Masking Canopy's for Air brushing

[brian]

Hi All
Years ago when I was modelling, i used to use a solution called maskol which i didnt find very good, it never painted onto the canopy accurately, i know theres also tamiya tapes which are okay but a little difficult cutting to shape on delicate peices.
So my question is, what do you guys use, and is there anything else new on the market which is better than the above?? its been a while since ive modelled so there could be something new and better on the todays market.
appreciate the help,
Brian

 

[Dusky]

Eduard produces pre-cut canopy masks that you just peel and stick.

 

[brian]

Thanks
But i guess these are sold for a specific model?
thanks
Brian

 

[Dusky]

Yes, they are only sold for specific kits. Otherwise you are going to have to use tape or a liquid masking solution and carefully cut away the excess.

 

[Carsenault]

I've used maskol and a few other masking fluids, never with much success though. Its fine for small details or for filling in between tape or poster tack worms though. I now mainly use Tamiya tape. Ill first cut thin trips to better work around the compound curves, then wider pieces of tape for the straight edges. The trick with the Tamiya tape is you have to make sure everything is burnished down properly before you start cutting away the excess, and to use a fresh cutting blade to cut cleanly through the tape. A dull blade will tear the tape and you'll have to use more pressure and risk damagin g the clear part.


Some guys swear by Bare Metal foil for masking, but i've always been afraid of scratching the clear plastic while removing the foil. Also there are several companies that make pre cut vinyl masks for some kits, really hand for those big WW2 green house canopies.

 

[brian]

Many Thanks Dusky
Are there any good masking solutions you could recommend?? like i say, tried maskol years ago but it wasnt great
thanks
Brian

 

[Dusky]

I've used Micromask, produced by Microscale, with decent results. It's really the only one I've used.

Just note that some acrylics can reactivate liquid masking compounds and you can end up with a mess.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

I use bare metal foil myself.

Very thin mylar type foil used for making chrome trim on cars and such. The stuff is about half the thickness of aluminum foil, cut a piece off, lay it on the canopy, burnish with a Q-tip (cotton bud) and then score with a new #11 blade around the panel you are trying to cover up, and remove the excess from the frame you are trying to paint.

The biggest challenge with the BMF masking, is when you go to take it off....as you should again score around the window frame before peeling off the BMF, as the paint over it basically makes one layer, so you would risk pulling off paint where you don't want to when removing the BMF.

 

[Quaralane]

I use normal black electrical tape and a very sharp blade, myself.
The electrical tap conforms to the surface better than normal masking tape does for me.

I've also never had a problem with it leaving any residue behind

 

[Splashcoat]

Tamiya tape is my personal favourite for masking canopies; it's thin, cuts easily and burnishes down over curves if need be. I'll usually start with a small piece along a straight edge of canopy framing and work from there, filling in the corners with small pieces, cutting along the framing and filling in any exposed areas in the centre with a larger piece of tape or masking fluid.

Here's a look at a 1/32 Colonial Viper MKII canopy I masked using this method:

 

[billb]

Tamiya tape works well for me, especially with fairly flat surfaces like Splashcoat's Viper.
I also use Parafilm-M at times. It's meant for sealing test-tubes and the like but is really good around complex curves.
Good parafilm how-to here
http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/usingparafilmda_1.htm

 

[Glorfindel]

I've used Tamiya on flat surface canopies and it's been great. Parafilm for curved compound surfaces sounds interesting. But that should absolutely work as long as the Parafilm doesn't drive you batty.

 

[hooterville75]

Glad Press n Seal works almost the same as Parafilm only is a ton cheaper.