root edges shading with the side of a soft pencil.

The picture on the right shows the angle sand about halfway through. The pencil shading gives a better contrast so you can sand the line evenly.

I'd recommend using a sanding block, like the Estes Ultimate Sanding Bar. To reach a 3/4" dihedral height, the sanding angle is not very steep. 

On the right, you can see what's left of the pencil line. Sand until the pencil shading is gone - no further.

With a weight on one side of the rudder assembly,

Raise the other outside edge to 3/4".

Estes Aries SST, #1927, Build, Part 8, Engine Mount & Re-gluing A Wing

The Kevlar, elastic and heat shrink wrap are pushed down and through the engine mount for gluing into the main body tube.

With the Kevlar line, shock cord and heat shrink tube out the back of the engine mount - 

To get the lines out the top, I made a hook out of a coat hanger. Slide it into the top, hook the wire on the shock cord and pull through the front of the tube.

 

After the glue set up on the wings I double checked the alignment. It was off, enough that one wing was cut off and repositioned.

Be sure to cut into the glue, not into the tube when removing a fin.

The engine ribs are glued 3/8" from the root edge.

I cut a strip of tape, 3/8" wide to use as an alignment line.

The picture shows a dry fit, no glue yet.

Note the rear of the rib, it overhangs the rounded trailing edge. The back end of the rib was sanded back, just to the start of the rounded edge.

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 Shark #1111, Build, Part 8, Engine Mount & Fin Gluing

Set the engine mount and Kevlar line alongside the lower, longer tube.

The BT-20 engine tube is even with the bottom of the BT-50 main body.

This gives you an idea how long the Kevlar line should be, a little shorter than the top of the BT-50.

Tie a overhand loop knot (shown on the right) for the elastic shock cord attachment.

I used epoxy to glue the mount in, allowing me some positioning time.

Here's the BT-50 tube with the filler/primer scraped off where the fins will be glued. The scraping is a little shorter than the length of the leading edge.

The low fins are glued even with the end of the body tube.

On the forward fins and thrusters, I used a wrap of masking tape as an low alignment line at the corner of the trailing edges.

New Way Blade Runner, Part 8, Gluing On The Fins

Five fins!

The marking guide fit very well. Pencil marks were made and extended the full length of the tube.

On the right -

I used the marking guide as a height guide at the 1 1/4" mark.

The long strakes glue down the fin lines, butted up against the  top of the fins. 

For a better alignment, I used the reversed clothespins. Be careful not to glue the clamps to the fins.

To see the original post and make your own flat clamps: CLICK HERE

After the glue dried on the forward strakes,

I tried the fit of the ring tube. A perfect slip fit!

The ring tube will be glued on after the fins and strakes are painted. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to get good paint coverage with the ring glued in place.

Centuri Skylab Build, #KB-4, Part 15, Skinning The Fins & Fin Gluing

As it turns out, the fins are too thin for a friction fit in the support slots.  I'll need to laminate some cardstock to increase the thickness.

The mat board fins had the leading edge rounded for a smoother "fold-over" of the cardstock skin.

The 110 lb. cardstock was cut oversize.

The outside layer will be "butterflied" with the fold rolling over the leading edge. Score and pre-fold the leading edge.

I used a glue stick to adhere the skin.

Set the folded edge first over the rounded leading edge.

After skinning the two fins - 

The 3" long launch lug tubes are glued to the outside edge of the fins.

The two square solar panel fins and smaller pod supports are glued on.

Estes Mini Bomarc Clone, Kit #TK-5, Part 10, Gluing On The Rudder & Wing

The fin lines are extended down the length of the body tube.

The rudder goes on first using the center lines down the tube and rudder.

ry fit the wing under the raceway and mark the position.

Glue the wing onto the body tube. While the glue is still  wet check the placement with a dry fit of the raceway. 

When all is fitting together, remove the raceway.

Let the wing and rudder glue joints dry with the assembly placed on a flat surface. This aligns the wing and rudder.

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, Part 9, Launch Lug & Conduit Gluing

It'll be hard to reach the root edges once the wide conduit/tunnel is glued on. There isn't much room for glue fillets.

I decided to lightly smooth the dried glue fillets with 400 grit wrapped around a Q-tip for cushioned sanding. Go easy, it is possible to sand a shallow groove in the balsa. You are just knocking down any roughness.

I applied two fine lines of wood glue so there wouldn't be much squeeze out when pressed in place.. 

The lugs were set down and positioned using long tweezers.

I won't be applying glue fillets to the launch lugs. Sometimes trying to fill the bubbles of dried glue isn't worth the time.

The narrow glue lines were positioned so there wouldn't be any visible glue when the lugs were pressed in place.

The conduit/tunnel was centered between two fins on the opposite side of the engine hook and launch lugs. The older Estes instructions showed the tunnel on the same side of the engine hook. I thought it would be more interesting in launch photos with the tunnel facing out.

Estes AMRAAM AIM-120 Downscale, Build, Part 8, Gluing On The Eight Fins

The lower fins are glued on with the trailing edges even with the end of the body tube.

Standard, 90 degree spacing with the engine hook centered between two fins. 

Sight across the bottom to be sure the opposing fins are in line.

The upper fins are 8.20" from the bottom of the model.

A wrap of masking tape was rolled around the tube to line up the trailing edge corners.

Be careful not to glue the masking tape to the fins or body tube.

New Way Letter - Go Build, Part 9, Fin Gluing

I applied wood glue to the root edge and to the sides of the TTW (thru-the-wall) fin tabs.

The name letters should read clockwise, to the right.

Note how the letters lean down, like a down swept fin.

I drew an arrow to show how the fin should intersect the centerline of the body tube. 

Here's all five fins viewed from the rear, spelling my first name.

I tried to fill the nose cone seams using medium CA glue and sanding to surface.

Well, the CA glue doesn't stick to this polystyrene plastic!

Filler/Primer and paint doesn't adhere to this plastic either.

Rough up the plastic surface before spray painting with color. 

The upper picture shows a painting "handle" using a wrap of copy paper.