Good work so far Terry!
Short Stirling Mk.V, 46 Sqn RAF.
- Thread starter Airframes
- Start date
Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
T Bolt
Colonel
It helps a lot to have some good reference photo at hand wile your masking. I used a vac canopy on mine and the frame lines were even less defined.
SANCER
Senior Master Sergeant
I like the stage where you are Terry; It will be interesting to learn how you do it. May the photos arrive!
Saludos maestro
Saludos maestro
- Thread starter
- #84
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks again chaps.
Almost finished blending-in the joint of the resin parts, and about to start on the canopy masking.
I have a few reference photos, and the canopy from the Italeri kit will also serve as a reference, but it's going to be a long, fiddly job !
Almost finished blending-in the joint of the resin parts, and about to start on the canopy masking.
I have a few reference photos, and the canopy from the Italeri kit will also serve as a reference, but it's going to be a long, fiddly job !
fubar57
General
Don't envy your task with the masking Terry, good luck
- Thread starter
- #86
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
I've delayed masking the canopy, until I decide whether to fit it now and blend it in, which I'd prefer, or fit it after painting the model.
Those open windows under the canopy are the problem - tricky to mask from the outside, without either risking damage to the finished paintwork when the masks, or plugs, are removed, and also the risk of getting misted 'overspray' inside the cockpit and the inner surface of the canopy, if fitted.
The remaining fuselage windows aren't a problem, as I doubt any paint 'mist' would drift up the fuselage and past the cockpit bulkhead.
I'll have a think about this before spraying any primer or paint, but I'll probably mask the windows on the inside, and seal-off the cockpit aperture, dealing with the canopy fit later.
Meanwhile, the joints of the resin parts have been filled and blended in, and checked by applying a rough primer coat. They're about as good as they're going to get, although the tail fairing still needs a little attention.
The rough primer coat, still damp in the photos, will be lightly rubbed down with fine wet and dry and, once the escape hatch and fin,rudder and tail planes have been fitted, the fuselage will be given two or three coats of a darker primer, lightly sprayed overall.
As I'm aiming for a fairly dull bare metal appearance - which might have been 'Aluminium' paint on some MkV's - I'm not too bothered about achieving a really smooth and shiny bare metal look, as long as the finish itself is smooth and even.
All being well, I might get to the painting stage by the weekend.
Those open windows under the canopy are the problem - tricky to mask from the outside, without either risking damage to the finished paintwork when the masks, or plugs, are removed, and also the risk of getting misted 'overspray' inside the cockpit and the inner surface of the canopy, if fitted.
The remaining fuselage windows aren't a problem, as I doubt any paint 'mist' would drift up the fuselage and past the cockpit bulkhead.
I'll have a think about this before spraying any primer or paint, but I'll probably mask the windows on the inside, and seal-off the cockpit aperture, dealing with the canopy fit later.
Meanwhile, the joints of the resin parts have been filled and blended in, and checked by applying a rough primer coat. They're about as good as they're going to get, although the tail fairing still needs a little attention.
The rough primer coat, still damp in the photos, will be lightly rubbed down with fine wet and dry and, once the escape hatch and fin,rudder and tail planes have been fitted, the fuselage will be given two or three coats of a darker primer, lightly sprayed overall.
As I'm aiming for a fairly dull bare metal appearance - which might have been 'Aluminium' paint on some MkV's - I'm not too bothered about achieving a really smooth and shiny bare metal look, as long as the finish itself is smooth and even.
All being well, I might get to the painting stage by the weekend.
turbo
Staff Sergeant
Nice work Terry. I would mask the windows from the inside with tape cut just big enough to cover them and then fit your canopy before painting so that it is properly blended. Once you are done painting, simply poke the tape in and pull it out through the window using fine tweezers. I've used this method several times successfully.
If you are doubtful whether the window is big enough to get tweezers in and tape out, give it a trial run before you attach the canopy.
If you are doubtful whether the window is big enough to get tweezers in and tape out, give it a trial run before you attach the canopy.
- Thread starter
- #88
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Kirby.
I'd considered doing just that, but the seats get in the way of the front pair of windows, I've ended up filling the windows with Humbrol Clear Fix, applied fairly heavily. and then cleaning-up the surrounds, to remove any excess.
