Masking up aircraft. your best techniques

[BarryW]

you try masking a canopy for a 1/72 Me 110 or Ju 87 :tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy:

Eduard sets?

[PaulTRose]

Eduard sets?

easier and cheaper to do any thing but planes :tears-of-joy:

[Defiant911]

i personally do like this..
i previously washed the model with isopropyl alcohol... when it's dry....
1. Primer a light coat with one of the camo colors ( the darkest one)
2. a thin coat of ultra matt varnish from AK interactive or MIG
3. put the flexible tape from tamiya (white one 2mm) and cover the part with paper tape from tamiya (yellow on 1cm)
4. repeat 2 (the ultramatt is to be sure that the tape will not take off the paint)
5. another camo repeat number 3
6. apply the decals
7. repeat number 2
8. wash-weathering and pigments..

PLEASE be sure to apply THIN layers of paint..
hope this helps

I like the point about applying a Matt lacquer inbeteeen paint coats to try to avoid peeling paint layers with tape.

[stona]

you try masking a canopy for a 1/72 Me 110 or Ju 87 :tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy:

It can be done with tape and a sharp knife. I think it has to be a scalpel, and with a new blade. A No.11 blade is the perfect shape for this. These are all 1/72 and were done that way.



And so is this



The lower of which is for a Bf 110 at 1/72



I made a 1/72 Ju 88 and the canopy framing was so badly molded that I used coloured decal film to make it. Unfortunately I can't find a picture, but I simply painted the film in the correct colour and cut suitably thin strips.


Cheers

Steve

[PaulTRose]

It can be done with tape and a sharp knife.

im not saying its impossible, im saying that i find it very difficult, and the smaller the scale the harder it gets

[stona]

im not saying its impossible, im saying that i find it very difficult, and the smaller the scale the harder it gets

Yes, absolutely, it becomes a right fiddle at smaller scales. I found the Ju 88 impossible, not helped by the very badly molded framework which can definitely be an issue in smaller scale and on older kits. It is hard to cut accurately along non-existent lines.

I'm always a bit reluctant to buy masks because I'm a cheapskate and if I can avoid doing so I will . Sometimes they are worth it. I remember masking up the canopy and all the turrets etc. of a 1/48 Lancaster and it took me an afternoon, imagine how long it would have taken if I'd done it cutting my own masks! That was definitely worth the outlay.

Coincidentally, I've just opened my potential next project and canopy masks are included. Of course I will use them (as long as the fit), but it's a low back P-51 and that 'bubble' canopy and windscreen must be just about the easiest there can be to mask yourself.