Another thought -

If you are really adept at glassing on your boat, the process is the same on a model, but the glass will be much thinner and more challenging to work.

Before "moneycoat", silkspan was used for covering airplanes, and is great for just what you're planning - it's far easier to apply than glass, much lighter, has less grain to fill, is a whole bunch cheaper, and takes maybe a bit less time.

Silkspan comes in several weights, and you probably want heavier rather than lighter for that size kit.

After cutting an approximate shape, for covering, I spray the silkspan with water or rubbing alcohol (water if humidity is really low, alcohol if it's higher), then lay it flat on a towel while I dope the surface to be covered using clear butyrate dope, maybe thinned 25% with thinner, depending on humidity. I then lay the silkspan down carefully, doping as neccesary from the outside to make it stay.

One additional benefit is that mistakes are easy to fix. Just use a #11 blade and a flexible straightedge to cut out the offending region, pull the damaged silkspan off the model, and redo... I have used this method a half dozen times with great results.

When dry, fill in the grain by spraying with 3 - 4 coats of sandable primer, then alternately sand and prime -progressively starting with 240 down to 600 grit to set up for a real smooth finish, or 320/400 for a bit rougher one. You'll have a perfect finish on the T'bolt.


Jim