LESSON FOUR: Painting and finishing the rocket 

At the end of the last lesson, we primed our fin canister and the rocket was ready for final finishing. In this lesson we pick up where we left off and finish this rocket.

I had previously selected Krylon Glossy White as my final color with the fins being trimmed in Krylon Glossy Red and Krylon Glossy Black, and the nosecone using Krylon Gloss Red and Krylon Glossy Brown. To begin our finishing process, I sanded the rocket all over, taking care around the joints and details in the plastic parts, using 400 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper in dry mode.

With the airframe sanded, I applied three to four good color coats of white over the entire rocket and nosecone, taking care not to get the paint too wet or too dry. Too dry and I have a lot of orange peel to deal with, which makes taping off secondary colors a pain, and too wet, I prove that even Krylon can run, something the can says doesn't happen. They don't know me. I let each coat get dry to the touch, by checking the paint on surrounding areas where overspray accumulated on my painting stand, a super high-tech broom handle drove into the ground a half a foot. When I could touch the paint on the broom handle and it didn't leave a print, I applied the next coat.

I let the white dry for over a week before I attempted to mask it back up and paint secondary colors. I have seen masking tape "print" undercoats when they were taped over too early, usually from solvents in the secondary colors soaking through and releasing some of the adhesive on the masking tape. Allowing a long drying time before applying the secondary colors insured the basecoat was sufficiently dry.

Once the white basecoat was dry, I started the tedious job of masking up the fins for the two secondary trim colors as well as the nose cone for the red and brown bands. With the airspace at the forward edge of the fins where they join the airframe, I decided to cut some appropriately sized slivers of paper and slid into the opening, then taped it down with masking tape. I masked all four fins off, then covered up the single fin that would get the red secondary color so I could apply the black.

On the nose cone, it wasn't too bad masking it up, and the white lower band was actually 3/4" in width, making it a breeze with 3/4" masking tape to get a clean masking job for the bands. I then took care to cover the entire airframe, any areas that shouldn't be exposed to the secondary colors was masked up to prevent overspray from reaching them. After I was through masking, I sanded the exposed areas with more 400 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper using it dry, taking care around the edges of the masking tape, but still knocking all of the gloss off the basecoat.

One of the tricks I have heard about when getting clean lines on secondary colors like two- (and three-) toned fins and nosecone bands is to begin the application of the secondary colors by laying down a coat of the original base coat. So I began by painting my masked up fins and nosecone with a single coat of white. Once it was dry to the touch, I then started to apply the secondary colors, again using three to four coats, making sure they weren't too dry or too wet.

It took two separate sessions, painting the black fins and red on the nose cone on one day, then two days later, I painted the red fin and the brown band on the nosecone.

As you can see in the photo above, the end result came out pretty well. This is the finished rocket with all of the final decals, rail guides, Aeropack motor retainer, etc. applied and ready to fly.

Before I get into the final details, let me point out that I rethought my six foot of Kevlar cord that I attached as a recovery harness. While the six foot may have been sufficient, I decided why limit myself to that short amount? I contacted John Coxx, a supplier of Kevlar recovery products and the excellent Mission Control Altimeter four event recovery controller, and asked him about his 3mm Kevlar Shock Cord. You can find this product here in the Rocketry Planet Auctions.

John set me up with some of this 3mm material and I elected to stick as much in there as I could get while still getting a parachute in the tube. A good fifteen foot just sounded like a better alternative to the six feet I started with. If you haven't looked over John's stuff, I recommend giving it a look.

In the photo above, you can see the detail on the nose cone/payload area. I was very pleased with the way the color separation came out between the colors, and was using simply regular 3/4" masking tape. Using a first coat of the base color before applying the secondary color really does work. I had heard about it for years but never tried it, and the results speak for themselves.

I have to tell you, I was very concerned about applying silver paint to all of those simulated fasteners in the payload area. That's a lot of detail to add and my hand isn't as steady as it used to be. As it turns out, my luck worked out for me.

