I only got a little done tonight because I had to pickup my new laptop. Picture attached. It's an HP Pavilion dv7 with a 320 GB hard drive, 4MG of RAM and a 17 inch screen. It comes with Vista but I get the Windows 7 upgrade free when it comes out in a couple of weeks. I need to bring it in tomorrow to have them put my recovered data from the other PC onto it (if they are able to recover the data that is). This thing works great and the screen is huge.

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I plan ahead that way I don't have to do anything right now.

Oh by the way, I'm not here just for the "olde" rocket discussions.

Anyway I sanded the fins and wing tonight. Per the instructions I rounded the leading and trailing edges on each fin and wing.

You are then instructed to fill any imperfections with Micro Fil and then to seal everything The recommended product is Polyurethane floor sealer by MinWax which I happen to have. So I applied two coats to each of the eight parts and I'm waiting for them to dry so I can sand and then prime them.

Looking forward I noticed something regarding finishing that I need to prepare for. It's not recommended in the instructions, but on the last page of the instructions you are directed to the Hostile Projectiles website www.snellfx.com for painting and detail suggestions. While there I saw that Chart Pak graphic tape was used on Steve's build, and the level of detail it adds to the finished product is excellent so I've got to go out and find some 1/16 wide tape. I think I'll also pick up some 1/8 inch wide tape for other projects once I find the stuff.

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I plan ahead that way I don't have to do anything right now.

Oh by the way, I'm not here just for the "olde" rocket discussions.

Cas congrats on the new baby she looks sweet. Nothing like a new PC.

If you don't mind when you are done I'd like to include this build thread on the CD and or link it for future builders. You are doing a great job!

Don't worry if the wings bend and warp out a bit when you apply the floor sealer. It's water based. When it dries and you do the other side it goes back to being flat again.

I prefer it to toxic sanding sealer not to mention you can wash your brush with water.

Steve

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We should build a Bridge to the Stars

Hostile Projectiles

Sure thing Steve I'd be honored t have the build represented on the CD or via a link. Although I'm betting that the finish won't be anwhere near as good as the original.

I really like the floor sealer. It goes on very quickly, dries fast, doesn't stink up the whole house, and like you said cleans up easily.

__________________
I plan ahead that way I don't have to do anything right now.

Oh by the way, I'm not here just for the "olde" rocket discussions.

Thanks Cas and yes the floor sealer is a good thing. It sands well too.

Steve

__________________
We should build a Bridge to the Stars

Hostile Projectiles

I got a little bit done tonight. I had to make a trip the hardware store for paint for this project and a couple of others I am working on. I looked for the Chart Pak tape but didn't find it. I'm going to check a couple of other places tomorrow.

I mounted the fins and wings. The instructions tell you that you need to measure around the body tube then devide that into four equal measurements to determine fin placement. Instead I used my Estes marking guide.

Then you are instructed to put a mark 2 ½ inches back from the leading edge of each of the four fins. The fins are glued to the body tube with that mark even with the end of the tube. The fins are glued 2 ½ inches back from the front of the body tube. Glue fillets are applied to all root edges.

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__________________
I plan ahead that way I don't have to do anything right now.

Oh by the way, I'm not here just for the "olde" rocket discussions.

At this point you are instructed to prime the body, wings and fins. The picture in the instructions shows the Chart Pak tape running along the length of the body tube. Again the website shows the product and explains a bit about how it can be used.

You are then instructed to install the tail cone, either by gluing it permanently or screwing it on in case you want to remove it for any reason at a later time.

I chose not to install it at this point, figuring it would be easier to paint the rocket and install it after that.

I went ahead and painted the tail cone silver followed by a clear coat. The clear coat caused it to look more grey than silver, but as it dried it took on a metallic realistic look that I ended up liking.

I tried to test fit the tail cone after painting and found that it couldn't be installed without scratching it on the root edges of the four fins. I sanded the root edges of all four fins, leaving enough room for the tail cone to be installed after all painting has been completed.

More tomorrow.

__________________
I plan ahead that way I don't have to do anything right now.

Oh by the way, I'm not here just for the "olde" rocket discussions.

Cas she's coming along great. I am now including on the next kits that go out a tail marking template that wraps around the BT-60 tube.

Great work. Nice and clean.

Steve

__________________
We should build a Bridge to the Stars

Hostile Projectiles

That's a great idea Steve. Many people are used to working with a template of some sort so it will speed up the build process a bit.

I sanded down the entire primer coat and re-primed today to get a smoother finish. I also cutout and then painted the inside of the canopy flat black as suggested in the instructions. It looks very cool.

Now I'm ready to attach the canopy and paint , but I still need that Chart Pak tape, plus I realized that I'm not going to be able to get as good of a finish as the V-23 shown on the website you for two reasons. The first is that I don't have an airbrush and the second is that even if I did I wouldn't be able to do as good anyway.

Well that's it until I get the tape. In the meantime I'm heading up to New Hampshire this weekend to do some hiking, see the fall colors, and hopefully pickup a couple of snowmobiles. Winter will be here in a couple of months and I'm planning to do a lot of skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing, and launching rockets of course!

__________________
I plan ahead that way I don't have to do anything right now.

Oh by the way, I'm not here just for the "olde" rocket discussions.

Enjoy your trip Cas!

Steve

__________________
We should build a Bridge to the Stars

Hostile Projectiles