Them Ain't Decals, Folks !!

 It's not very often that I devote an entire post about another rocketeer's model, but when Mike Perreault sent me these photos of his newly completed Der Big Red Max, my socks were duly knocked off!

What makes this one so special and unique?

The markings.

Mike didn't want to mess with those nasty peel-n-curse decals, so instead he created HAND CUT stencils of the skull/crossbones and the cross.

The images are airbrush-painted onto the model! 

No decals here!

In addition, he created some very whimsical, convincing-looking airbrushed bullet holes to round out the details.

What caliber are those babies, anyway, Mike?

Outstanding work, indeed!

Besides those really cool markings, this rocket is airbrush-painted in candy acrylic paints.

The attached photos don't really show it to full effect here, but when you get this rocket into bright light, the finish really pops with a deep shimmering sheen.

Mike has been mastering this painting technique and most of his recent rocket builds are done in this way.

As I've mentioned here before, Mr. Perrault is less than a year into the model rocketry hobby, but I could swear up and down that he's been at it for a much longer time, as attested by the quality of his builds, and his excellent on-field flying techniques.

He still denies it.

Anyway, I greatly look forward to the day in the near future when I'll be there to witness Mike popping a big motor into this gorgeous bird and poking a hole in the bright Colorado blue.

Cheers!

Artemis I, Part 2 - Parts Prep

 Nearly every online plastic model 'how to' website I encountered stressed the importance of cleaning all of the parts at the outset. This is to remove any oils deposited on the parts during the manufacturing process.  The recommend procedure is to clean the parts in a sink or container using a warm, mild soap solution and a dash of vinegar.

Of course, all parts should be left on the molding sprues to prevent any from getting lost.  

After rinsing the parts under warm water, accumulated droplets can be easily shaken off.

I placed the parts on a clean towel to allow any water left in the nooks and crannies to evaporate on its own.

It is also recommended to leave parts on the sprues until ready to use. Most master modelers paint the small parts while still attached, then remove them once the paint has dried. 

For removing the parts, modelers use a 'sprue cutter' that can cut the attachment tabs very close to the part's surface. A small pair of electronics diagonal flush cutters will work equally well.

Never just break the parts off of the sprue. This could damage the part or leave a chunk of sprue plastic still attached, both of which would require extra surface preparation work.

Next post, I will examine the main airframe parts and look into what it will take to engineer the flight conversion aspect.

Stay tuned...