# I Hate Vacuform, Canopies!!!!!



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

SERIOUSLY!!!

Anigrand XP-69, WWII prototype fighter. I did, IMHO, a great job making the model look like a well-used fighter with conjectural operational markings. Very happy with it after the final coat of Micro-Flat.

Then I peel the masking tape off the canopy panels, and the rest of the paint, on the canopy frames, _flakes off too_!!! Plastic enamel didn't stick!? What is it, butyrate instead of styrene? GODDAMMMIIITTTT!!!!!

Now I have to remask it while protecting the finished, decaled model, AND try to match the airbrushed shading job I did.

It was almost FINISHED, dammit!!!!!

:freak:  :drunk::beatdeadhorse:


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## scooke123 (Apr 11, 2008)

I feel your pain John!!!! I hate when something happens at the end of a build!
Steve


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## scooke123 (Apr 11, 2008)

No pun intended either in prior comment!


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Hate'em too! I'm lucky at best if the kit mfg. gives two copies. :beatdeadhorse: Bad about cuttin' too short, or some crap like that.

Nope, let the canopy flex just a teeny bit and BAM! The *John P. syndrome*. Or in your case, paint comes up with the damn tape!!!! 

*Murphy's law for modelers:* At the last little bit to finish it up.....BAM!!  Three/four freakin' hrs of repair. If you're lucky.

Carl-


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

It's not just clear but colored styrene as well. GRRRR!!!!!


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Well I managed to chip all the paint off the canopy with a toothpick (NONE of it stuck!), remask with Tamiya tape and started to repaint - and the airbrush hocked up a big gob of thick pigment that went SPLAT right in the middle of everything.

Cursed! It's cursed!!


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

John P said:


> Well I managed to chip all the paint off the canopy with a toothpick (NONE of it stuck!), remask with Tamiya tape and started to repaint - and the airbrush hocked up a big gob of thick pigment that went SPLAT right in the middle of everything.
> 
> Cursed! It's cursed!!


Put it in a chained coffin for a while and make the demon wear itself out trying to escape!:devil:


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## J_Indy (Jan 28, 2013)

Never had to deal with vacu-formed pieces - does ANYTHING stick to them?

(Noob question) - would a decal with Micro-Sol be able to stick to it?

I was thinking that if you could print/create a pattern/color that matched the paint, cut the decal strips out that you need, and individually apply them across the canopy, maybe that would stick?

Have no idea....:tongue:


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## KUROK (Feb 2, 2004)

"I feel your pain..." (Slick Willie accent)

If you gently score around the masking with a knife then at least there's less chance of pulling it off the canopy frames.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Remasked, cut around the mask after painting... accidentally ripped up part of a decal that a hadn't noticed got tape stuck to it...

Tried touching up parts of the canopy frame that weren't perfect, now they look worse...

GAAAAHHHH!!!!


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

May be a change in plans? Turn it into a crashed one.


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

We also call this: the Modeler's Cha-Cha. Ya know, 1-2, Cha-Cha-Cha. I'm an expert in this modeler's dance... hihihihihi......


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

:lol:


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Got the perfect solution for'ya! Take it to the back yard and shoot the shit out of it with a shotgun!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_Then stomp it, cuss, use a sledgehammer, cuss some more, set fire to it, take a breather, go in.....have a beer._

Problem solved.

See, it ain't rocket science.

*Or, you can do the mature thing and try and fix it?*

Carl-


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

It's fixed. :freak:


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

John P said:


> It's fixed. :freak:


Good, you took the mature route! :thumbsup:

Carl-


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

WTF is your problem? A guy can't vent? :/


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

John P said:


> WTF is your problem? A guy can't vent? :/


Who me? I not sure what exactly I said, but I've agreed with you all the way. I hate freakin' vac canopies too.

My comment about taking the mature route was better than my suggestion about taking it out back and destroying it.

I'm sorry if something I said was taken wrong, I truly didn't mean anything condescending.

No problem with you venting, problems at the home stretch are a big pain in the ASS and aggravating as HELL!

Carl-


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Okay, I thought you were calling me immature for whining.
Never mind.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

John P said:


> Okay, I thought you were calling me immature for whining.
> Never mind.


Not at all John, I was just referencing one of the comments I made in an earlier post that you probably didn't read!

Sorry for the misunderstanding. Seams I've been pissing people of a lot lately with things I've said that may have come across the wrong way. 

True intent doesn't always come across in emails I'm afraid.

Glad you understand what I meant. :thumbsup:

Carl-


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## 60chevyjim (Feb 21, 2008)

it dosen't say anything about how you prep your stuff before you paint it ??

if you don't prep stuff your going to paint properly , then paint wont stick to it .. 
I clean everything that I am going to paint with westleyes whitewall tire cleaner
and then scrub it with ajax or comet and a toothbrush .
then I rinse it really good with very warm water .


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

John P said:


> Okay, I thought you were calling me immature for whining.
> Never mind.


I've always thought your immaturity was one of your more appealing characteristics! :tongue: :thumbsup: :wave:


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

60chevyjim said:


> it dosen't say anything about how you prep your stuff before you paint it ??
> 
> if you don't prep stuff your going to paint properly , then paint wont stick to it ..
> I clean everything that I am going to paint with westleyes whitewall tire cleaner
> ...


Please don't take this the wrong way 60chevyjim, John P has been building models a long time and is a hell of a builder. I'm sure he takes all steps necessary. I know he could build circles around me and I could learn a lot from him!

I know you can't assume anything, but he's been around a long, loooooong time! :lol:

Carl-


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Well, tire cleaner and ajax seems a bit much. I always wash a resin model in the sink using dish detergent. The vac canopy was dipped in Future, like I do with all canopies.

Come to think of it, now I'm doubting myself that I may have forgotten the Future...

Oh well. Here's the finished model:
http://www.inpayne.com/models/planes/xp-69.html
You can't see how messed up the canopy is if you don't look too close. :lol:


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

John P said:


> Well, tire cleaner and ajax seems a bit much. I always wash a resin model in the sink using dish detergent. The vac canopy was dipped in Future, like I do with all canopies.
> 
> Come to think of it, now I'm doubting myself that I may have forgotten the Future...
> 
> ...


Looked real close, I didn't see_ nuttin' _JP! I've always thought that was one hell of a good looking aircraft. You did a good job of it too. :thumbsup:

*Now I gotta have one*!!!!

Carl-


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