sahartman21

A rudder horn was made and installed. The pictures shows the basic steps.

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The rudder pushrod was made and test fit.

The end at the servo will be glued on after the rudder is hinged.

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The engine kill was made by bending a piece of wire around a 9/64" drill bit. Bend to allow an easy pull in the hole. Trim off the excess and file so the edge is not sharp.

The pictures show the process:

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The rudder was cut loose, it was fitted, and CA hinges were installed.

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The rudder horn was glued in place with medium CA.

The pushrod was installed and the pushrod end was attached with rubberized CA.

Make sure the surface is straight while the CA is drying.

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A small amount of finishing epoxy was mixed and applied in the aileron grove. Excess was removed with a paper towel.

The purpose is to cover the foam that is exposed and reduce the likelihood that the paint will attack the foam.

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Tape off areas you don't want painted.

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Sand the surface of the model with 220 grit sandpaper. This will remove glue and other items from the finish.

It will also prepare the surface for the next few steps.

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Any large holes should be addressed with polyester filler.

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Some a spackle filler is made by adding a small amount of water until the filler is the consistency of mayonnaise.

The mix is rubbed into the surface to fill pinholes and small holes.

I set the model out of the way to dry.

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The majority of the spackle was sanded off with 220 grit sandpaper.

I used a sanding block on the wing and stab.

The other surfaces were sanded without a block.

The intent is to leave spackle in the fiberglass weave and any small holes.

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The models were primed with white KlassKote epoxy based primer.

This is a two part finish. It was reduced with one part epoxy thinner to one part primer.

Approximately 5 ounces of primer (prior to thinning) was used per model.

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The primer was sanded smooth with 320 grit paper used dry.

For relatively smooth surfaces a block was used and other areas were sanded without a block.

Compressed air was used to clear the dust from the surface of the model.

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Swift Red Acrylic Enamel paint was chosen for the finish. I used about 3.5 ounces of paint (prior to reducing) per model.

An inexpensive spray gun was used to apply the paint. Start with a light coat. Allow to dry a few minutes. Then apply more paint.

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After about 24 hours the finish was wet sanded.

These steps remove imperfections and give the model a smooth finish.

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I sprayed on a very light second coat. This time I used my larger spray gun. This time I was happy with the finish.

skooterII

Looking good Scott.

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I wet sanded the surface to remove any dust reintroduced during painting.

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The stencils were applied, stripes were masked, and rest of the model was covered.

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A very light coat of spray paint was applied. After a few minutes an additional coat was applied.

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I removed the stencils and masking tape just a few minutes after the surface was painted.

Here are the models so far. I will apply clear coat after waiting a few days,

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The edges of the black trim were wet sanded for a smooth transition between the colors.

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The wind calmed down and I sprayed the on the clear coat.

I used a type for spot panel work. It was mixed, thinned about 25%, and sprayed on. After just a few minutes the finish was dry to the touch.

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I've begun the very important sanding and polishing steps.

The model was lightly sanded with 2000 grit wet and dry sandpaper that was used wet.

I followed with a medium cut cleaner and finished with a wax.

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After a little polishing even my paint jobs look pretty good.