Canopy Masking

[Lewis95]

Good evening all! 

 

Just a quick question in regards to canopy masking. I'm terrible at the burnishing method using larger pieces of tape. 

 

One thought that has crossed my mind is using liquid masks. Another tutorial that I keep seeing crop up, is using extremely thin cuts of Tamiya tape to form an outline before liquid mask. 

 

Is the liquid mask idea worth pursuing? I have two airliners with transparent windows to build. Would I need to do the thin strip method? 

 

Is the thin strip method easier than it sounds? 

 

 

[dromia]

Depending on the canopy I either use the thin strip out line and back fill with liquid mask my preferred mask being Copydex or Parafilm which needs not back filling.

 

For me using Copydex invariably needs a tape out line to keep the shape but that is as much my shaky hands with an applicator, I have use it successfully on flat landing lights where there has been a good moulding edge for me to fill into.

 

Personally I don't find any masking easy, my greatest asset in this technique is my Optivisor and a steady hands free mount for the canopy.

[lesthegringo]

I use a mix of white glue (I use the stuff they sell as 'school glue' which is water washable and will come off if you soak it in water) mixed with a bit of washing up liquid, plus some poster paint or watercolour paint to give it a bit of colour. I then can use a toothpick to flow it around the edges of the canopy frames, then once dried off a bit cover the rest with either tape or more of the same goop. By colouring it, you can see where it is once dry, and it has the advantage that you can cut it with a sharp scalpel blade if you need to. I also have some more goop with a different colour that I use on the inside of the canopy, again because of the different colour you can see where you put it. Note, don't use food colouring as I did on my first attempts, it stains everything terribly! Poster paint that they sell in little bottles is ideal and cheap.

 

It will stay put nice and tight, and unlike the rubber type solutions once dried you can put more over it without risking pulling it up. A thicker layer is easier to remove, after you spray you use a toothpick to tease up a corner an it will peel away perfectly. If it is in an awkward place a soak in warm water will loosen it so you can use a soft toothbrush to remove it - in this case you will speed things up if you just scratch the pain so that the water gets though easier. On canopies, I have models that the goop was on the canopy for three years before I got back to it and it came off without a hitch.

 

Note that I don't use this for normal masking in most cases - on matt and semi-matt finishes it grips on too well and while you can get it off it takes too long, plus it can jet into joins like between the aileron and wing and be a pain to remove. Again, it will come out, but it takes a while. Where the finish is a good gloss, and you are well away from any features it works, but regular masking is easier.

 

For canopies though, it is my go to and even use it in preference to the Eduard masks in many cases

 

Hope this helps

 

Les  

[Andreas.R]

You can use painted decals instead masking cockpits and for adding small details. 

 

There is a simple method avoiding all the trouble with masking cockpits!

As I found a lot of problems masking cockpits i tried another approach:

All you need is a transparent decal sheet, the "magic" Klear/Future. 

You paint or airbrush a small sheet of transparent decal - best with acrylic colors.

Be careful  if you use a paintbrush  and enamel colors - it may dissolve the surface of the decal!

The Layer of paint should not be too thick - else the decal gets to stiff.

After drying you cut off small stripes of the painted decal.

I would recommend to apply Future at the clear parts of the cockpit.

After removing the decal strips from the backing paper with a small paintbrush and a little bit of Future

you apply these on the cockpit. Carefully remove excess water.

[Pin]

Liquid masking works. Using it regularly

[The Spadgent]

The burnish method is super easy as long as you have a brand new blade. ( fresh from the packet) otherwise it’s a struggle. The thin strip method is good too. I use this method for funny shapes I can’t do any other way or bubble shapes. I use Maskol and have found it to be good. Apparently don’t leave it on for months and months though. 
 

I did a bit of a how to on masking stuff on my latest hind build if you’re interested. (The big one) hind v.

Good luck sir.

 

Johnny

[Lewis95]

On 31/01/2021 at 08:14, The Spadgent said:

The burnish method is super easy as long as you have a brand new blade. ( fresh from the packet) otherwise it’s a struggle. The thin strip method is good too. I use this method for funny shapes I can’t do any other way or bubble shapes. I use Maskol and have found it to be good. Apparently don’t leave it on for months and months though. 
 

I did a bit of a how to on masking stuff on my latest hind build if you’re interested. (The big one) hind v.

Good luck sir.

 

Johnny

I think I saw that mini tutorial you did. I still haven't purchased any mask liquid but with a TSR 2 on the bench, I may not need it for this build. 

 

Now to go check your hind builds! 

[Ray_W]

It gets down to personal preference.

 

My usual is the thin slice of tape method backfilled with a masking solution (in this case Gunze's Mr. Masking Sol neo) or more tape.  These canopies were taped inside and out and sprayed accordingly to better replicate the Ju-87 framing. I actually find it quick and easy.

 

 

 

I have a set of dividers to transfer dimensions to the tape strip. I sometimes use the same dividers, that have a sharpened cutting edge, to cut a radiused masking strip if a bend is too tight.  When I do not have a framing edge to follow, I will lay down a strip of tape of the correct frame width in the correct location and lay the thin masking strips beside it and the remove and move onto the next one. I also have a roll of AIZU Project Micro Masking tape that simplifies the tape strip cutting although most of my modelling has been done without this simple, but expensive solution, and just using sliced strips of Tamiya tape. 

 

Sometimes I may just use the Gunze masking product or Windsor & Newton Art Masking Fluid applied with a toothpick. Depends on the application. I do use the burnish and cut occasionally - with a bare metal foil mask. However, my preferred method is the strip method. As I model in 1/48, I usually have room to maneuver so the tape method seems to work well. 

 

Ray

 

 

[Lewis95]

9 hours ago, Ray_W said:

It gets down to personal preference.

 

My usual is the thin slice of tape method backfilled with a masking solution (in this case Gunze's Mr. Masking Sol neo) or more tape.  These canopies were taped inside and out and sprayed accordingly to better replicate the Ju-87 framing. I actually find it quick and easy.

 

 

 

I have a set of dividers to transfer dimensions to the tape strip. I sometimes use the same dividers, that have a sharpened cutting edge, to cut a radiused masking strip if a bend is too tight.  When I do not have a framing edge to follow, I will lay down a strip of tape of the correct frame width in the correct location and lay the thin masking strips beside it and the remove and move onto the next one. I also have a roll of AIZU Project Micro Masking tape that simplifies the tape strip cutting although most of my modelling has been done without this simple, but expensive solution, and just using sliced strips of Tamiya tape. 

 

Sometimes I may just use the Gunze masking product or Windsor & Newton Art Masking Fluid applied with a toothpick. Depends on the application. I do use the burnish and cut occasionally - with a bare metal foil mask. However, my preferred method is the strip method. As I model in 1/48, I usually have room to maneuver so the tape method seems to work well. 

 

Ray

 

 

 

I may well give the thin strip and backfill method a go with the current project I'm working on. As it's my first 48th scale, I may find the room to do so but on 1/72nd.... even at 26 that size is too darn small at times!