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Tips for Aircraft canopies?.


Pjclarke2008

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Looking for some advice with the clear aircraft canopies. I.e how to mask when painting. Tried the Humbrol maskol and the revell verion. Found them to be a bit rubbish. Anyone get any tips for something better?. Do you prime the frames on the clear canopie, prior to painting?.

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The best piece of advice for anyone towards canopy finishing is to dip it in Johnsons Klear (or your equivalent) two or thre times. This not only protects the canopy from greasy fingers marks and light scratches, it'll fill slight scratches too and make your canopy all sparkly and shiney. It has been said that it'll protect it from fogging if using CA glue. Though I've not tried this as I am too chicken!

For masking you can't go wrong with Tamiya masking tape, and it has to be Tamiya as its widely regarded as the best for this type of work. Either rub a piece down over the whole canopy and burnish into the moulded frames with a pointed wooden toothpick and the hold it up to a bright light and you'll be able to see the framework. Load the scalpel with a new blade No.10 or 11 is best, and then carefully trim around the frame...job done.

Another method I use is to slice the Tamiya tape into 5mm strips and then use these around the edge of the canopy frame, then fill in the rest with masking fluid. If you can't get on with Humbrol or Revell masking fluids, visit your local art supplier shop and use Windsor & Newton or Daler-Rowney art masking fluid. Again, make sure this is applied over the Klear'd canopy and the Klear will protect it, if you find its marked after you remove the masking fluid, simply brush a thin layer of Klear on and it'll disappear - guess how Iknow that last part :lol:

Then simply prime and paint as you would the rest of your model.

Hope this helps somewhat!

Mike

Edited by mikeew
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Yep, if you actually read the instructions on a bottle of Klear (!), it will tell you to remove it after 6 coats on your floor (?) using a dilute Ammonia solution.

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For masking you can't go wrong with Tamiya masking tape
Works every time. :thumbsup2:

If you need to mask a curvy canopy, slice up the tape into 1mm strips. The tape will go around the curves and bends better.

I usually build planes with the canopy closed.

What I normally do is :

Clean up mould lines/sprue attachment points.

Dip in Klear (usually only once)

Attach canopy with small amounts of superglue or liquid cement (PVA might be better if your worried about fogging)

Mask canopy entirely with Tamiya tape

Fill any gaps between canopy and fuselage with filler or water soluble PVA (easier to wipe off)

Spray interior colour

Prime whole model

Spray exterior colour

Spray gloss

Decal/weather etc.

Spray matt

Done!

Mart

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Painted decal sheet is a good alternative, gives nice crisp edges. If you use clear decal sheet the internal colour can be painted on first, followed by the outer colour. Just use a fresh blade to cut strips of the appropriate thickness. When using enamels I've found it unecessary to seal the decal sheet. The whole lot can be sealed onto the canopy using Klear.

e.g.

AviaB71frontrightengines.jpg

SAAFAnsonfrontright.jpg

frontturret.jpg

Best

Rich

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Clear 2/3 times

tamiya tape cut into thin strips

then I clear over the edges of the tape to seal it

paint

use a new blade to unseal the clear from the tape and remove.

works a treat

Edited by ChelseaFC
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I'm rubbish at masking canopies so if I can I always buy an Eduard mask. It's just like Tamiya tape, but pre-cut to the correct shapes for your model.

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  • 1 month later...
Works every time. :thumbsup2:

If you need to mask a curvy canopy, slice up the tape into 1mm strips. The tape will go around the curves and bends better.

I usually build planes with the canopy closed.

What I normally do is :

Clean up mould lines/sprue attachment points.

Dip in Klear (usually only once)

Attach canopy with small amounts of superglue or liquid cement (PVA might be better if your worried about fogging)

Mask canopy entirely with Tamiya tape

Fill any gaps between canopy and fuselage with filler or water soluble PVA (easier to wipe off)

Spray interior colour

Prime whole model

Spray exterior colour

Spray gloss

Decal/weather etc.

Spray matt

Done!

Mart

i no its not quite the same thing as klear, bot a good brand of clear nail varnish has its uses with aircraft canopy/clear parts etc... also, for any security guards amongst us, it scres up dyster points.....
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I've often wondered at the need to dip a canopy in Klear 2/3 times. The wise ones tell you that if you mess up a canopy, just dip it in Klear & it will dissolve away the damaged Klear, as it's its own solvent. I've tried this once, and it does work - even the painted canopy framing comes off! I suspect the only benefit of Klearing 2/3 times is that you're really giving it a good soak. Maybe try dipping it once, but leave it in there for an hour so the Klear can get into every nook, cranny & scratch. I find that a good swish round before you remove it reduces the chance of any bits of dust or crap sticking to it too.

