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One of the worst thing about airbrushing is the dust particles that get stuck on the painted surface. I have managed to mitigate the problem after starting to use mainly MRP and Mr Color lacquers. But especially when a wet coat is needed, particles of this floating lint gets on the painted surface. Usually I don't care if the finish is not totally perfect, I build aircraft and most of the time a final matt varnish will hide the imperfections. But I have a 1/24 Ford T Model from ICM on the way, and they also just released a new A model which I'm interested in. Glossy paint exacerbates the dust problem, so I'm thinking that I maybe would use a spray can or a portable small compressor & airbrush, and paint the parts requiring glossy paint outdoors. My actual question is, how much stuff there is floating in the air outdoors, would it make a difference? I was surprised when last summer one day I noticed how the air was full of small floating particles, they were visible against the light. Looked like the dust we have indoors. Are they there the whole time, but they are not just visible?

Hallo The easy way for spraying insignia with masks. I use actually Montex and New Ware masks. With the information from Tom from New Ware, I started my todays work with a transfer foil. What makes it different to my former procedure? The result is much more accurate, than any other method I used before! The mask with the outline of the insignia can not be distorted after application at the model. All the masks of the insignia itself are left at the basic sheet, at home. In the past time I often had a Balkenkreuz with an awry cross-piece, a roundel with was an ellipse, and so on! This is past! How to achieve this? Use a transparent foil with medium adhesive. Take a sheet of the foil and cut it 0,5 mm smaller each the maximum outline of the insignia. Put it on the masking foil. Take it oft with caution and slowly. The inner mask of the insignia will stay home and stick. If they come with you, so the adhesive of the foil is too strong. Change the foil, or put it on your hand several times to reduce the adhesive before applying it once more. If this is done place this mask & foil on your model in position. Positioning with the transparent foil is much easier, as before and you can make several tries without destorting the mask. In case of a German Balkenkreuz spray white. After that, when paint is dry, the next step is to take the inner masks all at once into position on the model. Here I use now Tamiya model band. Cut it in strips, again each side minus 0,5 mm. Two strips are required for a Balkenkreuz. Place it into position, in the white area. If it is in place, take a tweezers and loose the ends from mask, pull the band in a U-turn with a small radius back. The mask will not follow, because it is to stiff and cannot follow. Slowly and the Tamiya band is off. Than take off the masks of the black area and spray black. . The same you can do with code letters and so on. Aplication of transparent adhesive carrier foil on the masking foil! Hope it helps. Happy modelling

Instruction for spraying insignia and markings. Basic material in my case: Montex masks and Tamiya masking material. Model: The Tempest from SH in 32. Preparing the masks, so that you find later on the correct position again. Make the right and left side easy distinguishable. Positioning for marking I recommend spraying the individual markings before the camouflage. It is easier and avoids masking over too large areas. You save a lot of masking material! After the camouflage is done, you continue with roundels and flash. Red color is first done. The small masks can be easily positioned, big ones are too complicated for repositioning! In my case the ID strpes too. So you may avoid decals. No silvering at all. Weathering is also more easy! Happy modelling

To create models without decals First of all is to achieve a camouflage of your personally choice. Second is to get your personal markings Third is to get your stencils on the model All of them without carrier film and without silvering. How to achieve this goal will be subject of my posts now. The camouflage is the first one. As example the A-4 from the IAF. The markings the second one. Here as example the Tempest from Special Hobby in 1/32. The stencils are from HGW, and they will be subject of a seperate post. How to make masks for spraying camouflage of an a/c? First of all, we have to settle a few things: · Do you have photo sources? · Do the photos contain a top view, a side view right and left? · Without distortion? · You know how to handle a photo-editing program? · You have access to CorelDraw? · You know Tamiya masking foil in size 250x180mm? · For cutting we need a glass plate of a size of a small book · And a special tool: Special tool from Japan from Airtex I checked it right now, and it is only available in Japan or via Japan. This tool goes round every tiny curve without any edges! The curves are smooth and elegant. To prevent any distortion of the sprayed surface, I use Mr.Color C-colors. The H series dries too slowly and the layer is too soft. It is my way, to spray most areas on the a/c. As well as national insignia and markings. I do not use a plotter, since I do not want to do it that way. This is too much for me, so I want to do it easily. I prefer to buy my masks for this purpose. Happy modelling