Hi Chris, or also a sort of more structured NURBS modeling approach using 2D curves might be to draw a 2D profile like this and then use revolve to make the 3D shape from it, rather than trying to build the 3D shape in little individual patch pieces. With NURBS modeling you usually want to make larger pieces of things from 2D curves, if you find yourself building little individual patches at a time that's sort of trying to do a polygon modeling approach and NURBS modeling works best with a much different more sort of "construction from 2D curves" type of approach.

Anywhere here's what a revolve would look like:





- Michael