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1/48 & 1/24 Spinner Detail


Blue Baron

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Needa bit of advice on painting propeller spinner please.

Many of the spinners on RAF aircraft were decorated with lines, spirals etc. I've tried using masking tape, very difficult and any decals are frustrating and never sit properly. I've even tried finding some way to sit the spinner on a rotary tool but can never get it centred correctly, or the tool to turn slowly enough to allow me to brush paint. Any help, advice appreciated. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Never done it myself but I can imagine trying to mask it up being very tricky. I've done a 1/24 Mosquito but even at that scale the spinners aren't particularly large for adding any intricate masking... and I didn't try, I did the spinners 1 colour. I'd be tempted to try blu tack (easy to do the 3D curves of a spinner, but difficult to get the consistent borders you'd need) or one of the masking paints which can be cut to get the borders as needed but they tend to be hit-and-miss to use.

 

Maybe something like silly putty that's just sticky enough to stay on the spinner, but easy to cut to the shape you need while on the spinner without risking the existing paint layer?

 

 

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This masking set has all you need for masking spinners etc.

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/MMS016?result-token=w3KyT

The reason you're struggling with masking tape is I imagine due to you using straight strips of tape?

As for decals not sitting properly maybe you're not giving them enough time to do so, you normally have to apply decal softner to them quite a few times, it's rare to get them to comform after one hit. It also helps to use a stronger solution such as Daco Red or Mr Softner.

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Tamiya tape sliced into fine strips say, 1mm will work. So will those reels of very narrow tape from Little Cars (if they still exist). And finally Tamiya now do flexible vinyl masking tape especially for curves.

 

The trick is to pull it tight enough to conform to the spinner but not so tight that it recoils and pulls itself off. Then press it down with the side of a cocktail stick to be sure.

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