Zeus-cat
07-24-2007, 11:06 PM
I used the basic Tau Zero design by Jay Goemmer as the basis for my "Sheesh Kabob". It hasn't flown yet and I still need to check stability before it flies, but the build and painting is complete. I chose red and black to make it very visible in the air and on the ground. The stripes and the two Sheesh Kabob decals are homemade decals printed on my inkjet printer using Testor's decal paper. One of the "Sheesh Kabob" decals 'silvered' after application and I think that is due to a less than smooth finish at the time of decal application (read more for problems with the finish).
Body tubes, nose cone, engine hook, launch lug, and Kevlar shock cord are all from Semroc. The three inner "fins" are basswood and the three outer fins are balsa. the fin extensions are from the kitchen and are wooden skewers cut down and glued to the end of the fins.
I just weighed it and it comes in at 1.5 ounces empty.
I used the water-based airbrush paint (Createx) I found at Hobby Lobby recently. I thinned it by adding about 1 part water to 3 parts paint. The paint comes in plastic bottles with a flip top and the paint can be squeezed out a drop at a time (sweet!).
I was a bit disappointed in the red at first as it sprayed on and was completely flat. I mean flatter than most flat paints I have ever used. The black on the nose cone was the same. The red took four light coats to cover the white body tube evenly. The black took two coats to cover the balsa nose cone (one might have been enough). Cleanup was a breeze as I just kept spraying water through the airbrush until it came out clear.
I poked around and managed to find an old can of gloss overcoat in my hobby supplies. A few passes with that and the rocket looked like it does now. The red deepened in color and the shine really looks good. However, I can't recommend this method for high-performance rockets as the finish is NOT smooth to the touch. It is actually quite rough to the touch in many places, say 100 grit sandpaper rough. Not a problem for this bird, but for other rockets this could be a problem. Createx makes a gloss overcoat in this same series of paint and I may have to try that.
Zeus-cat
Body tubes, nose cone, engine hook, launch lug, and Kevlar shock cord are all from Semroc. The three inner "fins" are basswood and the three outer fins are balsa. the fin extensions are from the kitchen and are wooden skewers cut down and glued to the end of the fins.
I just weighed it and it comes in at 1.5 ounces empty.
I used the water-based airbrush paint (Createx) I found at Hobby Lobby recently. I thinned it by adding about 1 part water to 3 parts paint. The paint comes in plastic bottles with a flip top and the paint can be squeezed out a drop at a time (sweet!).
I was a bit disappointed in the red at first as it sprayed on and was completely flat. I mean flatter than most flat paints I have ever used. The black on the nose cone was the same. The red took four light coats to cover the white body tube evenly. The black took two coats to cover the balsa nose cone (one might have been enough). Cleanup was a breeze as I just kept spraying water through the airbrush until it came out clear.
I poked around and managed to find an old can of gloss overcoat in my hobby supplies. A few passes with that and the rocket looked like it does now. The red deepened in color and the shine really looks good. However, I can't recommend this method for high-performance rockets as the finish is NOT smooth to the touch. It is actually quite rough to the touch in many places, say 100 grit sandpaper rough. Not a problem for this bird, but for other rockets this could be a problem. Createx makes a gloss overcoat in this same series of paint and I may have to try that.
Zeus-cat