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Hi Guys, like title says, do you guys use canopy masks for most 1/48 kits, or cut tape with X-acto?

 

I used to do it freehand with a sharp X-acto blade...but I wonder if I should go for Eduard masks...find em expensive though...5-10$ per kit just for maks seems a bit steep...

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I haven't had the best luck with masks, although I freely admit it may be a result of operator headspace and timing. The masks that came with my 1/48 Tamiya Tomcat and the Montex Mini Masks I used for my 1/72 RA-5C both had a little bit of seepage along some of the edges.  And before anyone asks,  I made a point of using a toothpick to ensure a good seal when I applied the masks. Not good enough, I guess.

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 I must admit that the cost of the mask seems overly priced considering the material .

 

 On the other hand , the amount of time that it saves me makes me ask how much your time is worth ?

 

 I use to paint mine by hand but I must admit, it's hard to paint it that evenly , especially with acrylics

 

Cheers, Christian 

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I've had good results with Montex masks. But I've also never had much problems with paint bleed under masking tape or Parafilm. As I use Mr Color,  Alclad, and some enamels, I'm not sure it's paint. I did thin all paint to a uniform consistency, like 1% milk.

 

Could it be a surface prep issue? I always give my models an alcohol wipe before commencing painting.

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tamiya masking tape flush on the canopy cut with a fresh new sharp blade with is my default goto. however there is a prerequisite; i use the the canopy frame detail as a guide to follow with the blade otherwise you'r asking for all kinds of trouble no matter how surgically steady your hands are - problem is not all kit producers provide enough definition on their parts, ie. if the lip is not great than the thickness of the masking tape then comes the trouble with this method which is where the alternative of cutting thin strips of masking tape and manually placing these on the clear part following the frames as guides and possibly going blind in the mean time.

 

aftermarket precut masking tapes do come in handy in situations like these, especially if it's a ww2 subject with a farming greenhouse instead of a canopy. pricey? as said earlier you are paying for a service which is saving you time and effort in return, still entirely subjective.

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One way to do a greenhouse canopy is in two stages: Mask all the frames in one directions, that way you're just masking straight lines. Paint. Remove masks. Mask the frames going in the other direction. Paint. Remove masks.

 

You end up cleaning the airbrush twice and maybe it costs a little extra paint but it takes about 10% as much time to mask compared to masking each individual pane in the canopy. Plus the frames will be more straight and I find I can make them a bit more narrow this way.

 

This method also solves the above mentioned issue of poorly defined frames on the molded part. Since you're not using them for cutting guides they may be very faint but still usable for positioning the tape.

 

It's even doable on bubble canopies but the payoff isn't as great.

 

example:

1Ukj2y9.jpg

Edited by Grey Ghost 531
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10 minutes ago, Grey Ghost 531 said:

One way to do a greenhouse canopy is in two stages: Mask all the frames in one directions, that way you're just masking straight lines. Paint. Remove masks. Mask the frames going in the other direction. Paint. Remove masks.

 

You end up cleaning the airbrush twice and maybe it costs a little extra paint but it takes about 10% as much time to mask compared to masking each individual pane in the canopy. Plus the frames will be more straight and I find I can make them a bit more narrow this way.

 

This method also solves the above mentioned issue of poorly defined frames on the molded part. Since you're not using them for cutting guides they may be very faint but still usable for positioning the tape.

 

That is definitely one of those "Well why didn't I think of that; it's just so obvious!" ideas! :thumbsup: Duly noted and filed to be remembered.

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   Personally, these days part of every kit purchase is a Eduard mask set.  I've been masking canopies since the  70s and honestly there wasn't a canopy that didn't have a slip here or there and a resulting cut. I also had consistent issues with curved corners. the Eduard masks are easy to use, fit very well, and make a tedious job a joy to do. For the few dollars that they cost, they're well worth it.

Joel 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been using Montex or New Ware masks when available for a subject. One thing they have that Eduard masks don't is masks for the inside of the canopy. I think open canopies look much nicer with the inside frames painted. New Ware has Expert and Advanced level masks that include masks for other parts of the aircraft as appropriate. They are more expensive but at my age I am just not steady (nor patient) enough to do it by hand.

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7 hours ago, Mstor said:

I've been using Montex or New Ware masks when available for a subject. One thing they have that Eduard masks don't is masks for the inside of the canopy. I think open canopies look much nicer with the inside frames painted. New Ware has Expert and Advanced level masks that include masks for other parts of the aircraft as appropriate. They are more expensive but at my age I am just not steady (nor patient) enough to do it by hand.

 

  Certainly valid points. 

 

  I'm lazy, and have shamelessly never even tried to paint the inside of a canopy. I do, when I actually remember to use a base coat of primer that would have been used to paint the canopy in real life. 

 As far as using Montex masks, I use Eduard's because they have them for just about every model in production today, are very easy to obtain, and are very reasonably priced.  

 

Joel

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1 hour ago, Joel_W said:

As far as using Montex masks, I use Eduard's because they have them for just about every model in production today, are very easy to obtain, and are very reasonably priced.  

 

You're right about that. They are my fall back masks too. Right now am working on Kinetic Su-33. Only canopy masks out there are Eduard and Crossdelta (another brand that usually includes extra masks). These days, if it has a canopy on it, Eduard probably has a mask for it.

Edited by Mstor
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I also use Eduard and Montex masks just because I am lazy too. Something I always do when using canopy masks: spray some clear gloss before spraying the final color, this acts as a sort of 'sealer' that prevent paint seeping. Also, if using Montex mask (or any other vinyl mask) , after removing the actual mask pieces , carefully remove the remaining 'skeleton' frame and put it over Tamiya  40mm tape and using a fine point pencil,  outline the canopy frames, cut with scalpel and have a duplicate mask set for free. If you are really careful you can reuse the template many times.

 

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nachjager,

  I've never thought about copying the masks as they're so loaded with paint and clearcoats that I usually either rip them or stretch them out of shape.  Besides, the odds of me building the same aircraft anytime soon is slim to none. 

Joel

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  • 2 weeks later...

Building a 1/48 H-21 Shawnee right now.  Last week I spent about an hour trying to mask two of the areas on the canopy.  Got so frustrated I almost threw it in the trash. 

Ordered the Eduard masks and did the entire canopy in under 30 minutes.

 

I'll never attempt to tape up again. 

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  • 1 month later...

I usually use eduard masks for the inside and simple tamyia tape and exacto knife for the exterior :)

4-5 quid for a mask is overpriced but a small expense when the aftermarket resin, PE, probes and decals adds up :P

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For what it's worth, about those curved corners, i.e. Mirage series canopies, Phantom/Tomcat windscreen etc., what I do is take my mini punch set and punch out the appropriate diameter circles for any given curve out of Tamiya tape (or equivalent) and stick these into the round corner. Then these can just be connected with straight strips of tape on the straight/less curved sections and the rest filled with either masking fluid or larger pieces of tape. Works a treat.

 

Pierre

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 I noticed that earlier and thought it would be worth a try.  After looking for a source I found that Sprue Brother carried this brand .

 

 Alas, they do not appear to cater to the 1/72 crowd.  Need to do some more searching.

 

 Cheers, Christian 

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  • 2 weeks later...

For canopy masking I use Bare Metal Foil, it's so thin that every detail shows up and also you don't get a build up of paint next to an edge.  I like Eduard masks but sometimes it's difficult to find the mask I want and it takes some time ordering them.

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 Thanks Roberto . It seems I have tried that previously . Can't remember why I stopped .  Will look for the 3M tape. If that does not turn up, I'll retry the bare metal foil .

 

 Cheers, Christian 

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