Help requested re masking

[Herrick]

I've been working on a 1/48 Revell P-51D and am having problems with masking.

I should point out that this is one of two projects that I'm working on concurrently, the other being a Mk II Spit from the same company. These are the first kits I've made for well over 50 years and my learning curve is almost vertical.

My problems ( well, some of them) stem from masking recesses, notably for the wheel wells and the gun bay on the wing, see below:

 

 

I masked these recesses by packing with paper and sealing the edge with Vallejo Liquid Mask. In both cases the paint along the edge has lifted on removal of the mask. Some of this can probably be put down to the fact that my Airbrush tecnique is poor and I apply the paint too thickly but I wonder if anybody out there can offer any help re better techniques for applying masking to recesses?

Thanks

[ckw]

Not sure why you had the problem as you don't say what paint and what surface prep if any. That aside, I usually mask wheel wells by lining the edge with Tamiya tape (forming a well with the stick side out). I use a toothpick to ensure good adhesion to the edge. It is usually easier to use multiple small pieces than try and do the whole wheel perimeter with one strip. Once you have made your well, fill it with the material of your choice. I favour the sort of foam used to stuff animals, as squeezing this into the well forces the tape against the sides of the well.

 

You may well find that for some recesses you can dispense with the tape and just use the foam, but it is harder to get a clean edge.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[Black Knight]

I too pack them with paper. Kitchen roll or loo roll paper, then wet that paper and gently push it about to fill the shape. I keep adding paper to the mush until the recess is filled. I never use any other masking over the top.

On some small places you can shove in a small bit of blue / white tac and on some openings you can use thick PVA or Clearfix to make a thin membrane skin over the opening. This is useful over cockpit openings as shoving in wet paper might break or damage cockpit parts

[Herrick]

3 hours ago, ckw said:

Not sure why you had the problem as you don't say what paint and what surface prep if any.

The surface was primed with Vallejo grey primer and the paint that lifted is Vallejo Air Aluminum.

[dnl42]

If you're using tape, which tape? I recommend Tamiya tape, not household or construction tapes which can be too aggressive. I also de-tack tape by applying it to my clean hand or other surface before applying to the model. With some openings, I'll plan on (re)painting after as it's easier to mask the surface around the opening than the opening itself.

[bmwh548]

I too use tape for the edges and fill the inside with whatever I think would suit the purpose without damaging anything (tape, white tack, masking fluid, plastic foil).

For that specific application I would have probably painted the plane and then masked the outside and then paint the inside. But you should take that with a grain of salt and practice on some scrap pieces. I use Mr. Surfacer which really bites onto plastic because it's based on nasty chemicals, the Vallejo stuff won't have the same adhesion force as it's more "eco-friendly".

As for tape: Tamiya is the best by far; Revell is good, but the edges are kinda jagged - you can fix that by trimming them with a sharp blade on your cutting mat; Vallejo has nice edges, the tape itself is pretty good, but it doesn't have much "glue" on it, and might not stick over tricky areas; AK's tape is just a big no-no for me.

[Giorgio N]

My favourite way of masking things like wheel wells and gun bays: cut a blob of blu-tack, put it in place and then put on top the relative doors, pushing down until the door is well in place. This way you'll protect the openings and also paint the doors at the same time. Only thing to check is that not all doors will cover the whole well area. On the Spitfire for example the door is smaller than the opening. Here I just use blu-tack to keep paint out.

[The Spadgent]

My wheel wells get masked with bits of sponge. Sometimes it’s good to use the doors as masks too. You can hold them in place with Gators grip or thin PVA. This works with canopies and other panels of the fit is good. Are you planning a WIP for your build? 
 

John

[Herrick]

8 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

My wheel wells get masked with bits of sponge. Sometimes it’s good to use the doors as masks too. You can hold them in place with Gators grip or thin PVA. This works with canopies and other panels of the fit is good. Are you planning a WIP for your build? 
 

John

Thanks, Spadgent. I tried using the doors and used Vallejo Liquid Mask to hold them in place and this was were the problem arose. I am surprised at how ‘soft’ the Vallejo aluminum is when it dries. Perhaps I am spraying too thickly.

I was just thinking that I ought to do a WIP for this. Like with my Spit, it makes me cringe a little as I started it ages ago before a house move and then parked it. I was approaching it in the same way that I did when I was much younger, all glue and paint.

But life is a learning process!

[The Spadgent]

Ahh ok. I find using the kit parts much easier as a mask. I always gloss / top coat before and temp gluing. Maskol might work but I’d recommend small dabs of PVA or similar. If you find some of the paint comes away just touch up after the fact. Do a WIP you’ll get loads of help and it’s great fun. But if it’s not your thing don’t feel pressured. This forum contains the kindest bunch of folk on the internet. You’re in safe hands. 🙌

 

Johnny