rjwood_uk

i know most kits say "paint small parts before assembly" please do not follow this to the letter. yes some small parts are better being painted whilst still on the spru-trees but you have to plan your model.

it is always best to paint a model, after it has been assembled. that way, any gaps, fitting problems can be filled and sanded...etc without ruining your paint job. for the small parts you have to think...is this part going to be the same colour as the section of the plane is isnt going to be on? e.g. a pitot on a spitfire on the underside of the right wing is always going to be either black or "sky" (depending on what mk it is)...so whats the point of painting it whilst it is still on the tree if it is just going to be painted the same colour as the rest of the under-wing?

i hope this makes sense!

Richard

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wonwinglo

I agree RJ,you have to be flexible about this,one approach is to compromise by pre-painting a section that would be difficult to get at,then scrape away where the joint is in order for a good joint to be made,then if filler is required the area can be carefully treated by filling and sanding,then it is a fairly simple task to touch in with the same colour,another way of doing this is to mask the joint area leaving a small gap either side,then simply fill and sand,finishing off by removing the masking and then after a further blending with wet and dry apply touch in paint.
Areas that have to be painted are internal parts such as cockpit,wheel wells,inside engine cowls,engine cylinders,inside jet pipes and intake areas,once dry just get some tissue paper that is damp and push into cockpits,wheel wells etc,undercarriages can be wrapped with dampened tissue which is simply moulded around the item with your fingers.
Another excellent mask is Blue-Tak,roll out a small portion under a pencil,apply a bit of talc to stop it sticking, and plug areas that do not require painting,you can also easily wrap it around small items that do not need painting the same colour as the airframe etc.
You sort of get into a personal pattern when doing masking and pre-painting,no two modellers work in the same fashion,but always watch and steal good ideas from others,the best compliment is to emulate.

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rjwood_uk

lol thats a very nice way of putting it barry!!! very sefl re-ashuring there!

love it!

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Tailspin14

This really is one part of modeling that still scares me. When to paint, when not to paint? I try planning them out, but it still is a bit unclear to me at times. Thanks for the input though.

Nigel.D

paint if you can off the kit (that only applies to add on bits not the main structure) and as Barry says damp tissue is one of the worlds best masking mediums !! Followed by tape blutac and of course copydex

GEEDUBBYA

Howdy guys,

Well, as a machinist/Maintenance guy for going on 25 yrs now, I have found that my eyesight is somewhat lacking due probably to all the welding I have done in my lifetime. Masking off areas so that I can paint smaller areas such as the framework on a canopy can be abit tedious for me, However, I have started dipping a Qtip in vaseline and applying a small coat of it to the areas NOT TO BE PAINTED. I then spray paint the framework and after the paint dries, I simply wipe off the vaseline leaving a clean clear canopy with crisp painted framework. The vaseline prevents the paint from sticking to areas coated.
I know this may seem like alot of work, but how many times have you masked off a canopy and trimmed the tape along the framework only to discover you weren't following the framework and you have a nice deep gouge in the "clear section" of the canopy? This does away with inadvertant cuts and scratches to the clear parts made by exacto type knives.
Now this should NOT be used on all parts of models, especially military models because of the resulting shine left by the vaseline. It should only be used on a canopy BEFORE it is attached to the model.
Just be sure to let the paint dry conpletely before attempting to remove the vaseline, if the paint is still wet, you may smear it on the clear part afterall.


This is just something I have done for sometime now and thought I would share, have a good evening,

Greg

PS: it works great if you are going to spray an entire aircraft with glosscote or dullcote too, simply apply vaseline to the clear parts, spray and then wipe off when dry.

wonwinglo

Useful tip that Greg,who would have thought of using vaseline to mask a models clear parts ? you really do learn something new here every day.
That is a real hot tip.

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Nigel.D

Greg I use copydex it just peels off and leaves a beautiful clean edge with absolutely no residue

GEEDUBBYA

Howdy Nigel,

I am not sure what copydex is, but I have been looking for something that would dry as a peel off film, whatever it is, sounds like just what I have been looking for all these years.

Have a good day,

Greg

Bunkerbarge

Copydex is basically a liquid rubber solution. When sry it can be peeled off like a very thin skin.

Traditionally used for fabrics and carpets etc.

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