Over the last few weeks I have been working on my Binder Design Excel 38mm. I had held off building it until my replacement fins arrived.

Cutting the fin slots was a nerve wracking experience! After getting advice from other builders and reading all I could find on the web, I put knife to tube. I masked out the area to be cut using masking tape and, armed with a brand-new #11 blade and a right-angle straight-edge, slowly cut the slots. They turned out perfect :)

The 10-ply fins are solid. Very solid! So solid that it took ages to sand them down. After sanding, they got a thin coat of finishing epoxy and then more sanding. They've turned out smooth... Ooohhh.. Smooth.

The instructions showed both forward and rear centering rings being glued onto the motor mount tube and then installed in the rocket prior to attaching the fins. I differed from this step by not gluing the rear centering ring - allowing it to be removed. Fins went in next and having access at the rear allowed for the application of internal fillets on all fins as well as attaching the rail button.

Apart from installing the Aeropac motor retainer, The rocket is built!

I'm still debating with the colour scheme - should I go stock or paint something different... I'll make a decision on that after I've given it a spray of undercoat.