Jason;

My apologies for the delay in responding; my travels find me in Toronto just now, where I swear these guys are entering an early winter (!). Next week makes up for it, for I'll be in Honolulu...

Regarding your question, I washed the resin nose cone with soap and water, and it was then wet sanded with #320 W/D, then wiped down again. Testors Flat White worked like a champ as a primer.

As a rule, I prefer enamels and lacquers; just a point of religion with me, so I can't really comment. On the other hand, my brother is an acrylic devotee (his religion declares the fumes and the clean up/thinners of solvent-based paints as completely sinful), and his work with this paint type (he's a model railroader) borders on art. I'll have to ask him if his acrylic evangelism has had the opportunity to make an outreach to the resin community.

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John
YORF #003
SAM #004

John, I thank you very much for this information! It will also be helpful to other model rocketeers who use the Sirius Rocketry "Moldin' Oldies" cast polyurethane resin duplicates of discontinued Centuri and Estes plastic nose cones. (We never really had a real summer to speak of in Alaska this year, and last week it suddenly vanished.)

In his book "The Art of Scale Model Rocketry," Peter Alway was very pro-acrylic (without being anti-enamel or anti-lacquer). I'm going to stick with enamel for painting resin nose cones, but acrylics do sound attractive for painting other rocket parts indoors (using a spray booth) during the winter because they have no fumes.

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Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Ok... I've read this thread, and I never found the answer...

I'm simming this up now, and I can't for the life of me find the length of the original Akela (I keep seeing the phrase "slightly longer than the Viking"). If someone could post that, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!
Jim

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Dreaming of making the rockets I dreamed of as a kid (and then some).

"The Guide says there is an art to flying", said Ford, "or rather a knack."
"The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."

Launching is Optional... Landing? That Depends on Trees.

Do you need the total length, or the body tube length? I can measure mine right now.

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Thanks!

I could use both actually. I haven't got to the nosecone yet, but I was sure that I could scrounge that up.

While you're at it, could you post the length of the launch lug too?

__________________
.
.

Dreaming of making the rockets I dreamed of as a kid (and then some).

"The Guide says there is an art to flying", said Ford, "or rather a knack."
"The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."

Launching is Optional... Landing? That Depends on Trees.

The Akela-1's #7 body tube is 9" long, and its PNC-76 nose cone (the exposed part, not counting the tenon [shoulder]) is 3" long (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/72cen060.html ).

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Thanks!

Any chance on that launch lug?

__________________
.
.

Dreaming of making the rockets I dreamed of as a kid (and then some).

"The Guide says there is an art to flying", said Ford, "or rather a knack."
"The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."

Launching is Optional... Landing? That Depends on Trees.

You're welcome. The launch lug is 2-1/4" long. I'm presuming (correctly, I hope) that the Akela-1 and the (Centuri) Viking were/are the same rocket, just with different decal sets and decor schemes.

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Also, the Vector-V (Semroc's as well as Centuri's) used/use the same fiber (fibre, in Centuri's "fancy lingo" :-) ) fins as the Akela-1. This is an area where 3D printing could really shine--while I know that balsa substitutes for plastic nose cones look the same when sanded, sealed, and painted, they're still lighter and more easily dented, and, well...I just prefer to "replace plastic with plastic" whenever possible, when re-creating classic kits.

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Jason, send me your current address, I feel Like sending you a late Christmas present.

Neal Miller still in South Florida

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Neal Miller
Master Blaster NAR# 58296