I went to the local Walmart in search of one of those Testor's model car paint sets which consists of the handful of bottles of enamel paints with a paint brush. In all of its wrecked glory from pre-Christmas shoppers, the local store was fresh out of the paint kits. I decided to look in the arts and crafts section to see if they had anything I could use.

And there is was. A product by Elmers, called Painters Opaque Paint Markers was hanging there in Silver, item #7330, with a fine point measuring 1.1mm or .043" in tip width. Much like a felt-tip marker, once the tip is depressed so that the paint can begin flowing, it flows out of the tip and onto your work surface. Placed in the simulated fastener depressions and moved in a slightly circular motion, the silver fasteners were knocked out in record time: less than 3 minutes for all. I was shocked, but there they were, and not a stray mark.

All in all, this has been a fun build. I have enjoyed resurrecting the How-To Classroom Series and this project was the personification of what the series was designed to provide: a medium to learn new techniques, try different approaches and share the enjoyment that is our hobby. The Estes D-Region Tomahawk makes a great addition to my arsenal and I think you would enjoy building it even in its stock state. I hope you have enjoyed this class as much as I have.

Happy Holidays to everyone and after the first of the year, we'll begin another class where I do some strange things to another classic Estes model rocket kit. Happy flying!

KEVLAR® is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company in the United States.

09-13-2007 11:23 PM  #1
Steve_Shannon Growing more clueless...   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2059	Terrific job. It makes me want to run out and buy an Estes D-Region Tomahawk. Actually I have one of their V-2s and I think much of this will apply there. Thanks!

09-15-2007 08:43 AM  #2
Darian New Member   Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 6	Extremely well written article. I haven't read any of the rocket magazines on the market for awhile, but it seems like articles like this one should be in them on a regular basis; particularly the NAR publication.

09-15-2007 06:12 PM  #3
fox_racing_guy Certified Level Two   Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 123	I enjoyed this too and it makes me want to go out and purchase one of these kits now. Unfortunately I found I local place that stocks Mid-Power reloads now and I blew about $300.00 on them so now I don't have much scratch left over for rocket kits . I think it's about time for lesson 2.

09-17-2007 05:57 PM  #4
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Guess what's next? 38mm motor mount, dual deployment.

09-18-2007 02:18 PM  #5
Cas2047 Certified Level Two   Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 69	Quote: Guess what's next? 38mm motor mount, dual deployment. Very Nice! Are there any differences in the kit contents between the regular and collector series HJ kits?

09-18-2007 03:31 PM  #6
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Actually, the kit I am going to use is a regular series, but I was too lazy to take a new picture. The collector series comes with a certificate of authenticity for the collector's version. Other than that, they are pretty much the same exact kit. The actual kit picture that I am going to use is attached. I got unlazy.

09-18-2007 04:45 PM  #7
Cas2047 Certified Level Two   Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 69	Quote: Actually, the kit I am going to use is a regular series, but I was too lazy to take a new picture. The collector series comes with a certificate of authenticity for the collector's version. Other than that, they are pretty much the same exact kit. The actual kit picture that I am going to use is attached. I got unlazy. Thanks! The HJ is a very good looking rocket. I can't wait to see the end result.

09-30-2007 09:35 PM  #8
Bubster Certified Level One   Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 18	Hey, when is D-Reg 102 coming? I haven't slept since 101 -- been waiting to finish this thing!

09-30-2007 10:29 PM  #9
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	I worked on it today, I need to convert the pictures and write the content. Look for it in a day or two. And thanks for the interest!

10-01-2007 10:58 AM  #10
JohnK3 Certified Level One   Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 19	Hmmm...Mr. Mobley with an up-powered Honest John....seems familiar, somehow.... [grin>

10-01-2007 03:05 PM  #11
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Quote: Hmmm...Mr. Mobley with an up-powered Honest John....seems familiar, somehow.... I have to admit, my inspiration is based on past performance.

