Stripes on Missiles

[Destructions]

Hi Guys

 

I'm building an A10 Tankbuster and spent a ton of time on the body, I'm now at the missile's and wondered if you guys had any tips on how to paint the thin stripes on them. Unfortunately no decals for the missiles were provided with the kit and seems a shame to skip these details off.

 

Thanks

[tonywood]

I always use two strips of Tamiya tape to mask the stripes and then either airbrush or hand paint, always gives a perfect result.

[Antoine]

Tamiya tape work well on the cylindric part of the missile, but not so on the warhead.

For the latter, use a deflated balloon, pierced with a needle, then thread the missile into the hole to the required diameter.

You've your mask.

[Harry Lime]

What scale are you building in? Would be easier to get a decal set for the missiles, several are available in both 1/72 and 1/48 that cover the armament normally seen on the A-10. I build in 1/72 and recommend the Wolfpack sheets, available in the UK from Fantasy Printshop.

 

Mark.

[tonywood]

I'd forgotten when I posted earlier there is (or was) a masking set available through Hannants containing conical and circular masks ideal for bomb noses, prop spinners etc. I've used in the past for the spinner band on a Ju87 and can recommend.

[Selwyn]

Freehand spray the appropriate areas of the missile the stripe colour(s),let dry.

Cut your masking tape to the required width for the stripe, and apply to the missile at the appropriate points.

Spray over the masking tape in the stripe colour.  This seals the masking tape and prevents any bleed of any other colour under the tape.

When dry, paint missile in its appropriate overall colour, and remove masking when dry.

Technique works well with any fine lining painting.

 

Selwyn

[neilh]

5 hours ago, tonywood said:

I'd forgotten when I posted earlier there is (or was) a masking set available through Hannants containing conical and circular masks ideal for bomb noses, prop spinners etc. I've used in the past for the spinner band on a Ju87 and can recommend.

Those are "Maketar" masks. They also produce a set for canopy masking.  The basic trick is that they have machine cut tape in curves, which makes it much easier to wrap masking tape around tapering curved surfaces like missiles and droptanks.

[Spad]

Another way is to use circle drawing templates. Paint the bomb, poke the nose through one size and spray the band's colour, then use a smaller hole and spray the body colour onto the tip of the nose.

[Destructions]

Thanks for the replies

 

I mostly work in 1.48 occasionally 1.72 and 1.32 the A10 is a 1.48, have tried Tamiya tape even the flexi version but had no luck and ended up with leakage. I've left most of the stripes off as I don't want to spoil the rest of the model but I do like the idea of the balloon and circle drawing technique something I will try when I do the F14 I have got.

 

It did occur to me that a rotating chuck similar to a lathe running at slow speed would be a great tool for stripes and circular work, in fact I have an old motor from an Airfix GMR tank engine that could do the job once hooked up to a battery, just a thought.