MASKING CANOPIES

[NARSES2]

Right I wouldn't ask this on any other forum but I'm happy to here.

One of the weakest parts of my modeling is canopy masking. Now Eduard quite often don't produce masks for the subjects I want to do (WIF & Non WIF) so I resort either to a bungled attempt with Tamiya tape or I do them freehand (bear in mind I'm lmost exclusively 1/72).

How do you guys do it ? Do you put the tape on the canopy and then cut it out or what ?

Chris

[Captain Canada]

Most often I free hand them.....and just mask the cockpit itself buy stuffing in some tissue paper. I also find painting the interior frames of the canopy black or grey helps you see the outer lines better.

Alternatively, I use the clear Parafilm product, as it's really easy to see the canopy framing ( as well as 'feeling' the rasied detail, as it's so thin ) I then cut off ( with a new #11 ) the excess for painting the frames.

Have fun !

[Supertom]

Alternatively, Narses, using Tamiya tape, cut thin strips to frame the canopy, then fill the rest with more tape or Maskol.  Kinda like a DIY Eduard mask.

[viper29_ca]

Next time you are in your LHS, go to the auto section and look for a product called Bare Metal Foil.

This stuff is like aluminum foil, but much thinner, and has a mildly sticky side to it, cut a small square of it, peel it off, and place over your canopy, burnish down into the cracks and crevaces of the canopy, using a new sharp #11 blade, cut along your canopy lines and peel off what you want left exposed to paint. Once your paint is dried, peel off the rest of the BMF and viola, one painted canopy.

The key with the BMF is to work with small pieces, I would say, nothing bigger than 1/2-3/4 of an inch square, otherwise, once you get it burnished down in one spot and you try to do the same piece on another spot, it could pull out of the first spot you did. The stuff works really well though!!!

[philp]

I have been using Liquid Latex (picked up at Michael's).  Just paint the glass areas and leave the frames bare, after it dries you can spray or hand paint the frames and peel the latex off.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Alternatively, Narses, using Tamiya tape, cut thin strips to frame the canopy, then fill the rest with more tape or Maskol.  Kinda like a DIY Eduard mask.

I do exactly the same as Tom. I'll never use a pre-cut mask (Eduard, Black Magic etc), simply cos my pride and my wallet wont allow it !

Anyways I find masking canopies strangely relaxing - wow, cannot believe I wrote that out loud !

Ian

[RotorheadTX]

I'm with Tom and Ian on this one....lots of little bits of T-tape, and a generous slathering of liquid latex/maskol/etc.

[NARSES2]

Thanks Lads - there's some useful techniques there and I think I really need to practice a bit more

[Radish]

I handpaint everything black or grey as an undercoat which gives a much better appearance too, then go over in the required colour. I clean up the straggly bits, always apparant, with a sharp cocktail stick.


But on most '30s stuff, who needs canopy frames? No canopies.

If i'm faced with something crazy like a Ju-87 or Bf-110 canopy, I build it Orkenwaffe without one.    

[lancer]

Anyways I find masking canopies strangely relaxing - wow, cannot believe I wrote that out loud !

Good grief man!!! You need serious help and quick...      

[MerlinJones]

Yup...Tamiya Masking Tape is the way to go, cut into strips, using a metal straight edge and a very sharp knife.

One point so far missed, however, is the preparation of your canopy beforehand.
On opening any kit, my first job is to secure the transparencies and given them a coating of Johnson's Klear, inside and out. This'll usually take about 20 minutes to be touch-dry and then I'll add a second coat, inside and out, as before.

Using strips of tape, I'll then mask off, say, all the vertical frames and then paint these with the cockpit interior colour as a primer, then with the end colour. After a few hours, I'll remove the tape and let it all dry properly overnight.
Then, using a nice, sharp cocktail stick, I'll follow the dges of the frame and pick off any stary paint. This is easier than it might sound, because of the Klear coats.
Once I'm happy, the whole lot will get another Klear coat. This will protect my paint job and stop further applications of tape pulling the paint off the canopy.

Then, I repeat the process with the horizontal frames.

This may seem to be a long, drawn out process, but the results are usually spot on.
Some examples of my work can be seen at http://www.picturetrail.com/merlinjones

In particular, check out the Harvard in WWII modelling, plus my P-40 and Jaguar Build-Ups', for illustrated canopy pinting tips.

Regards,
Bruce

[NARSES2]

Thanks Mr Merlin - I think I'll treat the canopy as a separate kit almost on my next build then I won't get impatient at the end

Chris

[F-32]

I hand paint mine as well, having looked at the actual jets I get the impression they do the same so I wouldn't worry about getting them perfect everytime