| Getting Started | | | | your spray can about 18 inches away from the |
| You won't need a lot of materials to start this | | | | rocket and spray in light, even strokes up and |
| hobby as there are many all-complete kits | | | | down the model. Spraying the model in this way |
| available to give you everything you need to | | | | helps avoid paint chunks, runs and drips. It is |
| start. Kits include all of the parts to build a rocket, | | | | always better to paint lightly because you can |
| a launch pad, parachute or streamer, decals and | | | | always add a bit more paint after the first coat |
| instructions. You should read the instructions or | | | | dries. It's more of a hassle (and it can potentially |
| outside of the box to see if you will also need a | | | | ruin your rocket) if you have to sand off globs |
| hobby knife (like and x-acto blade), sandpaper, | | | | and drips of paint from your rocket because you |
| glue, paint, or a ruler. | | | | sprayed too heavily! |
| | | | Mistake #3: Painting your rocket really dark colors |
| Assembling Your Kit | | | | may look cool, but when you launch your rocket |
| Now let's assemble your rocket! Depending upon | | | | it makes it too difficult to find once it lands! Use |
| the rocket you purchase there will be variations | | | | very bright and colorful paints like yellows, pinks, |
| to this procedure. Traditional rockets will have a | | | | gold or silver. This way when it lands you don't |
| cardboard tube body and balsa wood fins. Using | | | | have to hunt for a 'camouflaged' rocket!! |
| your x-acto knife you will carefully cut these out | | | | Launching Your Rocket |
| along the pre-made guide lines. Then using a fine | | | | Now that your rocket is complete you will be |
| sandpaper you will sand off the edges and some | | | | ready to launch it and to do this you should find a |
| of the rough spots to give your fins a good, | | | | large open field that is free of any brown or dry |
| smooth, aerodynamic feel to them. Using the | | | | grass (for fire safety). You install the igniter into |
| appropriate glue you will then glue these to the | | | | your engine then put the engine into the rocket |
| body tube. You then assemble the cardboard tube | | | | and place it on the launching pad. As a final step |
| engine mount. This is a specially designed tube for | | | | you hook up your launch controller and after |
| holding the engine and it is the most challenging | | | | standing back and doing a countdown you press a |
| part of the process. A few more steps include | | | | button to launch your rocket! |
| building the parachute and nosecone assembly. | | | | Mistake #4: When launching your rocket ALWAYS |
| Now most modern day kits are doing away with | | | | check weather conditions first. If it's too windy |
| the old balsa wood fins and are upgrading to | | | | then save your rocket for another day. You just |
| plastic fins which need little to no removal of | | | | put all of that hard work into your rocket so don't |
| burrs. Now most cardboard tube rockets look | | | | launch it if the wind will carry it off into traffic on |
| pretty ugly when you're done putting them | | | | a nearby highway!! Also, please don't launch at |
| together, so that's when you need some paint to | | | | night. The intial blast of might look cool but then |
| help spruce it up! Plastic rockets do not require | | | | you have to go find your rocket. In the dark. |
| painting as they are already colored, but many of | | | | Kit Suggestions |
| them include decals that you can use to | | | | Estes makes a great beginner kit called the |
| customize your rocket. | | | | Tandem-X launch set. It comes with two rockets |
| Mistake #2: When just getting started I | | | | and the launch pad but doesn't come with engines |
| recommend building the plastic rockets to get a | | | | or wadding so you have to order them |
| feel for what you are getting into. You can build | | | | separately. Quest has several kits that have |
| these in less than an hour. Once you are | | | | everything including the engines and wadding and |
| comfortable with the plastic models you can then | | | | two of these kits are the Astra III Quick Kit |
| go to the cardboard rockets. These require more | | | | StarterHAZ and the Vertigo RTF HAZ. |
| skill and patience and can take almost an hour to | | | | Mistake #5: When you go out to launch your |
| build. Be sure to let your glue dry thoroughly | | | | rocket make sure you have a few supplies in a |
| before moving on to the next task. There's | | | | small tool box that you can easily carry out to |
| nothing like having a fin glued down at an angle to | | | | the launch site. Such a box is often referred to as |
| throw your rocket off course (and possibly into | | | | a range box. Bring a few extra things along just in |
| an unfortunate spot!). | | | | case a fin comes loose, the parachute breaks, or |
| Painting Your Rocket | | | | the like. It will save you several trips and is well |
| In a nice, clean area outside that is away from | | | | worth having it when you need it! You wouldn't |
| the house you can start with a good spray paint. | | | | want to get to the site, set up your rocket, and |
| Testors makes a wonderful spray paint that | | | | just before you launch it a fin falls off and you |
| comes in all sorts of colors. If you want your | | | | don't have any glue with you! |
| rocket all one consistent color then spray keeping | | | | |