discussion Why don't all models come with a masking set?

[pjgtech]

This is a pet peeve of mine, you decide to make a model, it has some glazing in it, but, there is no masks for the glazing, so you have either do it yourself, fiddly, time consuming, and if you are as hamfisted as me, you end with a not very good mask, etc or you have to buy a custom of aftermarket mask set at extra cost.

I know some kits do come with mask sets, but certainly all the kits I've done so far, have not. I assume the more expensive sets do come with a mask set.

Seems perfectly logical to me that the kit manufacturer should always provide a masking set to match that particular kit. In fact I would be happy to pay a bit extra to have it included. It is such an essential part of the model and aids its completion. Also its very helpful to noobs, like me, who may not be very good at making their own masks.

Ah well, grump over.....

 

[PaulTRose]

Ditto to everything you said

I hate masking..... Not just canopies but camo or window bkackouts too

 

[rtfoe]

I've never used a mask set before and worked out a way round it. I have been successful with strips of masking tape, forceps or tweezers and a sharp new blade. A well Futured glazing is prerequiste for both the tape and paint to adhere to. Never use fingers to apply the tape strips...mastering the use of the tweezer to apply the strip of tape along the panels and overlap at the points vutting the excess qith the sharp blade in a pressing motion like a guilotine rather than pulling so that the tape does not move out of position. Fill the rest of the panel with larger pieces of tape or masking fluid. I think I have a picture of how it looks...

I take my time and if I'm not interupted by sometimg on telly I could finish it in one seating.

Cheers,
Wabble

 

[pjgtech]

I've never used a mask set before and worked out a way round it. I have been successful with strips of masking tape, forceps or tweezers and a sharp new blade. A well Futured glazing is prerequiste for both the tape and paint to adhere to. Never use fingers to apply the tape strips...mastering the use of the tweezer to apply the strip of tape along the panels and overlap at the points vutting the excess qith the sharp blade in a pressing motion like a guilotine rather than pulling so that the tape does not move out of position. Fill the rest of the panel with larger pieces of tape or masking fluid. I think I have a picture of how it looks...
View attachment 1292479View attachment 1292480
I take my time and if I'm not interupted by sometimg on telly I could finish it in one seating.

Cheers,
Wabble

Yep, and that looks great, but..... I'm a sausage fingered, cack handed, brain dead, chimp like creature, with no skills or patience whatsever, so..... Peeps like me need all the help we can get, eg: custom made and included masking sets..... think I might have to start a petition or summit. Lol!

 

[Tim Marlow]

I've never used a mask set before and worked out a way round it. I have been successful with strips of masking tape, forceps or tweezers and a sharp new blade. A well Futured glazing is prerequiste for both the tape and paint to adhere to. Never use fingers to apply the tape strips...mastering the use of the tweezer to apply the strip of tape along the panels and overlap at the points vutting the excess qith the sharp blade in a pressing motion like a guilotine rather than pulling so that the tape does not move out of position. Fill the rest of the panel with larger pieces of tape or masking fluid. I think I have a picture of how it looks...
View attachment 1292479View attachment 1292480
I take my time and if I'm not interupted by sometimg on telly I could finish it in one seating.

Cheers,
Wabble

That’s very similar to what I do when a mask set isn’t available Richard . I use sets mostly as a time saver. Lots of things I’d rather do than mask canopies . I only use kabuki tape masking sets though, I find the vinyl sets distort and lift too easily.

As to why they aren’t in kits….cost purely and simply. It doesn’t add much, percentage wise, to a larger scale expensive kit, but cost of a small, cheap, 1/72 warbird could increase significantly and potentially alienate its market.

 

[minitnkr]

I just brush or pin paint them.

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

I've got a trio of Special Hobby Caproni twins, which thankfully do include interior and exterior masks, because the glazing is a nightmare. Which is also why the fuselage halves are moulded transparent in the first place.
Which is nice
Eduard do some 'special editions' with masks included, but they're selling to the modeller market. I don 't think it's commercially viable for manufacturers in general to add in masks, especially with aftermarket guys to produce them without the manufacturer going to the extra base cost of outsourcing. Though you'd think some of the Japanese companies might do it

Still, after all, not everyone uses an airbrush. Or spray can

Oh, I dream of getting a set of masks for those Chinese display team MiGs, rather than take another three hours to make them myself

 

[Geoffers]

I suppose manufacturers aren’t including a mask set because they are working to a set price point.

However if not it would be nice if they could include a masking template similar to Arma Hobby’s Hurricane.

I found this made the canopy masking process much easier.

Geoff.

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

I suppose manufacturers aren’t including a mask set because they are working to a set price point.

Precisely

Price-cisely?

I'll get me coat...

 

[Jim R]

A question? Do the kits that have masks included manufacture their own masks or are the included masks "bought in" from a mask making company?
Kit decals are often out sourced so maybe masks are as well

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

A question? Do the kits that have masks included manufacturer their own masks or are the included masks "bought in" from a mask making company?
Kit decals are often out sourced so maybe masks are as well

Good point. Lots of manufacturers outsource to Cartograph for transfers, saving themselves specialist staff.
Eduard started with etch accessories before they got into actually kitting stuff didn't they? so diversifying to add masks are in house wouldn't be too big a stretch. Airfix sets may also be in-house. Other manufacturers would just 'rely' on aftermarket companies rather than going all in.

Further to what I said about Japanese companies, many of them produce tools and paint and masking tape, but do any of them produce masks or transfer sets as another line?

 

[Tim Marlow]

Tamiya sometimes include uncut masks I think. Almost as much an issue cutting them as masking from scratch though.

 

[Geoffers]

Good point. Lots of manufacturers outsource to Cartograph for transfers, saving themselves specialist staff.
Eduard started with etch accessories before they got into actually kitting stuff didn't they? so diversifying to add masks are in house wouldn't be too big a stretch. Airfix sets may also be in-house. Other manufacturers would just 'rely' on aftermarket companies rather than going all in.

Further to what I said about Japanese companies, many of them produce tools and paint and masking tape, but do any of them produce masks or transfer sets as another line?

I think the initial masks from Airfix ( the Lysander set) were made by Cartograph. I assume they made the subsequent sets too.

Geoff.

 

[pjgtech]

Personally I would be happy to pay a bit extra to get them included with a kit.

 

[LeytonO]

My wife has a Brother ScanNCut machine which she uses to make masks for her Linocut printing.
Also happens to work very nicely with Tamiya masking sheets for my modelling mask purposes
Either scan in from a supplied template or trace the parts and then as the name suggests scan and cut.
Can also be used to make stencils, tried a couple made from scanning a decal sheet.
Lots of other applications i'm sure, but those are the ones i've used thus far.