Panic stricken

[Guest]

Hello

My 1/72 Huuricane is coming on well (by my standards anyway) and the time has come to do the canopy. It fills me with dread. It's tiny. You can see it in the images. I've put it next to a paint pot so you can see how small it is, though those who have worked in 1/72 will know.

How do I paint the raised lines on the outside of the canopy please? It fills me with horror as I'm bound to cock it up! (nothing like thinking positive is there!)

Thanks

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[Ian M]

The obvious answer is mask it off and paint it like any other canopy. Just a bit smaller.

If the framing is quite high it may help to scrape it with a scalpel to remove the shine. It might make it just a bit easier to both see and get the paint to sit on the frame.

Other than that I have nothing. Good luck.

Ian M

[Guest]

The obvious answer is mask it off and paint it like any other canopy. Just a bit smaller. If the framing is quite high it may help to scrape it with a scalpel to remove the shine. It might make it just a bit easier to both see and get the paint to sit on the frame.

Other than that I have nothing. Good luck.

Ian M

Yes - I think it's the masking that worries me - it's so small!

[Ian M]

If you have some of that floor polish Klear, give it a dip in that, it will make it easier to remove any mishaps.

Ian M

[Guest]

If you have some of that floor polish Klear, give it a dip in that, it will make it easier to remove any mishaps.Ian M

I do and I shall, thanks Ian

[Guest]

I have not found an easy answer to this Aidan other than go 1/48.

Definetly have to have loups the magnifier specs. I found you have to be close. This makes it 100% easier or in the terms of half full half empty not so difficult.

Found to ensure the masking is in the correct position keep viewing the undeside which gives a good clue.

Laurie

[takeslousyphotos]

HelloMy 1/72 Huuricane is coming on well (by my standards anyway) and the time has come to do the canopy. It fills me with dread. It's tiny. You can see it in the images. I've put it next to a paint pot so you can see how small it is, though those who have worked in 1/72 will know.

How do I paint the raised lines on the outside of the canopy please? It fills me with horror as I'm bound to cock it up! (nothing like thinking positive is there!)

Thanks

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When masking small canopies I find that cutting the tape crossways with a sharp blade into strips about 2-3mm wide makes it easier to mask the edges............ It is also great for following curved lines. Applying it with a fine pair of tweezers and a cocktail stick to press it down along the edges. If you have some fineline tape that is best as you don't get any seepage under it........... Then once the edges are done filling in the rest with some tape is easy.

Peter

[flyjoe180]

Aiden, I build 1/72 almost exclusively and the Hurricane in that scale has one of the most complicated and tricky canopies to paint. You have two options. The first is to mask, which I have found to be almost impossible to get right using tape for that canopy in that scale. I have not tried Maskol type substances (liquid mask) or pre-cut masks such as those produced by Eduard and others. They can be pricey though, sometimes adding up to almost double the cost of your model depending on what brand it is. Then spray or hand brush as required, removing the masks at the end.

The second option is to paint the model with the canopy masked off completely, or not fixed to the model. I personally fix it to the model prior to painting. Then once the rest of the model is done, remove the mask and, using the thinnest brush you own, paint directly onto the canopy frame work without worrying about masking. You can use a magnifying system or you can just go for it as I do. If you paint over the frame work accidentally it is easily rectified once the paint has dried. Use a wooden cocktail stick or similar item which won't easily scratch the plastic and scrape the unwanted paint away. It works wonders.

So really it's a no-stress situation, any painting mistakes can be fixed. Just do not use solvents on your clear plastic. If the paint won't stick well to the canopy frames, Ian's suggestion of roughing up the plastic where you want paint is a good option.

Hope this helps, look forward to seeing the results.

[Guest]

Fear not! I have now done two canopies, a 1/72 Spitfire and a 1/48 Spitfire, both completed, and I have the canopy and the turrets and all the windows for my 1/72 Lancaster, all masked ready for paining.

I approached canopies with trepidation but I found the answer: use Eduard masks (assuming you can get a set for your model). In my experience they are accurately pre-cut with a sticky back. Gently peel one off with a craft knife (without causing the mask to fold back on itself at the corner) and, still adhering to the knife, place it as accurately as you can on to the part of the canopy. Press down only enough to prevent it falling off and with the point of the knife or a pin move the mask to its correct position. Press down, especially the edges. It take time with the 80 or so masks for a Lanc!

Having all the masks in place, I attached the canopy to the model but you could easily keep it separate until the last minute. Using an airbrush (but a brush would probably be UK) paint the canopy. (If the canopy is fixed on the model, I painted with primer, the two colour coats and the three varnish coats all as I painted the model itself.)

After the paint has dried (24 hours or so) I used a wooden cocktail stick to carefully lift one corner of a mask and used tweezers to remove it. To my surprise, I have had complete success. The paint has not bled away from the canopy frame. Very satisfied.

