Crossing from the Hairy to the Misty

[mikewint]

Absorbent cotton also works well. Comes free in some pill bottles or you can buy large rolls of it cheap

 

[Ralph Haus]

Absorbent cotton also works well. Comes free in some pill bottles or you can buy large rolls of it cheap

This and the wet towels are great ideas. Should have thought of that! Now if only there were some 'easy' canopy masking ideas? I have the Tamiya tape and will probably go that route. A bit skeptical on the liquid mask, that, I assume, would take a steady hand to keep it from coating the framework. Although trimming the tape is probably going to be as challenging. Not sure if I am in the 'class' of models that would justify (or would be able to find) the pre-cuts. As with anything, if it were EASY, everyone would be doing it!!

 

[Crimea_River]

Eduard sells pre-cut canopy masks for specific models. They work great and save lots of time.

Masks

 

[turbo]

Yep, canopy masking is a thing many modellers have grown to hate, me included! Although a bit more expensive, I go with the die cut ones most of the time, especially if the canopy framing is complex - it saves me a lot of time and frustration and gives a superior result to doing it myself. In addition to Eduard who Andy has mentioned above, Montex and Maketar make a wide range. Here are Montex masks I used on a 1/72 He111 project.

 

[mikewint]

For complex canopies like above they are a Godsend. For simpler canopies like my Condor, Tamiya's WHITE masking tape for curves 2 or 3mm wide works well though tedious. I tend to do in stages. All the struts left to right; paint; allow to dry; then fore and aft and paint.
IF you have a steady hand a 20/0 paint brush and a magnifying lighted head shade can work. If you get a bit sloppy a #11 Xacto blade using JUST the tip can scrape off the overage. Any small scratches will be painted over with Future OR you can paint with GLOSS VARNISH right away. Paint pens work well and have very fine tips and for that matter Permanent Markers with Ultra Fine tips also work well. Natch the colors aren't going to perfectly match. Lastly there are re-fillable paint pens in which you can load any color paint are also available.
All of these are free-hand. The lighted magnifying headshade is invaluable

 

[fubar57]

I just bought my first canopy masks for my BP Defiant in GB37.......so many panels. Other than that, I've used every technique mentioned above including Mikes for multi-panel canopies though I may start purchasing masks from now on; or just build bubble-tops

 

[Ralph Haus]

I would have posted a photo of me grinning, but I didn't want to have anyone having any problems unseeing it!

One of my motivations for 'crossing over' was to not have the disappointment on finishing the hull of a CV-63 USS Kitty Hawk with a brush finish. Just finished the below water line red coat. Amazing!! Anyone reading this that is on the fence about 'investing' in an airbrush, cross over! My satisfaction level of model building just went up a few notches.

I'm going to let it 'cure' for a day and then spray a coat of protective Krylon clear acrylic on it. The hull will be handled frequently while assembling the deck and components, so I want to have a hard finish to work with. I have not sprayed the upper section of the hull its gray color coat yet, but I sure am looking forward to it!

Thanks again to all who have been feeding me information.

 

[Robert Dambrauskas]

I would have posted a photo of me grinning, but I didn't want to have anyone having any problems unseeing it!

One of my motivations for 'crossing over' was to not have the disappointment on finishing the hull of a CV-63 USS Kitty Hawk with a brush finish. Just finished the below water line red coat. Amazing!! Anyone reading this that is on the fence about 'investing' in an airbrush, cross over! My satisfaction level of model building just went up a few notches.

I'm going to let it 'cure' for a day and then spray a coat of protective Krylon clear acrylic on it. The hull will be handled frequently while assembling the deck and components, so I want to have a hard finish to work with. I have not sprayed the upper section of the hull its gray color coat yet, but I sure am looking forward to it!

Thanks again to all who have been feeding me information.

You have to look at it as expanding your skills. Airbrush is not a skill to replace brush painting, but rather a new tool to use in addition to hand painting with a brush. What brand/model airbrush did you choose? Good luck with both!

 

[Ralph Haus]

You have to look at it as expanding your skills. Airbrush is not a skill to replace brush painting, but rather a new tool to use in addition to hand painting with a brush. What brand/model airbrush did you choose? Good luck with both!

