Hey guys, another quick question. How do you mask the camoflage for a nice demarcation between Olive Drab and Neutral Gray? I’m going to paint my P-38 now and it looks pretty complex. Any hints? Thanks!
Handitac (the stuff for hanging posters on the wall) is my weapon of choice. You can pick it up at Wamart where the office stuff is. Just peel off a little chunk, roll it on a flat surface until you get a roll about 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch, then use that to mark off your demarcation lines. Use a good, low-tack tape to cover the areas you don’t want painted.
I’ve always painted the whole fuselage with the lighter color, then masked using Tamiya tape for the darker color. If you have a pattern that’s full size, or access to a copier that can scale it up to full size, you can place the pattern under a piece of glass or acrylic, tape on top of the glass, cut with a new #11 blade and transfer the cut tape to the aircraft. If you have a soft touch with the knife, you can even cut it on the model, just be careful not to cut too deep and score the plastic!
While on this subject, I cannot afford an airbrush /compressor and paint booth right now. Is there a way to do what you’re referring to and obtain the soft, faded edges between the camo colors using a spray can?
I just recently did some experiments on some sheet plastic with just that in mind. It does work with a spray can but the soft edge is a bit rougher than if you used an AB. I will say though that I used a can of regular spray paint and not a can of spray paint specifically for models. The rougher edge I got I think had to do with the size of the atomized paint droplets being relatively large. If model spray paint is a finer mist it should work fairly well. Just keep the coats light and spray as close to perpendicular as possible.
Sorry Max, not wanting to get too far off point. I am a big fan of the poster-tac method. Or go with the sharp edge from tape. Unless you are one of those guys that can sign a check with an AB that is. [;)] I have seen lifting the edge of the tape a bit so there is a little space for some spay to get into can work also to get a little bit of a softer line.
Marc,
You’re right about the tape lifting a bit when using an AB. There are ways of dealing with it. One is to do a good job burnishing the edge, another is spraying a light coat of Future to seal the tape edge, and the last is never point the business end of the AB towards the tape, only away from it. In other words, don’t let the air pressure blow against the tape edge.
I’m sure this has been covered elsewhere, but just in case;
Some of my best (?) results in 1/72 and 1/48 have been achieved with thin cardboard/heavy paper masks and rattle cans of model paint. Cut the card mask to shape; tack small pieces of the same material to the bottom of the mask (to lift the edge slightly off the surface) and tape in place. Place the rattle can in warm water for a few minutes to improve the atomization, shake well and spray perpendicular to the mask. You get a soft line of demarcation and pretty good results. Then I bought an airbrush and I’m still trying to do as well.
Saras,
If you have a Hobby Lobby or Micheal’s stores near you all you need right now is get a basic airbrush set. I do know that Hobby Lobby sells the Paasche beginners airbrush for $20.00, it’s a singles action AB that is the same style as the Badger 350-1F, and you can use it to paint camo schemes. You will need a some cans of air propellant. Wal Mart sells the Testors brand air propellent. Micheals, I do know sells the Badger brand propellant which I recommend over the Testors brand. I did my airbrushing this way for years before I got an Paasche H set and an Air Compressor.
Airbrush or spray can the masking and application is the same. A spray can is a crude form of an airbrush only self contained. Light coats and a steady hand. Also don’t just keep spraying, pause so that the decompression of the can doesn’t cool the paint too much.
I use Silly Putty or Fun Putty, available at toy and some craft stores. I found mine at Hobby Lobby for seventy nine cents and it come in a egg shaped container which keeps it clean and easy to access.
Sarasman651,
Judicial shopping will get you some pretty good deals, Rand has pointed you in one direction which is a pretty good AB. If you have a Harbor Freight nearby you can pickup a compressor for $45:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=92403
Knock off of the Badger for $10. I actually have this brush, it works. It doesn’t do much better than 3/8" though. I use it for Future gloss and matte coats:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=92403
But you can do much better for $25, scroll down to the “old style Vega single action”:
http://www.badgerairbrush.com/garagesale.htm
while you’re there check out the “old style Vega 2000 dual action” for $40 or the “old style T&C Gravity Fed” for $35.
You can end up with a pretty good compressor and airbrush combo for less than a compressor from a LHS.
I used to use the clear coat to seal the edge when i was building RC and that works great. Still do it sometimes when the tape does nto appear to be sticking to good.well. But in this case I meant to lift the tape intentionally to get the soft edge like the fun-tac method.
Well d’uh! Of course you did! Now that I’ve read it again, you clearly mean for the edge to lift. I’ll go stand in the corner now! [swg] [D)]