10-02-2007 09:52 PM  #12
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Latest lesson is posted, read the original thread: http://www.rocketryplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4092

11-02-2007 06:16 PM  #13
fox_racing_guy Certified Level Two   Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 123	Any progress on this? I can't complain though I have 7 kits in the making for about 4 months now

11-02-2007 06:46 PM  #14
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Quote: Any progress on this? Another installation is due this weekend!

11-02-2007 10:44 PM  #15
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	The latest lesson of the D-REG101 How-To Classroom has been posted. To read it, visit the first post in this series at: http://www.rocketryplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=622 or read the article in the website frontend at: http://www.rocketryplanet.com/content/view/2051/38/ Enjoy! Next time, we paint this beast and finish 'er up!

12-20-2007 07:50 AM  #16
Johnnie Certified TRA Level III   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 235	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Alright, you need to finish this one up before you start on the HOJO... I found a D-Reg T-hawk at a local hobby store, and if I get it, I may want to follow along with your build. Johnnie

12-20-2007 02:12 PM  #17
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk I swear you must be peaking over my shoulder. I was in the shop yesterday putting red and black on a white airframe. It'll be done by Christmas, hopefully.

12-20-2007 06:39 PM  #18
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk The Tomahawk is sporting a pretty paint job, all that remains is the brown band on the nosecone. After that, the Aeropack retainer, the ACME launch lugs, the few decals and it will be ready. I saw something I missed earlier that struck me funny. A typo from Estes:

12-20-2007 06:55 PM  #19
Johnnie Certified TRA Level III   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 235	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Quote: The Tomahawk is sporting a pretty paint job, all that remains is the brown band on the nosecone. After that, the Aeropack retainer, the ACME launch lugs, the few decals and it will be ready. I saw something I missed earlier that struck me funny. A typo from Estes: En-i-gines...even if they spelled it right, they should know that most model fliers install motors, not engines... "Is that a 24mm small block, or is that a heart thumpin 29mm big block?" Johnnie

12-20-2007 11:14 PM  #20
rstaff3 Oddroc-eteer   Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 197	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Estes has called them engines for at least as long as I remember. Whether technically correct or not, that means lots of us old farts do also At least occasionally.

12-21-2007 07:33 AM  #21
Johnnie Certified TRA Level III   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 235	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Quote: Estes has called them engines for at least as long as I remember. Whether technically correct or not, that means lots of us old farts do also At least occasionally. When I got back into model rocketry, I read the Handbook for Model Rocketry, and I seem to remember a statement in there clarifying the difference...rocket motor it kinda stuck, anyways, I don't guess it matters...even though I tend to bring it up from time to time To get back on topic, I have a D-Region T. under the tree this year I am told... Johnnie

12-22-2007 08:06 PM  #22
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Final lesson is posted. Read the original thread: http://www.rocketryplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=622 Enjoy!

12-22-2007 08:52 PM  #23
Art Upton Space Cowboy   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 91	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk I must say, A very nice and professional looking rocket.

12-22-2007 09:05 PM  #24
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Thanks, Art!

12-22-2007 09:34 PM  #25
Johnnie Certified TRA Level III   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 235	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Wow! Darrell, really nice turn out for the D-Reg. Excellent attention to detail on your article as well, thank you. Johnnie

12-23-2007 09:12 AM  #26
fox_racing_guy Certified Level Two   Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 123	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk That sure did turn out beautiful! So are you actually going to fly it or just use it as a static display, and if you are going to fly it what motor will you be using?

12-23-2007 03:03 PM  #27
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Quote: So are you actually going to fly it or just use it as a static display, and if you are going to fly it what motor will you be using? What's the biggest 29mm motor available? I plan to let 'er rip. Otherwise, what'd be the point. Heh.