You are absolutely correct. I would not look forward to painting the details in the cockpit, and/or the pilot with an airbrush! Each have their uses. When painting large areas, fuselages, wings and such, a brush just did not give me the finish that I wanted. Kind of got jealous after looking at the GBs!

I ordered a 'kit' from TCP Global. It came with a TC-20T compressor and a Master G233 airbrush. Not the most professional out there, but for me, at this point, it is a wonderful tool. May have to graduate up in the future? But for now it is doing what I anticipated. The kit also came with an assortment of Wicked colors and cleaning supplies. The pump is a tank model, and for me reasonably quiet, even when running next to me in a quiet environment.

Just in case you're wondering? I ordered direct through TCP mostly because I did not have to pay shipping OR sales tax; which would not have been the case if ordered through Amazon (Prime) for the exact same kit. Took a week+ instead of 2 day. But for the savings it was worth the extra wait.

 

[Airframes]

Sounds good. I've been using an inexpensive airbrush for a number of years, which works fine, and also allows fine lines. Had to replace it a couple of times, due to damage of my own doing (cheaper to replace than get the spare parts !), but still worked out less than buying an expensive model, and does the same job.
I still use brushes for many jobs though.

 

[Robert Dambrauskas]

I am taking a long time getting back into the hobby, probably for many reasons. I am frustrated with painting my model because most paint jobs involve many steps; primer, color coat(s), weathering, sealer/gloss coat prior to decalling, and then a final sealer coat in either gloss or matte finish after decals. I am starting to conclude that in my favorite scale of 1/144, all this paint only ends up obscuring detail such as panel lines, rivet detail, etc. Is the only solution to use an airbrush? It must be! I'm using Model Master spray cans and have even tried warming the can in hot water first! I just don't know how to proceed! Brush painting is not smooth enough, and spray cans just spray out way too much paint, in a pattern that is way too big and wide! I think I'm going to have to break out my airbrush, and try getting better results before I move on to some of my more expensive kits!! Anyone else have these concerns?

 

[mikewint]

A quality dual action airbrush is the best investment I have ever made and it will make a world of difference in the look of your models.
If you use a gloss color you can skip the Future step before decals but you will need to over coat the decals with a protective coat. I use 50-50 Future and flat clear. Bite the bullet you'll be glad you did.

 

[Robert Dambrauskas]

A quality dual action airbrush is the best investment I have ever made and it will make a world of difference in the look of your models.
If you use a gloss color you can skip the Future step before decals but you will need to over coat the decals with a protective coat. I use 50-50 Future and flat clear. Bite the bullet you'll be glad you did.

Thanks mikewint, I have an old Badger dual action but I have just never used it. Time to get it out! What is the flat clear you refer to ?

 

[Wurger]

IMHO Mike means that the Future is nothing more but a gloss clear varnish. If used for making surface smooth for decal applying it cuses a model looked shiny. As you know most of military aircraft is painted with matt or semi-gloss paints. Therefore applying of a matt ( flat ) varnish is needed to make the appearance of your model more accurate. Additionally the flat clear coat is the final and protective one for the decal markings and the entire model.

 

[mikewint]

What Wurger said. I use acrylic paints exclusively as I find the lacquer solvents to be very dangerous with many health/inhalation hazards. Enamels work well and I use a very few in colors that are not easy to find in acrylics. I use them (enamels) on small parts and use a brush. I don't spray them again because of the solvent. Though the mineral oils are fairly innocuous they are expensive compared to water/alcohol
Future Floor Wax (it is NOT a wax) is basically a clear acrylic paint. VARNISH is a somewhat nebulous term. Basically a resin mixed with a solvent. In my day (Ye Olde Days of Yore) the resin came from trees and was mixed with turpentine. In modern times the resins can be acrylic in nature and the solvent water/alcohols. Future is such a product. Now model paint manufactures like Vallejo do produce products which they term GLOSS VARNISH (70.510) in very small, 17ml bottles for about $5 USD. For the same price you can purchase a quart of Future. My bottle is about 2/3 full and is about 5 years old.
So in a somewhat redundant process we initially paint our models with flat military paints. The rough flat surface will not allow decals to settle in flush to the surface and the small amount of trapped air will give the decal a silvery look. SO before decaling we apply a coat or two of Future to make the model's surface smooth and shiny (so like I posted you could just paint with a gloss paint to begin with) so the decals will settle in flush to the surface with no trapped air. Products like MicroSET help the decal to adhere and products like MicroSOL literally dissolve the decal carrier in effect turning it into paint. Now we have a nice but shiny military model...SO...to remiltarize it we apply a flat clear paint.
Now I prefer my models to appear more worn. Flat paints with wear become somewhat shiny so I mix a Flat Clear acrylic paint with Future, roughly 50-50 and apply that over the entire model

