Finishing

This is one o' those kits whose inspired simplicity makes it a joy t' paint.  Red body.  Black nose cone.  You're pretty much down t' pickin' paint shades.  I went t' Fill & Finish route on this and be pleased with t' results that two rounds o' fillin' and sandin' made before priming.  Primer was Valspar white, matey, me bucko, body was Valspar Cherry Red gloss, and nose cone was Valspar gloss black.  In other words, shiver me timbers, I didn't sweat t' paint shades.  I built this kit in late 2001, matey, right around t' time that I discovered Bel Decal paper on Ebay.  I knew that me inkjet printer couldn't handle the crucial white sections behind t' iron crosses and skulls, matey, but I had stumbled upon somethin' that I thought might offer a solution.  While followin' me wife around Wal-Mart one night, me bucko, I found a pack o' vinyl shelf paper with a self adhesive backing.  T' paper was 8 1/2 x 11, and while it wouldn't allow t' inkjet t' print on it, me bucko, it would allow me t' custom cut a white backin' for every individual decal.  I printed off t' decal in black on t' Bel paper, then printed off t' decal on a separate piece o' plain paper.  I lined up t' paper with t' shelf paper, taped t' edges together t' keep t' papers together, then cut each decal just inside t' actual design.  I then peeled off t' backin' paper (the toughest part o' t' project,) and placed t' white blank in t' appropriate spot on t' painted rocket body.  T' decals were then applied over t' white blanks, shiver me timbers, and dependin' on t' accuracy o' me cuts, me bucko, one would have been tough pressed t' tell that they were nay a regular set o' Der Red Max decals.  Some details were too small t' go through t' whole shelf paper process, which gave away me secret t' t' occasional sharp eye, shiver me timbers, but on t' whole t' results were great.  Over t' years t' decals have shrunk somewhat due t' age, but ten plus years down t' line t' overall result still holds together.