I’ve never cared enough to fill the spirals on a rocket body tube before. Sure, I like a nice paint job, and know the techniques for getting one (thanks, Dad!), but I’ve never cared enough about the finish on a rocket to go all-out, much less to bother filling the spirals.

I don’t know that I’ll go all-out on this rocket, but I’m filling all the body tube spirals. That’s a whole bunch of filling, and a boatload (rocketload?) of sanding. Filling is with Elmer’s wood filler mixed with water to make a thin nearly-runny paste. (It doesn’t take much water!) It dries fairly quickly, and sands easily. The most difficult parts, other than just the total amount of sanding to be done, it that some of the spirals run between pieces of body wrap, or between the tunnel cover and a wrap, making it a little difficult to get in and sand as easily.

I think I only have about ½ hour of sanding left (having already sanded for a few hours). Then, mask six spots (two APS fairings on the S-IVB and four RCS nozzles on the SM). It will then be painting time (well, priming time, really)!