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I'm curious if anyone uses this


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A very long time ago, BC/I(before computers or the internet), if one wanted to build a model as accurate as one desired, there were hints, kinks, and little techniques that one used(such as when trying to make a reasonably nice looking radial engine, among the other parts, to simulate cylinder fins, one way a person could accomplish this was careful winding of thread to either try to shape the plastic underneath(whilst heating it sufficiently and gently to the point of just soft enough to take the impression) to simply carefuly wrapping the thread and gluing it(this being around the time Hot Stuff, not sure if it is still being sold), which was cyanoacrylate, but the thin, the thicker variety and accelerator like Zip Kicker still a gleam in the chemist's eye(hopefully).

While I'm not going to try to turn this into a trip down Memory Lane(which I do, on occasion, especially when I'm buying things like wax paper, which, to me, is still the best kind of release for anything being pinned down on a flat surface, not only because it is cheaper than clear plastic film, but also because I am quite partial to it, personal preference, if you will), but to ask if anyone remembers this, or even uses it, as I hear not one word anywhere about this, and it took my quite a search to find it.

Now, I'm sure that everyone uses those masking kits, such as what Eduard and others sell, which are nice(I even broke down and got one for a 1/32 Beaufighter, because the price seemed right), but there was something that was mentioned in one of the scale publications, Scale RC Modeler, I believe, but don't quote me on this, that mentioned something that was available in art supply stores, but could also be useful in all manner of modelling, not only RC scale(for camo projects), but also for plastic modelling in any scale for any application where needed.

Liquid masking film.

What it is is a sprayable or brushable liquid latex that goes on the whole area, the when dried, with a fresh blade, whatever pattern is needed, such as canopy windows in this case, carefully, with a fresh blade, you very carefully and patiently, lightly scribe each window shape. Then, carefully lift where painting is desired, the cover the entire thing. After all painting is done, again with fresh blade, very carefully(these are windows, remember?) lift one corner or point, then continue peeling.

It might seem a bit more work, but then, carefully placing each mask on each window is a bit a careful patient work too(especially if the hand is a tad shaky), but in the long run, easier to do than peeling each mask off the paper and placing it on.

If this is old and hoary knowledge to anyone, I apologize for wasting your time. But, if anyone didn't know of this, then here is something that might help to consider, one more arrow in the quiver to use.

And it is available, like so much else, on EvilBay.

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I used to replicate the fins of motorcycle engines and air-cooled aircraft engines with fine fishing line.

Any fine sub-assembly that I am sticking together still always gets put together on a piece of wax paper or baking paper. It never sticks to what it's not supposed to stick to!

But your suggestion regarding that latex film stuff? I'd never go back to the dark ages since Eduard started to produce masking sets for pretty much every model out there! But in fairness, some of the Eduard sets do not cover the whole canopy, just the frame edges, so the 'bit in the middle' needs masking by some other means and yes, I do use latex... But only for that purpose, you understand?! ;)

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Ok Paddy, are you asking me for some pics of what I currently have in the works, is in no way even similar to the level of workmanship pretty much everyone else has shown?

I do, with which I had applied a coat of the LMF on the canopy, but what I've done so far is not very pretty, and the subject kind of silly, that of a Horten Naranjero, with which I have planned to try to enlarge and extend the nacelles as a what if model, if it had actually been put into production, and Riemar Horten decided to use the idea of the Piaggio P166 nacelles, extended and enlarged to house more powerful engines, possibly something similar to a T53, or another, perhaps something that Allison might've helped out with(I don't think that there was a US embargo of any kind against Argentina back in the late 50s to early 60s).

But that has been my goal all along.

Not sure if whifs are welcome here.

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Ok Paddy, are you asking me for some pics of what I currently have in the works, is in no way even similar to the level of workmanship pretty much everyone else has shown?

Not sure if whifs are welcome here.

Just make a funny... the methods employed in the descriptions sound interesting... any images of them would be nice to see but not a problem. As for level of workmanship the great thing about BM is all levels are catered for (you should see mine, I'm ever the optimist that it is improving)

All my builds are 'what if'.... usually what if this was built right

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Here is what I've done so far, center section, canopy, and fuselage. The reason the fuselage might appear nose down is because the nose gear snapped off, the whole model being resin, and, after looking at the few photos which were supplied, and in fact are the only photos available on the internet, anywhere, even Argentine sites, I have come to the conclusion that the nose gear is actually wrong, as supplied in the kit, so I'm in the process of trying to make the gear, from the fork and the wheel(which a 1/72 Airfix Do217 fits just nicely, except it has to be a bit wider, and some of the support struts of the nose gear are going to be brass tube, because that's an awfully close match when compared with the photos, and measuring the diameter of the resin strut pieces.

The cockpit, on the other hand, is a total scratch build with copious use of imagination, as there are no photos of the cockpit of the full scale Naranjero.

As to colors, I'm kind of leaning toward this having participated in one of Argentina's Anarctic expeditions, because while the kit calls for all orange("Naranjero" translates to "orange") or all grey, which would be nice, but I wouldn't mind it if this actually did something useful later on in life. Or, maybe a trunk route cargo carrier for Aerolineas, perhaps.

http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss109/spaceshiprepairman/DSCN0215.jpg

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