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Applicable to club or personal rockets |
Rustoleum 2-in-1 Paint+Primer has worked fine in the past; generally people use spray paint to paint rockets.
{% hint style="danger" %} Always wear a P100 respirator when using spray paint! Spray paint can cause serious lung damage, brain damage, cancer, and more. {% endhint %}
{% hint style="info" %} Environmental conditions matter when it comes to paint. Ideally, paint on a dry day with no wind and a relatively comfortable temperature. If there is wind, paint such that the part is downwind of the can/you. Colder temperatures may mean you will have to wait much longer for paint to dry. Excessive humidity can also affect your finish; try to avoid painting when it is raining or about to rain. {% endhint %}
- Prepare surfaces for painting. For fiberglass parts, this means clean with isopropyl alcohol / water mixture, sand lightly with 100+ grit sandpaper, and then clean off dust with tack cloth or more IPA mixture.
- Apply a light coat of "primer" (may also be paint+primer). No need to use the same color that your final coat will be, but choose a light primer color if you want a light-colored part.
- Apply one to two more light coats of primer, waiting about a minute in between each coat. Do not worry about completely covering all spots, but do your best to apply a thin, even coat. Follow the instructions on the can with respect to distance from the part.
- Wait the required amount of time (usually 24 hours) for the base coat to dry
- Apply 2-3 coats of the final color you want, about one minute apart. Do your best to avoid spending too long on one spot; it's easy to apply another coat, but it's hard to undo a puddle or run!
- Wait 24-48 hours for the outer coat to dry
- Apply 2-3 light coats of clear coat, moving slightly more slowly on the last coat to achieve a glossy finish. The clear coat will protect the paint underneath.