Tips for masking. Make sure the Klear is a good 24-48 hours old. On flat(tish) panels, burnish down large pieces of tape, then cut with a new blade. On compound or sharp curves, use 1mm strips of tape to define the edge, then fill in with more chunks of tape. I hardly ever use masking fluids, as they do react with Klear because of their ammonia content. Have a sniff of Maskol if you're in doubt. Has a rotten eggy smell to it. I think that Vallejo's masking fluid is acrylic/Klear friendly, but like Mike, I'm too chicken to try that one out! :lol:

With a bit of common sense, most canopies can be masked quickly & easily. Some people also spray a coat of Klear over the masked canopy, as it forms a barrier to bleed-under at the edge of the tape. I'm too lazy to do that though! :blush:

Oh! Another one. If you've got a canopy with only faint lines, you can use BareMetal foil, as it shows up everything when burnished down. I'd try not to leave it on for long though, as you can get residue when you peel it off. A blunt cocktail stick can help with the removal of the foil, as it's very prone to tearing.

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I've often wondered at the need to dip a canopy in Klear 2/3 times.
Never quite worked that one out myself either.

To me, multiple dippings don’t seem to make the canopy any clearer or have much benefit over a single dip. Never had any problems with superglue fogging either.

The only problem I ever really have with the whole canopy dipping thing, is the Future/Klear sticking the canopy to whatever I’ve laid it on to dry.

I’ve sort of solved this by, after shaking and wicking off the access, laying it on the backing paper of some double sided tape.

The backing paper has some extremely magical ‘non stick’ properties, and also works very well in keeping superglue fresh when you put a drop on it??

Mart

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I've often wondered at the need to dip a canopy in Klear 2/3 times ...

Personally I don't see the need to do it once, but maybe that's because I don't get on with it. I've tried it a couple of times: I don't know what I did wrong, but it just ended up looking like I'd slapped on a thick clear coat of varnish with a 4" decorating paintbrush! :rant:

I use Bare Metal Plastic Polish. Lovely shiny canopy :D (Ker-ching!) This stuff is also useful if you've had to sand a canopy for any reason. Use a cotton bud and/or a soft cloth to polish as required. Tamiya tape works for me for masking, although I must admit that Eduard masking sets become very attractive on large "glasshouses" with lots of frames such as Bf 108s, P-47 Razorbacks, etc.

Incidentally, if you re-polish a canopy once you've painted it and you get some polish on your otherwise nice matt frames, it will slightly alter the sheen of the paint; don't worry about it! Ground-crew polished canopies to keep them crystal clear, and didn't worry about polishing over the frame edges, so it's actually rather authentic.

Finally, before anyone leaps in to tell me what I may have been doing wrong, I appreciate the thought, and if it helps anyone else then go ahead, but I don't intend to try "Klear-dipping" again.

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I go for custom made canopy masks every time, Eduard or otherwise. Particularly when you have a large, complex glasshouse, such as the Sturmovik, or the Japaneses Sieran seaplane. I like the non-moving sections of canopy to look part of the fuselage structure, and bonded and cleanly joined you can spray away to your hearts content, and get sharp lines every time.

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Like many, I use Tamiya tape. I do one dip in Future/Kleer then the next day mask with Tamiya, then I brush over it again with a cotton bud/q-tip dipped in Future to seal the edges of the tape.

If you need to you can strip the Future/Kleer with an ammonia based window cleaner. Windex is the most popular brand in the US, but there are dozens of other brands, some extrememly cheap.

As for masking fluids...if you want a safe one to use with Future, mix 3 parts white PVA glue, 1 part dishwashing soap, and a drop of food coloring and you have a nice cheap, safe, masking fluid (food coloring optional to make it show up better).

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  • 10 years later...
On 11/20/2018 at 7:56 PM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

You can klear it any time ive done that before and after painting.  Then just brush or mask & spray your dull coat. 

Thanks mate!

 

I've gone a bit back to front and finished my painted cockpit with a clear coat.

 

Its hasn't set on fire just yet.

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  • 4 months later...
On 6/17/2008 at 11:10 PM, Pjclarke2008 said:

Looking for some advice with the clear aircraft canopies. I.e how to mask when painting. Tried the Humbrol maskol and the revell verion. Found them to be a bit rubbish. Anyone get any tips for something better?. Do you prime the frames on the clear canopie, prior to painting?.

First, let me give you the disclaimer. I have not built a model in thirty plus years, only now am I able to start building again. Basically, I am brand new to the art, again.

 

That said, I have looked around for tips and tricks on multiple forums. One modeller with excellent credibility and amazing realism has a tutorial about canopies, removing damage scratches and those aweful seams, basically using mr surfacer and a q-tip. In fact, he goes on to say that he never uses floor wax on any part of his models, as it tends to yellow over time. He uses mr surfacer on the entire canopy always, as it polishes and buffs to a shine that is permanent and won't fade, leaving you with a brilliant canopy everytime, and not having to remove and clean it later on down the road because of the yellowing that might occur from the floor wax. As far as masking goes, I have not found that information yet, but you are certainly asking the right people for adviced/guidance on all matters for us beginners and mere mortals.

 

Here is the link to the scratch removal/polishing tutorial.

 

https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/

 

Good luck,

 

Anthony stalker6recon D'Agostino

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