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  #1  
Old 12-16-2023, 07:01 PM
scigs30 scigs30 is offline
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Default New Estes Starlight Build

I put together the Estes Starlight rocket, great kit and love the balsa nose cone. This model comes with a lot of balsa, but I used my homemade Aerospace Fillercoat. The grain is filled and she is ready for paint. I will have to wait for it to warm up here in TN before I can paint. I have not clued the rings on yet, still deciding if I will paint those separately. This will be the blue and silver version....My other kit will be red and white version. The Aerospace Fillercoat also filled the nose cone with no grain showing. I took a picture of the new Starlight BNC-50Y compared to an old vintage BNC-50Y.
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  #2  
Old 12-16-2023, 07:38 PM
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John Brohm John Brohm is offline
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Off to a great start! Looking forward to the paint.
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  #3  
Old 12-17-2023, 01:51 AM
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ghrocketman ghrocketman is offline
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What are you using for "Home Brew" fillercoat ?
Is it dope based ??
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  #4  
Old 12-17-2023, 05:41 AM
dannymrmissile dannymrmissile is offline
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Default Starlite hints

Quote:
Originally Posted by scigs30
I put together the Estes Starlight rocket, great kit and love the balsa nose cone. This model comes with a lot of balsa, but I used my homemade Aerospace Fillercoat. The grain is filled and she is ready for paint. I will have to wait for it to warm up here in TN before I can paint. I have not clued the rings on yet, still deciding if I will paint those separately. This will be the blue and silver version....My other kit will be red and white version. The Aerospace Fillercoat also filled the nose cone with no grain showing. I took a picture of the new Starlight BNC-50Y compared to an old vintage BNC-50Y.

Hi,,, I was wondering about this reissued kit. I have an original K-32 I built some 15 or so years ago. I cut small slits in the fins under where the rings go. A small bit of glue is enough tho I used none as mine hasn't been flown. I'd recommend painting the rings Prior to putting them on for obvious reasons. Also i skinned my fins and used ample fin/BT glue fillets so that the glue literally runs from fin to fin coating and strengthening the Body Tube. It fills in the tube spirals as well. I glued the launch lugs under the rings to cover them up. And used red paint markers to color the fin edges. I did the Red & White version, tho both color schemes are neat. Here's a pic for fun. The fins are mirror smooth and super strong. Post pics when you finish yours,.,.,.,.,
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  #5  
Old 12-17-2023, 07:48 AM
scigs30 scigs30 is offline
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Nice looking Starlight, my next one will be the red version for sure.
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  #6  
Old 12-17-2023, 07:56 AM
scigs30 scigs30 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ghrocketman
What are you using for "Home Brew" fillercoat ?
Is it dope based ??


Come on buddy, you know my posts by now. I have tried, water based products, papering, FNF, store based lacquer sealers and while they do work, nothing works as well as dope products. The thing I don't like about Sig sealer is they use their litecoat dope as a base then a ton of filler. Litecoat takes a long time to dry which is good to prevent shrinking on my tissue planes. Now, Sig Supercoat dries super fast and is a great base for sealer. For fillercoat, I use Sig thinner mixed with a little Nitrate dope and Testors putty. Basically a Calcium Carbonate thinned mixture. This is basically Pactra version of Fillercoat. They used some Nitrate, ton of thinner and Calcium carbonate. While I cannot make a good replica of Pactra sealer, I can do a pretty good job of Testors sanding sealer. I use Butyrate Dope and some zinc stearate.
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  #7  
Old 12-17-2023, 08:14 AM
dannymrmissile dannymrmissile is offline
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Default Starlite

Ha,,, sorry, but thought the pic might inspire. Hope the tips were useful. In winter I just stand inside my back door, open, and spray paint that way. Have no problems, the heat blows the odors out?.
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  #8  
Old 12-17-2023, 10:59 AM
scigs30 scigs30 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dannymrmissile
Ha,,, sorry, but thought the pic might inspire. Hope the tips were useful. In winter I just stand inside my back door, open, and spray paint that way. Have no problems, the heat blows the odors out?.



I do like the red and white, but I wanted this to look like the package it came in. The only painted Starlight I have seen in Estes Catalogs is the paint scheme you did. Definitely the red and white looks much cooler. How did you do the red trim on leading edges? I was thinking of using a Testors Red paint marker for when I do it.
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  #9  
Old 12-17-2023, 11:26 AM
dannymrmissile dannymrmissile is offline
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As I said I used the Testors paint markers. Go slow and steady, it'll turn out good. The first Starlite was Silver and Blue and is as such in the 60s catalogs. If you have any you can find color pics of them on the covers for reference. I like them as well but when painting I'm not a real fan of using silver. The 71 Catalog used the Red & White one.
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  #10  
Old 12-18-2023, 12:10 AM
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ghrocketman ghrocketman is offline
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If you want to "re-create" Pactra Sanding Sealer, dissolve clear or white polystryrene "sprue shavings" into Sig or Brodak (Randolph) Clear Butyrate Dope.
Same as old Pactra Aero Gloss Sanding Sealer; Really !
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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 !
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