I've seen some really nice rockets spoiled by a poor paint job. Ok, so looks aren't important to everyone, but for those of you who would like to have your rocket to look as good on the ground as it does in the air, then you'll be pleased to know that a pretty good finish is easy to achieve...all you need is good quality paint, and patience.

1) Buy good quality paint. This usually means spending a bit more, but it makes a huge difference. Cheap paint is nasty paint. Same applies to primer and clear coats. Spend money here or forever hold your peace.

2) Lightly sand every surface that is to be painted. Remember that you are trying to make a nice smooth surface for the paint - you aren't trying to reshape the model! The idea is to give the paint something to hold on to. If you don't, you will find large patches of paint peel easily from your model. After you've scuffed things up a bit, wipe the model down with a damp cloth to remove the dust from the sanding procedure.

3) LIGHTLY spay the model with sanding primer (gray primer works best - avoid white). Allow to dry for a few hours, then lightly spray with primer again. Allow to dry for a few more hours then very lightly sand the model. Wipe with a damp cloth again to remove dust. It's best to paint the model before final assembly if you are using more than one color - this saves the need for masking. Ie: You might want each fin a different color, so sand, prime and paint each one before attaching to the rocket.

4) Spray the model with primer one or two more times, sanding and wiping the dust away between coats. Always allow ample time for each coat to dry. As you are doing this, you will notice little lumps and bumps, which are the main focus of your sanding efforts.

5) We should now have a nice, smooth rocket, coated in 3 or 4 layers of gray primer that has been lightly sanded. There is no dust on our rocket, nor are there any lumps and bumps.

6) LIGHTLY spray each component (nose, airframe, fins etc) with the desired paint. Allow to dry FOR A FEW HOURS or over night. Keep away from dust, pets and children! When dry, lightly sand with wet and dray sand paper (400 grit) and be sure to keep the sand paper nice and wet.

7) Repeat step 6 until a uniform finish is achieved. Obviously you don't sand the final coat of color. Always spray from a distance and slowly work your way closer to the model - the last thing you want to do is spray a big blob that runs all over your model. 3 coats of color should be enough.

8) Now is a good time to apply decals. You can also make your own decals on the computer and print them out and simply glue the model if you want a custom design (use thin high quality paper). UPDATE: Ari Finander informs me that you can buy proper decal paper for your printer from Stanbridges. A good way to fix them to your rocket is with thin double sided tape.

9) Repeat step 6 and 7, but this time we are using clear coat. 2 coats is usually enough. Putting too much clear over the paint can cause it to discolor. Again, make sure you apply light coats of spray, and give ample time for each coat to dry before applying a new coat. It is important that you use good quality clear coat as the cheaper stuff is more solvent than anything, and it has the nasty habbit of damaging the paint job you've just spent days working on.

As you can see, it takes nearly a week to finish the paint job, but it's worth the effort when people comment on how good your rocket looks.