Yesterday I put adhesion promoter and a coat of black primer on the resin pieces. Today when I examined the pieces, the black primer really aided in showing which pieces needed some sanding and which weren't too bad.
Armed with a bucket of water and two sanding sponges (220 grit and 320 grit), I started wet sanding each piece for a smooth surface. Many pieces weren't in need of much sanding but some had some prominent seam lines that needed to be sanded flat. The boosters, which are in three pieces, needed the most work. The middle and base pieces required the most sanding, with the actual rockets having a prominent seam too. Once they were smooth, it was time to let them dry.
After the pieces had dried for an hour, I applied another coating of the black primer to them. I let the parts dry for 90 minutes before I prepared to paint the pieces silver. I had done a little research on what paint would most resemble the aluminum look. Chrome, metallic and other types I had bought in the past really didn't have the right look. However another builder had recently posted photos of the paint he used for the holoprojectors. Valspar Brilliant Metal Silver is what he used and found the finish was much better without a clear coat, as it dulled down the finish on his sample pieces.
Since part of the booster has the leg strut on it, I had to do some careful taping ...and then it was on to spray painting the silver!
10 minutes later I gave them another quick coat. I'l let these dry overnight and finish the silver painting tomorrow...several pieces need to have the opposites side painted too!
