Jump to content

Painting weapons


Recommended Posts

When a job comes to an end and the painting of missiles come, I immediately took sick. Is there someone a with a nice elegant and fine solution for the painting of missiles in a few colors of course. Body in one, the wing in second and the nose in the third color...

I tried with masking tape, and it is hard work, time consuming and mostly nose of a missiles each an everyone is different because of oval shape (more precisely: How to mask nose of aircraft and missile and paint to perfect circle).

Then I tried with Humbrol Mascol, but he sticks to the color under and knows to pill off color. So I'm again at the beginning ...

Is there someone from a nice idea, principle, anything??

Link to post
Share on other sites

I know it isn't what you want, but...

Finishing weaponry is just like any other job in modelling. The problem is that usually it is done at the end of the building. So we usually rush it. It's easy to say "don't rush", when the model is almost ready, just waiting for its "fangs", but it's harder to do...

My proposal, wich gave result in my last building is to finish the weaponry BEFORE building the rest of the model. That way you are fresh, and can marvel yourself with the weapons without the rest of the model to distract you.

Regards

Caio

Link to post
Share on other sites
I know it isn't what you want, but...

Finishing weaponry is just like any other job in modelling. The problem is that usually it is done at the end of the building. So we usually rush it. It's easy to say "don't rush", when the model is almost ready, just waiting for its "fangs", but it's harder to do...

My proposal, wich gave result in my last building is to finish the weaponry BEFORE building the rest of the model. That way you are fresh, and can marvel yourself with the weapons without the rest of the model to distract you.

Regards

Caio

I have to agree with this as well. I find weapons boring and time consuming. I also feel the same way about ejection seats, pilots, and landing gear. I tend to knock out these parts first to get them out of the way. This way I know once I finish off the reast of the build all I need to do is slap it all together instead of fretting about all the little stuff left to do.

That said, painting, while time consuming, is nothing to be rushed. I think good weapons are the detail that makes or breaks a model. I usually try to figure out the best order to minimize taping. I alway tape regardless of the work or size of the area to paint. I usually spray yellow rings on the nose first and then cut strips to make them off. I find this much easier than using decals. Since they are thin there is not much a problem wrapping them around the nose even with the curveature. Then I will usually paint the fins and then mask off by simply foldng the tape from back to front. At that point I usually paint the body. This is pretty standard for me unless it's more complicated job like a GBU-12 with the countless nose color combinations.

Edited by Rhinolover
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi, batana.

Speaking about weapons or ordnance at large, my advice would be:

- paint wings and noses

- mask them

- paint the final colour.

On a round tapered object (a nose, a tail cone and so on) it is always better to mask on the smaller side, if possible, so the tape can adapt on the surface really close to the line you have to follow.

Always better a first mask with a narrow tape stripe and than protect the rest with larger.

OK it is time consuming, but what is not time consuming in our hobby?

Oh, and do not forget colored decal stripes; they come handy on drop tanks and similar.

Regards

Euge

Link to post
Share on other sites

Each of us has tasks when building a model that we despise, so the "trick" is psyching yourself out, embracing the task, and mastering it. Otherwise you'e setting yourself up for a series of recurring, arduous projects. (I remember a NASCAR driver feeling completely dejected when faced with short tracks, so he devoted himself to studying and mastering them. Now his finishes are much higher than what they had been.)

I now treat ordnance as an integral part of planning and building a model. (As a friend reminded me last night, many aircraft are useless unless armed!) I research the ordnance to determine what my specific airframe would most likely carry. Then approach the missiles and bombs as their own project.

Let's be honest. Euge is correct -- painting ordnance is hard work and time consuming. To mask them, use very thin strips of masking tape to hug the contours of the missiles or bombs and use progressively wider strips of tape to mask the remaining portions.

Link to post
Share on other sites
When a job comes to an end and the painting of missiles come, I immediately took sick. Is there someone a with a nice elegant and fine solution for the painting of missiles in a few colors of course. Body in one, the wing in second and the nose in the third color...

I tried with masking tape, and it is hard work, time consuming and mostly nose of a missiles each an everyone is different because of oval shape (more precisely: How to mask nose of aircraft and missile and paint to perfect circle).

Then I tried with Humbrol Mascol, but he sticks to the color under and knows to pill off color. So I'm again at the beginning ...

Is there someone from a nice idea, principle, anything??

While I have yet to use this technique myself, I remember reading about it in a Fine Scale Modeler tips and techniques book. This would probably work best for smooth pointed cylindrical objects without any protrusions like nose cones. Take a plastic food storage bag made of thin plastic. Punch a small diameter hole close to the center. As you poke your pointy cylindrical object through the hole it should stretch the hole. Take it to your painting line and shield the portion not to be painted with the remainder of the bag. It sounds good to me, but may require a few tries to get just right. Good luck

Link to post
Share on other sites

The problem with tapered objects is that straight-sided masking never matches the contours. Just look at any rear fuselage ID band for evidence of the degree of curvature that you can need. This is the main reason why I paint all the little stripes freehand with a fine brush. With practice, and a steady hand, you'd be amazed what results you can get. (It does help if you have no interest in entering competitions, though.)

As for timing, there's always moments in a build when you have to wait for something to cure. That's when I break out the armament and do a little more to it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...