 

[Robert Dambrauskas]

What Wurger said. I use acrylic paints exclusively as I find the lacquer solvents to be very dangerous with many health/inhalation hazards. Enamels work well and I use a very few in colors that are not easy to find in acrylics. I use them (enamels) on small parts and use a brush. I don't spray them again because of the solvent. Though the mineral oils are fairly innocuous they are expensive compared to water/alcohol
Future Floor Wax (it is NOT a wax) is basically a clear acrylic paint. VARNISH is a somewhat nebulous term. Basically a resin mixed with a solvent. In my day (Ye Olde Days of Yore) the resin came from trees and was mixed with turpentine. In modern times the resins can be acrylic in nature and the solvent water/alcohols. Future is such a product. Now model paint manufactures like Vallejo do produce products which they term GLOSS VARNISH (70.510) in very small, 17ml bottles for about $5 USD. For the same price you can purchase a quart of Future. My bottle is about 2/3 full and is about 5 years old.
So in a somewhat redundant process we initially paint our models with flat military paints. The rough flat surface will not allow decals to settle in flush to the surface and the small amount of trapped air will give the decal a silvery look. SO before decaling we apply a coat or two of Future to make the model's surface smooth and shiny (so like I posted you could just paint with a gloss paint to begin with) so the decals will settle in flush to the surface with no trapped air. Products like MicroSET help the decal to adhere and products like MicroSOL literally dissolve the decal carrier in effect turning it into paint. Now we have a nice but shiny military model...SO...to remiltarize it we apply a flat clear paint.
Now I prefer my models to appear more worn. Flat paints with wear become somewhat shiny so I mix a Flat Clear acrylic paint with Future, roughly 50-50 and apply that over the entire model

Thanks mikewint, that's very informative! But, why don't we paint a tank using GLOSS olive drab, for instance, I should then be able to apply decals over the gloss paint, followed by a top coat of dull finish!? This would result in two coats of (something), rather than; 1st coat flat paint, 2nd coat Future, 3rd coat dulling finish. Less time, work and materials! No?

 

[mikewint]

Yup that is correct just as I indicated in my earlier posts. Unfortunately paint manufacturers do not make military paint colors in gloss as military paints are invariably flats.
Now occasionally a military subject will be in a gloss available color. Night fighters, for example, are often black and Gloss Black is easily obtainable but, you are not going to find Olive Drab in a gloss (Mr. Color makes a semi-gloss) paint.
Now if your model has just a few decals it is not necessary to Future coat the entire model. Spray just the decal areas with Future. In addition I keep a 17ml bottle of gloss varnish for those occasions where decals (like instrument panel gauges) are to be placed on interior parts. Using a paint brush I'll paint the surface of the part with the varnish again to give the decal a nice smooth surface to adhere to.

 

[Robert Dambrauskas]

Yup that is correct just as I indicated in my earlier posts. Unfortunately paint manufacturers do not make military paint colors in gloss as military paints are invariably flats.
Now occasionally a military subject will be in a gloss available color. Night fighters, for example, are often black and Gloss Black is easily obtainable but, you are not going to find Olive Drab in a gloss (Mr. Color makes a semi-gloss) paint.
Now if your model has just a few decals it is not necessary to Future coat the entire model. Spray just the decal areas with Future. In addition I keep a 17ml bottle of gloss varnish for those occasions where decals (like instrument panel gauges) are to be placed on interior parts. Using a paint brush I'll paint the surface of the part with the varnish again to give the decal a nice smooth surface to adhere to.

Ahh!! I get it! Thanks mikewint!