Once the model has been painted, the Clear Fix can be cut and peeled away, and then the windows can be properly glazed, using either. Clear Fix again, or PVA, or, if it hasn't gone solid in the bottle, Micro Kristal Kleer - which is basically PVA, but more expensive !
I'd considered doing just that, but the seats get in the way of the front pair of windows, I've ended up filling the windows with Humbrol Clear Fix, applied fairly heavily. and then cleaning-up the surrounds, to remove any excess.
Once the model has been painted, the Clear Fix can be cut and peeled away, and then the windows can be properly glazed, using either. Clear Fix again, or PVA, or, if it hasn't gone solid in the bottle, Micro Kristal Kleer - which is basically PVA, but more expensive !
T Bolt
Colonel
That's exactly what I do for small windows Terry, but with Micro Kristal Klear instad of Clear Fix. Eaisiet way to mask them, pops right out after painting and I think the thin membrain or the Kristal Klear makes a much better window than the thick plastic kit parts.
Robert Porter
Senior Master Sergeant
I am not sure I am following you guys and this sounds interesting. Are you talking about covering installed windows, say a fuselage window or a landing lite cover, with PVA or something else prior to painting and then removing the covering after painting? But then reapplying a covering to leave in place?
T Bolt
Colonel
Robert, Micro Kristal Klear is similar to PVA and can be used to create window glass for small windows, say 1/4" x 1/4" of less. I've done 3/8" x 1/4" but that's pushing it. You dip a toothpick or thin wire in the Kristal Klear and run it around the perimeter of the window than turn the toothpick (or wire) parallel to the surface of the window and drag a bubble of the Kristal Klear across the window. When the bubble dries you have a clear very thin window. The less liquid you can manage to make the bubble with the better it will look when dry.
The masking we were talking about was creating a "window" like above, but using it to keep spray paint out of the inside of the model, than removing it (I poke it with the tip of a hobby knife and pull it off), scrape off any remaining residue from the window frame and apply the Kristal Klear again for the window glass.
The masking we were talking about was creating a "window" like above, but using it to keep spray paint out of the inside of the model, than removing it (I poke it with the tip of a hobby knife and pull it off), scrape off any remaining residue from the window frame and apply the Kristal Klear again for the window glass.
Last edited:
SANCER
Senior Master Sergeant
That's how I understood it. The first is to cover the window instead of masking and painting; The second one is to make the window glass definitively.
Did I understand correctly?
Saludos.
Did I understand correctly?
Saludos.
T Bolt
Colonel
Yes that's correct 
SANCER
Senior Master Sergeant
Very well explained Glenn, I tried for the first time with my 1/48 Henkell He and the MKK behaved wonderfully (maybe I needed to try with less amount to achieve thinner windows.)
It had never occurred to me to use it as a mask in the same windows.
Good tip.
It had never occurred to me to use it as a mask in the same windows.
Good tip.
Robert Porter
Senior Master Sergeant
Thanks Glenn, that is an incredibly useful technique that somehow I never heard before! From what I can glean from above you can use PVA or MKK or even perhaps other glue types. I will definitely give this a try as I have always struggled with masking window openings when painting.
*Edit - Scratch that, I see the MKK is made specifically for this type of use so I just ordered a couple of bottles of it. Will wait for it to arrive!
*Edit - Scratch that, I see the MKK is made specifically for this type of use so I just ordered a couple of bottles of it. Will wait for it to arrive!
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #97
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Glenn - saved me having to type an explanation.
The last two bottles of MKK I got have both solidified in the bottle within days of being opened, which definitely should not happen !
A bottle normally lasts me years, so I can only surmise that these were from a 'bad batch'.
I might just be able to use some of the MKK, but if not, then I'll use ordinary PVA - it's the same stuff anyway, but in a 500 ml bottle, which was half the price of the 1 fl.oz. (30 ml) bottle of MKK !
In the process of masking the canopy at the moment, and so far, I have only gained 32 grey hairs, and only small wrinkles around the eyes !
The last two bottles of MKK I got have both solidified in the bottle within days of being opened, which definitely should not happen !