Here is my 1/72 spit (click on the thumbnail) below.

As for the loupes that Laurie mentioned, I use a headband magnifier. It allows both hands to be free (important when holding the canopy and the knife/pin) and binocular vision, with three levels of magnification (with a loupe for really close work), and its well made:

www.expotools.com/store/pages/products/index/pdf/p32.pdf

Its one of the best purchases I have made.

Forgot to mention: clean the inside of the canopy before attaching. Once glued on, dust is permanent and stands out, especially in a photograph.

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[BarryW]

I don't go as small as 1/72, a few kits in 1/48 but the bulk 1/32 - I have tried 3 methods with varying success:

Cut tape, thin strips into the corners and liquid mask in the middle.

Eduard pre-cut masks or the ones Tammy provide that you cut yourself.

Para-film M

The latter is a really versatile method and, in future, will be using this except where a kit comes with masks or I already have masks in the stash. In fact my first real attempt with Parafilm was when I finally felt I had properly cracked canopy frames - er cracked being in the 'good' way not disastrous way.....

Para-film M is an expensive initial outlay but you get enough film to do a lifetime's worth of models in 1/72 and maybe even in 1/32. So it is well worth it and works out per kit a lot cheaper than Eduard masks.

The other advantage of parafilm is that it does not have glue, so there is no sticky residue to remove from the canopy once the masks are taken off.

The method is to cut off a small amount from a roll.

You then 'activate' it by stretching it between fingers and thumbs. Do so slowly or it will break. You can more than double or triple the size of the off-cut in this way.

You then stretch it over the canopy leaving surplus around the sides. You need to tamp it down to the surface and right into the corners. A soft pointed tool is needed for this, I got mine from an art shop.

With a new sharp pointed model knife blade you carefully cut around the inside of the frames then remove the surplus. I have found this a lot easier than with masking tape for a couple of reasons. Easier to see the frames and removing the cut-offs is easy as there is no stick to it.

You then spray/paint the canopy is the usual way and remove the film with a blunt cocktail stick as per what Steve said.

I little tidying up inside the frame is usually necessary and a clean up on the inside of the canopy is also advisable.

Some further tips

1/ Do not use primer on canopies. There is a rubbery quality to some primers than result in some of the paint on the frames coming away with the mask. Paint the cockpit colour first then the top camo colour

2/ Clean the clear parts thoroughly with alcohol before masking inside and out (ipa - not the beer... drink that to celebrate after). This reduces the chance of frame paint coming away.

3/ Practice with the parafilm and practice a lot. You need a light touch with the knife blade and the stretching and tamping down does need practice.

[Guest]

You are right Barry primer I soon found was a real pest on canopies. Also gave a horrible build up on the edges.

Another help I have found is to put tape on the inside as the frame lines are then more distinct.

Laurie

[Guest]

I don't go as small as 1/72, a few kits in 1/48 but the bulk 1/32 - I have tried 3 methods with varying success:Cut tape, thin strips into the corners and liquid mask in the middle.

Eduard pre-cut masks or the ones Tammy provide that you cut yourself.

Para-film M.........

Thanks for the info on Parafilm. I have stored it away. There is an excellent tutorial on using it at:

http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/usingparafilmda_1.htm

You mention the need for a little tidying up inside the frame. I have had another look at my two Spits. (1/72 and one 1/48, Eduard Masks) with a magnifying glass and any bleed under the masking on to the transparent part of the canopy is a tiny fraction of a mm and totally invisible to the naked eye, and the framing is fully covered with paint. I will certainly use Parafilm for any any canopy which does not have ready-cut masks, it looks so less fiddly than using Tamiya tape which I find is quite difficult to cut (on the canopy) cleanly. Its good to have several ways to do the same thing.

[Guest]

Another tip for cutting masking tape is to use safety razor the one with the backing strip one side. The blade is much sharper than Morton blades & also thinner.

Laurie

[Guest]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much all of you - again a wealth of knowledge and experience. It's so refreshing to find a group of gents who are willing to share with others!

Thanks again.

[spanner570]

No one has posted the third option.....Free hand. Even 1/72 Hurricanes.

I haven't the patience or dexterity to mask canopies, so It has to be free hand.....

It's not that difficult, even with slightly wobbly hands...mine.

Aiden, if you study your cockpit, you will notice slight grooves in the plastic which replicate the frame work. To the naked eye they are almost invisible, but under a glass they are quite pronounced, so....

On with the magnifying glass and with a very fine brush, 00 or even 000 pointed, and using a well thinned paint, and an almost dry brush, go over the framework. The paint gently runs into the grooves making the outline easy to see, even on 1/72 stuff.

When dry, go over it again using a normal thickness paint. That's it.

Any excess paint is easy to remove with a sharpened cocktail stick.

One point to remember....never hold your breath when detailing - your heart rate will shoot up and your hand will be all over the place- breath normally!

Stay cool.....