Here are couple of builds I started yesterday. The Vintage Estes Aero-Fin and one of my many Estes Der Red Max kits. The Der Red Max was built yesterday and allowed the glue to dry overnight then brushed on Dope balsa sealer today and sprayed the bare rocket with Gloss Red today. I tried to get some pictures of the finished fins to show how well the balsa sealer works, even without using primer or fillers. On my next day off, I will apply the decals. Today, I built the vintage Aero-Fin. The instructions have you seal the fins before gluing onto the rocket, probably makes it easier with 5 fins. I work tomorrow so will not be able spray the gloss white until Wed.

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Your fin work is amazing - no matter how many coats I use, there is always a little grain showing. Well, I give up after 3 or 4 coats, so....


And Old Krylon! Great stuff!

__________________
Paul
If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane - Jimmy Buffett
NAR #87246 www.wooshrocketry.org

Paul, you were SO close. It only takes maybe 6-7 coats.

__________________
Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, Ken Foss Designs Mini Satellite Interceptor
In the Paint Shop: Nothing! Too cold!
Launch-Ready: Farside-X, Maxi Honest John, Super Scamp

Holly cow, 6-7 coats? Maybe you are sanding to aggressively. I sand with 320 just til the fins are smooth. If you sand too much, you will sand into the bare balsa and the grain will still be showing. On the 3rd coat, the fins should look like plastic with no grain showing. With that being said, a little grain is no big deal.......

I still have an Aero Fin decal from a long ago eBay Buy It Now, but those fins have always made me choose another project. Seeing yours gives it a whole new perspective. That's a pretty cool looking build. Are you going with the stock color scheme? Seems to me that was another thing that kept me from starting the project.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

I agree, they could have sold it as a back scratcher.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating." This 1:24 scale V2 is in white semi-gloss and is ready for "The Vixen" to finish by hand. There is NO grain in any of the balsa fins. There was NO grain even before the first coat of primer.

Step 1: assemble the model and fillet the fins with epoxy.
Step 2: coat the fins with diluted Elmer's Wood Filler, let dry and sand with 220.
Step 3: coat the fins with eRockets sanding sealer. Yes, it's water-based. Don't like it?--then
don't use it. It's hard to argue with results, though. Let dry and sand with 320.
Step 4: coat the fins again with eRockets sanding sealer. Let dry and sand with 320.
Step 5: coat the fins a final time with eRockets sanding sealer. Let dry and sand with 400.

Your results may vary--but shouldn't.

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__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

You know me, I build my vintage rockets to color that is shown. After the fillets dried I shot a coat of Gloss white on the bare rocket, came out nice. This morning I was able to mask and get the light blue sprayed, I will post pictures later. I work again tomorrow so decals will not go on until Fri.

I mistook the Aero Fin for the FireAero. I have both decals. I think the FireAero is painted green and yellow with a red decal. Pretty vile.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

When I saw the thread name I mistakenly thought "Spin Fin" which is what I expected in the pics.
Not even close... Lol.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !