Top view of the manifold, where the three A10 motors sit before igniting

I think you want to protect these from spray paint, but Estes doesn't mention that in the instructions.  Just below this molded, two-piece plastic manifold is the ejection side of the booster motor. Burning gas and propellent is supposed to split itself into three and travel up through these three holes to ignite all three second stages.  OK, I'll bite, let's just see how reliable this multi-staging method is!

Above the manifold, coming up through the center, is the wooden dowel used as a launch rod for the second stages.