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++1:72 Paint Masks WWII German Letters & Numbers++


supersonic

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Hello Chaps,

 

i'm looking for German WWII German Letters & Numbers Paint Masks in 1:72, i checked Maketar but they only do Crosses in that scale, anybody knows of a company which produces these?

 

Thanks 

Hans

Edited by supersonic
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Thank you both, the thing is i'm looking for Paint masks especially for a Me Bf 110 and since all the different planes had different letter & number sizes the Montex Mask for e.g. the He 111

doesn't work, too large and Montex has not one Bf 110 mask.

The exclusive way would be ordering custom masks , e.g. from Top Notch, would cost about 20GBP, but don't want to spend that amount of money for one specific mask.

Normally i do masks myself from Tamiya Tape if i don't find an appropriate Montex set but in case of 1:72 letters and numbers all my attempts didn't look very convincing...

@Mark, sure Decals are the last exit strategy if i don't find any paint masks.

Edited by supersonic
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Recently linked at Hyperscale, this web site offers digital files to those who wish to make their own masks with digital cutters. If you have one, or know someone who does, this could be of use. https://www.scalemodelpaintmasks.com/index.php?/forum/3-aircraft-military/

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This is not to rain on your parade, but...

 

To my knowledge, no-one makes such masks.

 

The software included with the Silhuette cutter will attempt to give you a stencil or mask for a given font.

 

My experience is, however, not good. I attempted to do masks for the code letters of a 1/72 Spitfire XII  "EB-B", but even when tweaking the sw to to point of sillyness, the cutter could not make the mask in a quality that even approached decals.

 

I would look for ways to print decals using blank decal paper and a printer. The paper comes for both inkjet printers and laser printers and in white or transparent. 

 

HTH  

Finn

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Well I do have a later Silhouette cutter and have made my own masks with decent results. 1/48 admittedly.

 

The software that came with mine allows importing of most popular vector files so one doesn't need to build the patterns using the OEM software. That was definitely a limitation on older units.

Edited by Crimea River
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@Finn, thanks for the interesting infos concerning the Silhouette, honestly i played with the thought to buy one myself but the reviews and feedback of users are a mixed bag

as you say I think for 1:72 scale it's not useable with good results at least with the cheaper affordable consumer models, might be okay for 1:48scale and bigger though.

@Crimea, thanks for the good Hyperscale link!

I think i will do a mix, paint the insignias and using decals for the rest....

Edited by supersonic
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Something like a 1/72 Luftwaffe fighter number is in my experience not much above the limit if what a Silhouette cutter can achieve. Meaning that it's not the easiest thing to do but is feasible. 

The trick with such small lettera or numbers is to not design the code as text but to create it as a combination of arcs and segments. In this way the cutter will give a much neater result, with properly parallel sides and square angles. Mind, it takes time to prepare the drawing this way but it's IMHO worth it.

For codes with edges in a different colour it's more difficult as such edges are quite thin in 1/72 scale. My approach is to make separate masks, use the outer on the model and the inner to spray on clear decal sheet. It is also possible to cut the codes from solid decal paper, applying such decals need patience but can be done.

 

Forgot to mention: the material used for the mask is also very important. I had problems with kabuki paper and with vinyl, today I'm using Oracal 810 and works very well

Edited by Giorgio N
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@Duncan, thanks for the link, pretty fair selection of 1:72 decals, will order the Night Fighter Grey Code sheet

@Giorgio, thanks for your feedback concerning the cutter, i think i'll take a deeper research myself with that cutter topic to get a better idea of what is possible, i think your point

is important at least that's what i got from other users too, results depend pretty much on the design preparation

BTW, may i ask which Silhouette model do you use?

Edited by supersonic
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3 hours ago, supersonic said:

@Duncan, thanks for the link, pretty fair selection of 1:72 decals, will order the Night Fighter Grey Code sheet

@Giorgio, thanks for your feedback concerning the cutter, i think i'll take a deeper research myself with that cutter topic to get a better idea of what is possible, i think your point

is important at least that's what i got from other users too, results depend pretty much on the design preparation

BTW, may i ask which Silhouette model do you use?

I use the Portrait, that is the cheapest model. It's not bad but I was hoping for better results on the smaller shapes. Mind, for small I mean 5-6 mm, so pretty small.

It took me dome time to get the best from the cutter, now that I have found the right settings I'm much happier. The preparation of the drawing requires care but once done it's good to be able to make many copies. I'm using it a lot to make camouflage masks, canopy masks and things like letters and numbers. 

It's a useful tool but needs patience and dedication

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16 hours ago, Duncan B said:

I tried painting on the markings using masks in 1/72 scale, what a royal pain! I bought myself a selection of Luftwaffe numbers here: https://www.fantasyprintshop.co.uk/decals/aircraft-decals/1-72-scale/page/2/ and never bothered trying to paint them ever again.

 

Duncan B

Really useful link i have been looking at numbers and marking for 2 Gotha 242 gliders. I can find what numbers to use from photos, now i think I've found the source.

Cheers

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