Invasion stripes, any pointers?

[Uncle Pete]

Yesterday I decided to put invasion stripes on a Mozzie.  How hard can it be, I said, hold my beer, I said.... This morning when I lifted the masks...  

[Lawzer]

2 minutes ago, Uncle Pete said:

Yesterday I decided to put invasion stripes on a Mozzie.  How hard can it be, I said, hold my beer, I said.... This morning when I lifted the masks...  

Been through the "oh dear" scenario almost every time I unmask anything - I feel your pain!

[BIG X]

27 minutes ago, Uncle Pete said:

Yesterday I decided to put invasion stripes on a Mozzie.  How hard can it be, I said, hold my beer, I said.... This morning when I lifted the masks...  

I'm no expert - who is - but I was told by an expert to always paint the edge of the mask in the opposing colour first - so any bleed is the same colour as what is underneath...

...does that make sense...  I'll get me coat

[Uncle Pete]

4 minutes ago, BIG X said:

I'm no expert - who is - but I was told by an expert to always paint the edge of the mask in the opposing colour first - so any bleed is the same colour as what is underneath...

...does that make sense...  I'll get me coat

Actually I stumbled on that this morning on "Fine Scale Modeller" When I googled "invasion stripes"... Too late, of course!  I looked up decals too.  They look like they'd be good on wings but they don't look like that good of an option for the fuselage.  One whacking great sticker with all five stripes is not going to want to conform to the conical shape of the average fuze without going a bit Salvadore Dali toward the back.

[Chuck1945]

28 minutes ago, BIG X said:

I'm no expert - who is - but I was told by an expert to always paint the edge of the mask in the opposing colour first - so any bleed is the same colour as what is underneath...

...does that make sense...  I'll get me coat

Another possibly helpful suggestion if you airbrush your stripes is to spray away from the tape edges, not towards them.

[Lawzer]

41 minutes ago, BIG X said:

I'm no expert - who is - but I was told by an expert to always paint the edge of the mask in the opposing colour first - so any bleed is the same colour as what is underneath...

...does that make sense...  I'll get me coat

 

31 minutes ago, Uncle Pete said:

Actually I stumbled on that this morning on "Fine Scale Modeller" When I googled "invasion stripes"... Too late, of course!  I looked up decals too.  They look like they'd be good on wings but they don't look like that good of an option for the fuselage.  One whacking great sticker with all five stripes is not going to want to conform to the conical shape of the average fuze without going a bit Salvadore Dali toward the back.

This article?:

 

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/90830.aspx

 

 

[Uncle Pete]

2 minutes ago, Lawzer said:

This article?:

No, but I suspect it was the same bloke.  The white first after masking idea is so simple it's one of those flat forehead moments... When it dawns on you the facepalm is a real nosebreaker.

[Lawzer]

Yeah I must admit I'd never thought in doing it that way.

Still need to be a bit careful if any panel lines are involved...

 

I'm certainly going to give this a go the next time I do some.

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

I always paint the Invasion stripes first then mask and paint camouflage or bare metal. That way you cover up any issues. I usually mask the edges and paint the white field first. Then mask the white stripes and paint the black. Remove the masks. Reverse the process and cover the stripes completely. Then paint the camouflage or Bare metal. Hope this helps somebody. 

 

Dennis

 

PS - @Lawzer sorry you had answered simultaneously. So i edited and added this bit. I usually press the tape into all the panel lines using my scriber. I rarely have anything other than a tiny bleed through which can be touched up or wiped off if I’ve clear coated the stripes first. 

Edited April 4, 2018 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[Lawzer]

6 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

I always paint the Invasion stripes first then mask and paint camouflage or bare metal. That way you cover up any issues. I usually mask the edges and paint the white field first. Then mask the white stripes and paint the black. Remove the masks. Reverse the process and cover the stripes completely. Then paint the camouflage or Bare metal. Hope this helps somebody. 

 

Dennis

 

PS - @Lawzer sorry you had answered simultaneously. So i edited and added this bit. I usually press the tape into all the panel lines using my scriber. I rarely have anything other than a tiny bleed through which can be touched up or wiped off if I’ve clear coated the stripes first. 

that's where I tend to get the bleed - panel lines.  however doing it your way would be a lot easier and neater to touch up 

[Uncle Pete]

11 minutes ago, Lawzer said:

Still need to be a bit careful if any panel lines are involved

I'm not yet skilled enough to sweat panel lines... If I have any left after the primer I figure I'm ahead of the game!

[FinnAndersen]

17 hours ago, Uncle Pete said:

Yesterday I decided to put invasion stripes on a Mozzie.  How hard can it be, I said, hold my beer, I said.... This morning when I lifted the masks...  

I learned this about masking from a house painter:

When painting something usings masks:

1: Paint the base colour.

2: Mask

3: Paint base colour over the mask edges

4: Paint top colour

 

This way, if you have paint creeping under the masks, it will be invisible. Can be used on canopies, the base colour then being a clear coat.

 

HTH

Finn

[Uncle Pete]

5 hours ago, FinnAndersen said:

1: Paint the base colour.

2: Mask

3: Paint base colour over the mask edges

4: Paint top colour

 

Tried it yesterday.... magic! 

[Scott Hemsley]

To my earlier post...
 

Quote

      On ‎2018‎-‎01‎-‎28 at 13:31, Scott Hemsley said:

However if you must mask and you're doing 1/72, the 6mm wide Tamyia tape measures out to a scale 18" - the width of the stripes used on aircraft like the Spitfire, Typhoon, Mustang, etc.  Spray the white and using the tape, mask of each stripe (white & black).  Remove the 'black' stripes, spray and presto ... invasion stripes.  I just did the 1/72 Eduards Spit IXc that way with no problems.  Of course,, my masking wasn't perfect ... or was it? 

 

Black Knight mentioned this...

Quote

  Error; 18 inches is 6.35mm not 6 mm, over 5 stripes you'll be out 5 x 0.35 = 1.75mm. Doesn't sound much but in 1/72 that is nearly 5 inches in 1:1 - it can throw the positioning of other markings out on the fuselage and wings

 

That's true, but I don't use calipers ... instead preferring to use the scale ruler (1/72 and 1/48 scales) that was offered by the modelling magazine 'Scale Aircraft Modeller', years ago. Each foot is broken down into 3 inch increments.  Visually, it looks the part.

 

When I used the method I described above, on my Eduards (Profipack) Spitfire IXc, nothing appeared out of place according to the references that I had.  Unfortunately, I had no period photos of the subject aircraft other than the kit placement instructions (including the mis-placed re-applied s/n on the stdb side)., but the positioning of the stripes on the aircraft and their relation with the various markings  agreed with period photos of other 401 Sqn. aircraft, taken during roughly the same post D-Day time period (July 1945). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited April 12, 2018 by Scott Hemsley

[Collin]

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235003473-d-day-stripes-the-easy-wayat-least-for-me/