I'm working on the boat tail and fins of a Semroc 1/3 scale ARCAS. Instead of using the tiny cylindrical balsa faux socket head screw heads, I'm going to use REAL socket head screw heads.

The question is, what color should the screw heads be to be scale? White? Black? Bare metal? The kit's instructions don't specify nor does ROTW.

Thanks!

__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

This should help. I took this picture at the Cape Canaveral Air Force base museum a few years ago. I have a couple more of the Arcas if you need them.

Perfect! Thanks.

I'm off to Austin............

__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

Keep in mind the CCAFS museum piece is just a model - not necessarily a true scale replica...

The blueprints in my copy of "Small Sounding Rockets" states:




HTH!

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brianc -- NAR 83726 \ TRA 11640 \ L2

So, after failing miserably at trying to make the teensy, balsa faux screw heads look acceptable on the ARCAS fins, "The Vixen" asked me, "why don't you just use REAL screws?"

Double face palm.

So after the last coat of sanding sealer was applied, I prepainted (4) #4 SHCS's flat white, bored pilot holes with a pin vise and epoxied the screws into the base plates of the fins.

The screws look real because they are.

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__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

Two coats of white primer and two coats of white enamel later, here's how the ARCAS fin can looks now.

It has a lot of flaws that I have to correct and the build still has a long way to go. TBC

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__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

As I slept, the "masking fairy" came into the rocket room and taped out the ARCAS in preparation for it's red sections! I think "the fairy" was actually my wife but I can't prove it.

Time to shoot the red at last! TBC

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__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

Dang. Must be nice. If my rockets needed any stitching on 'em, I'd have it made.

Sorry, I was drifting there. About the Arcas: Are you going to clean the bolts of paint? Are they filling in or becoming round or losing their distinct shape? Just wondering about that.

__________________
Retro-grouch

I think the screw heads will be OK without any cleanup.

The gloss red has now been shot and dry and "The Vixen" has removed the masking. There's a few correctable flaws but it's pretty good.

I'll reward "The Vixen" for her excellent masking job by allowing her to rub my feet.

No, she doesn't read these posts. How did you guess?

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__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

She done a great job of masking. Could have used her help when I built my full scale Arcas