Starting my Estes Guardian build. I have built the motor mount, and now I will be working nights for the next four days, so there will be no time to work on it, just think about it.

My thoughts so far. I would like to put in the Kevlar shock cord as to avoid any issues down the road. I am waiting on putting the engine mount in until I find some.
Who carries the Kevlar cord?

Second is the paint. I would like to try and paint it like it is shown on the bag insert. It uses 4 colors. I am wondering if it can be done, or has anyone tried to paint the fins before installing them? I know I would have to sand the root edge before gluing. I was also thinking of painting the body tube before installing the fins, using pin striping tape to cover the mounting point on the tube for the fins. Has any one done this with any success?

If I find my camera, I will take some pictures along the way.

Semroc has it in short lengths.

Semroc

Apogee seems to have it by the foot.

Apogee

This is where I got it last time I needed some.

BRSHobbies

I'm not much of a painter but I have done 4 colors, it not easy but its possible. I've never tried pre-painting like that but it has been done.

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"Men and steel are alike. When they lose their temper they lose their worth." - Chuck Norris

The Guardian is a neat little rocket! It was the first one I built as a BAR! I tried painting it as shown on the face card..There are 4 colors- the 2 shades of blue I used however are to close to really differentiate in the picture..It flies great as well!

__________________
Jon
SAM #0396
BAR 02/07
NAR 86940
KF4GUL
Aim high, fly straight!

I don't recall off hand, but I bought Kevlar and the shipping was free. I can't think of the name off hand? As long as you buy 30 feet or more

I have been working on the Guardian, but it has been progressing slowly.
I did end up mounting the fins to the BT instead of trying to paint them first.
It has had Elmers Fill and finish applied to all the fins and most of them have had their first sanding. I will be filling and sanding again.
Found my camera and took a picture of it, where I'm at.

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One thing I noticed, is that in the pictures it shows the top body tube with the fins spanning the entire length of the tube, from nose cone to the coupler. My fins did not, and I just split the difference when I mounted them. I tried something new on this one and used gel CA to mount the fins, then used wood glue to do the fillets. It worked well. But you do have to work quickly to get them set and aligned before the CA sets.

Just ordered the 24' of Kevlar cord from BRS Hobbies. This way when I put the engine mount in I will do the Kevlar cord also. and have lots of left over for other projects.

The fins were filled and sanded twice. The upper tube has been primered, and I have sanded the nose cone and transition piece to get rid of the flashing line.
Here is a comparison of the Guardian and the Cobra 1500 .

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I primered the main body tube, but now every where I touched the sandpaper to the tube, there are little hairs standing up.

Fixed all the fibers sticking off the body tube and reprimered.
It sat for half the week, then I shot the white on the upper section and the black on the lower.
The next day I reshot the white. and OH JOY the paint all wrinkled.
Let it dry and sanded it all down.
I'm thinking I should just do a bit of fin sealing and just shoot one coat of paint on my next projects, and not worry if the balsa grains show, if this is what the paint is going to do.
I was trying to make this one look better than ones I have build when I was a kid. I guess I shouldn't worry about it so much, and just build and fly. They will probably end up in a tree any way.
I did shoot another coat of white on the upper section, it came out ok, Started to wrinkle a bit.

When I put the second coat of black on the lower section it did not wrinkle, but instead, looked like there was sand in the paint, but only in random areas. One side of one fin, and then a section on the body tube