12-23-2007 05:49 PM  #28
fox_racing_guy Certified Level Two   Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 123	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Quote: What's the biggest 29mm motor available? I plan to let 'er rip. Otherwise, what'd be the point. Heh. In Aerotech I think the I200W is the highest impulse available with a nice 120lb boost right at ignition then it tappers to around 55lbs. I like the H268R as well that fits the same 29/360 case.

12-23-2007 06:55 PM  #29
sandmantoy Certified Level 2   Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 21	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Nice work, I enjoyed seeing it come together. makes me want one lol! Hope to see a flight picture in here.

12-24-2007 10:54 AM  #30
19KILO gonogo   Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 21	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Nice job! Thats a real nice looking bird. I'd consider using that kit for NAR scale competition. The job you did would deffinatly score well.

12-25-2007 05:28 PM  #31
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Quote: To get back on topic, I have a D-Region T. under the tree this year I am told... Well, were you told right?

12-25-2007 06:39 PM  #32
Johnnie Certified TRA Level III   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 235	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Quote: Well, were you told right? Freakin "A!!" and an Interceptor E too. Both are begging for 29mm mounts... Johnnie

12-25-2007 06:59 PM  #33
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Quote: Freakin "A!!" and an Interceptor E too. Both are begging for 29mm mounts... Sounds like you've got work to do!

03-28-2008 03:34 AM  #34
19KILO gonogo   Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 21	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Darrel, I was recently gifted with this kit bye a fellow rocketeer. My interest in low and mid power recently has been peaked due to NAR competition this season. Tom Lyons, the NAR competition guru, was kind enough to point out to me that my Estes Patriot just was not going to cut it for good points. I have decided to take scale competition a little more seriously now and this Tomahawk might be the ticket. I plan to build it stock, I only have three weeks to finish. I thankyou for the fantastic build class on this kit. I wil not use every step you describe here but most of what you describe is invaluable to my own build. I may be mistaken but I have yet to see a build thread on RP forum. I will take some pics, when I'm done maybe I can post some of my own build. Thanks, Michael

03-28-2008 12:44 PM  #35
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Quote: I thankyou for the fantastic build class on this kit. I wil not use every step you describe here but most of what you describe is invaluable to my own build. I may be mistaken but I have yet to see a build thread on RP forum. I will take some pics, when I'm done maybe I can post some of my own build. Thanks for the kind words. And while build threads have been few, there have been one or two, but none for kits such as this. You get to be the first!

03-28-2008 06:54 PM  #36
UncleVanya If pigs had fins...   Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 3202	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk I have a friend who has tried the glue recommended for the fins and his still fall off. Any ideas?

03-28-2008 08:49 PM  #37
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk They just fall off? Or do they come off under force?

03-29-2008 02:17 AM  #38
UncleVanya If pigs had fins...   Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 3202	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Quote: They just fall off? Or do they come off under force? Under flight stresses and on recovery they pop off. They were originally put on with Testors Cement so I wonder if he still has residual problems that haven't been removed.

03-29-2008 11:21 AM  #39
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk If they were originally put on with Testor's cement, then the plastic welder isn't being added to a styrene-styrene sandwich. It's being added to a cement-cement sandwich. Tenax is designed to bond styrene not cement.

03-29-2008 03:18 PM  #40
UncleVanya If pigs had fins...   Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 3202	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Quote: If they were originally put on with Testor's cement, then the plastic welder isn't being added to a styrene-styrene sandwich. It's being added to a cement-cement sandwich. Tenax is designed to bond styrene not cement. Any ideas how to clean off the junk and start over?

03-29-2008 05:08 PM  #41
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 3518	Re: D-REG101: Building the Estes D-Region Tomahawk Dunno. Judicious use of a straight edge razor blade, but be careful not to take too much off, making the gap wider than normal. Tenax works best on parts with a good fit.

04-03-2008 01:40 AM  #42
19KILO gonogo   Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 21