A bottle normally lasts me years, so I can only surmise that these were from a 'bad batch'.
I might just be able to use some of the MKK, but if not, then I'll use ordinary PVA - it's the same stuff anyway, but in a 500 ml bottle, which was half the price of the 1 fl.oz. (30 ml) bottle of MKK !
In the process of masking the canopy at the moment, and so far, I have only gained 32 grey hairs, and only small wrinkles around the eyes !
Looks great so far Terry!
- Thread starter
- #99
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Hugh.
I had a break from masking the canopy, as I'm waiting to hear from Gp.Cpt Barr, as he mentioned aircrew figures. Need to know whether to paint them in tropical kit and fit them into the cockpit, or continue as planned, and fit the canopy, without the 'crew'.
Meanwhile, I pushed on, and got the fin, rudder and tail-planes fitted, along with the upper escape hatch, and the tail wheel housing, before working on the wings and finally fitting them also.
In an effort to reduce the unrealistic gap between the control surfaces and main and tail planes, all of the hinge slots were elongated, allowing a closer fit, with a much reduced gap.
Some warping in the main wings caused a slight misalignment of the engine nacelles on the port wing, but this was easily corrected by sanding. The wing root bomb cell doors have been fitted in the closed position, but have yet to be leveled.
The fit of the main wings was excellent, being very positive, and would hold without cement - possibly the best fit of any kit I've built in around 55 years of modelling, which is pretty good for a 51 year old kit !
Also, close inspection of the rivet detail shows that a very good 'flush rivet' effect has been achieved, at the time, years ahead of any other manufacturers surface detail.
PIC 1. Control surface gaps reduced.
PIC 2. Wing root bomb cell doors in place, not yet leveled.
PIC 3. The cockpit side windows have been masked using a heavy application of Humbrol Clear Fix. This will be removed after painting, and the windows glazed using either Kristal Kleer, or PVA. The other fuselage windows can be stuffed with tissue for painting.
PIC 4. How the model looks so far.
Next step, after fitting the canopy, and fitting and masking the leading edge landing lamp cover, is to spray the model with at least two coats of dark grey primer, before applying the 'Aluminium' finish.Then it'll be time to assemble and paint the engines, props and cowlings, before moving on to the landing gear.
Back soon ............
I had a break from masking the canopy, as I'm waiting to hear from Gp.Cpt Barr, as he mentioned aircrew figures. Need to know whether to paint them in tropical kit and fit them into the cockpit, or continue as planned, and fit the canopy, without the 'crew'.
Meanwhile, I pushed on, and got the fin, rudder and tail-planes fitted, along with the upper escape hatch, and the tail wheel housing, before working on the wings and finally fitting them also.
In an effort to reduce the unrealistic gap between the control surfaces and main and tail planes, all of the hinge slots were elongated, allowing a closer fit, with a much reduced gap.
Some warping in the main wings caused a slight misalignment of the engine nacelles on the port wing, but this was easily corrected by sanding. The wing root bomb cell doors have been fitted in the closed position, but have yet to be leveled.
The fit of the main wings was excellent, being very positive, and would hold without cement - possibly the best fit of any kit I've built in around 55 years of modelling, which is pretty good for a 51 year old kit !
Also, close inspection of the rivet detail shows that a very good 'flush rivet' effect has been achieved, at the time, years ahead of any other manufacturers surface detail.
PIC 1. Control surface gaps reduced.
PIC 2. Wing root bomb cell doors in place, not yet leveled.
PIC 3. The cockpit side windows have been masked using a heavy application of Humbrol Clear Fix. This will be removed after painting, and the windows glazed using either Kristal Kleer, or PVA. The other fuselage windows can be stuffed with tissue for painting.
PIC 4. How the model looks so far.
Next step, after fitting the canopy, and fitting and masking the leading edge landing lamp cover, is to spray the model with at least two coats of dark grey primer, before applying the 'Aluminium' finish.Then it'll be time to assemble and paint the engines, props and cowlings, before moving on to the landing gear.
Back soon ............
Robert Porter
Senior Master Sergeant
Looking better every time!
Users who are viewing this thread
Similar threads
