# masking canopys



## woof359 (Apr 27, 2003)

I was hoping to get few tips on the best way mask the frame on a clear canopy, I'm doing a B25 and between the nose and main canopy IM stuck, just tape and a lot of patience ?


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Tape and patience is my method. Tamiya masking tape is good - very flexible and easy to remove afterward. Put it on and trim it very carefully with a very sharp new X-Acto blade.

The alternative is pre-cut masks. You can find them for a lot of kits. Eduard is one company that makes them. Probably available at Squadron.com and megahobby.com.


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## woof359 (Apr 27, 2003)

*masks*

thanks for the heads up about pre cut masks, I think I found what I need, usally I do sci-fi but thought I would do a quick week end out of the box build and have it done in a couple days.............welllllllllllll that didn't happen (-:


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Oh, that never does happen. :lol:


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

I've given up masking most of my canopies. With the all too often bleed under regardless of how much I burnish the tamiya tape down I've largely given up and just free hand paint. I only tape simple canopies now.


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## Frank2056 (Mar 23, 2007)

I've used MT Washi Masking Tapes which is basically Tamiya tape (maybe thinner and slightly cheaper). 
One trick is to mask and burnish the tape around the frames, cut, then spray the canopy with Future (or some other clear paint). The Future will act as a seal and prevent most bleed through of the top layer of paint.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Also consider painting some clear decal film with the interior color of the plane, then your exterior color. When dry, cut it, using a ruler and new knife blade, into strips. Apply it over the canopy using decal set going one direction first, then the other. Curved bits can be painted in by hand. It sounds tedious but it is not as tedious as masking and it's removable if you don't like the way a bit goes down.


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## electric indigo (Dec 21, 2011)

I had good results with bare metal foil. It's much easier to cut than Tamiya tape and conforms well to curved areas.



The pre-cut masks from Fine Molds you see in the background did pretty much suck, btw...


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Xenodyssey said:


> I've given up masking most of my canopies. With the all too often bleed under regardless of how much I burnish the tamiya tape down I've largely given up and just free hand paint. I only tape simple canopies now.


You always get bleed-under if you hand brush, but never if you airbrush.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Another trick I've learned - dip your canopy in Future (or Pledge with Future Shine, or whateverthehell they call it now). Then if you get paint bleed, cut a chisel-point onto a toothpick and rub the bled paint off carefully. Works with enamel, anyway. The enamel doesn't adhere as well to the Future as it does to bare plastic, so it scrapes off.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Before someone asks - liquid masking fluids usually do not work very well. One inherent problem is that they tend to bead up on smooth, bare, plastic, and draw back from edges making it hard to get sharp lines. You may have to apply several coats to fill in an area, but you will still have blobby, rounded, corners at best. Sometimes when you go to spray the canopy, the stuff just flakes off since it doesn't adhere well. Of the many brands available, I did have the best results with Gunze Mr. masking Solution Neo, and Humbrol Maskol. Vallejo and Micro Mask were not that good. Parma liquid mask, made for RC car bodies wasn't too bad. But, for the most part, the stuff is way more of a hassle than it is worth.


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