I will never hand-brush canopies again

TheIrishAvenger · Post by **TheIrishAvenger** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 11:29 pm

Wow!

Tonite I tried a tip I picked up here on SSM and masked off an airplane cockpit canopy with Bare Metal Foil to paint. I was extremely impressed with the ease of the application and the result. I just improved my modeling skills ten-fold, I think. Very nice! Just wanted to share this with you all. Thanks to whoever posted that tip a while back!

Chris

darth_daniel · Post by **darth_daniel** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:31 am

Ummm...how exactly does this work?

The same way as with masking tape? Please share our knowledge...

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:01 am

Yes, the same as with masking tape, except the BMF adheres more closely, comforms better to the curves of the part, cuts easier, it's thinner so it is easier to see the canopy frame while you are cutting through it, and when it comes off it doesn't leave any sticky residue. I prefer Parafilm for these same reasons, though I can understand why BMF has so many converts.

darth_daniel · Post by **darth_daniel** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:43 am

And where to get it...?

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:03 am

Hobby shop, model train shop. I don't know how thses things work in Austria, but that's where I'd start. Hope it helps.

woozle · Post by **woozle** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 7:28 am

and this relates to not hand-brushing.. how? are you airbrushing instead?

TimeScape · Post by **TimeScape** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:25 am

I've used BMF for masking for years. The only problem I've had with it was getting it off the model. Trying to get a corner to lift generally resulted in sctratching up the protected surface. Solution was to take balled up masking tape and dab at the foil until it lifts then take tweezers and pull off the foil. You don't need a large ball of tape, only the size of a small marble.

TheIrishAvenger · Post by **TheIrishAvenger** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 10:28 am

Yeah, just mask the whole canopy in the foil, cut it away from the frame part that you need to paint, then airbrush. Or even rattle-can it. I've been able to then lift away the foil with my X-acto blade...so I didn't have any problems like Timescape did, but I could see how his tape trick can work better. I might adapt to that next time.

Chris

TheIrishAvenger · Post by **TheIrishAvenger** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 10:30 am

Woozle: Yeah, I used to hand brush all my canopy frames....now that I've tried this trick, I can airbrush with much better result. My handbrushed canopies always looked like wet dog, if ya know what I mean. That was the point I was trying to make. Sorry.

Chris

woozle · Post by **woozle** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 12:20 pm

heh.. s'ry.. just giving ya a hard time. I can never brush a canopy either, though i'm trying to get a tinted Future technique to work.. but all i'm really gettihng good at is amonia baths to clean it off.

darth_daniel · Post by **darth_daniel** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:08 pm

I HavenÂ´t got big probs painting canopies as long as the area that needs to be painted is raised. Then I donÂ´t even mask off...always worked. But now IÂ´ll have to paint the canopies of two RC2 Jedi Starfighters....thatÂ´s gonna be though.

TheIrishAvenger · Post by **TheIrishAvenger** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:12 pm

The frustrating thing for me is that when I hand paint canopies, or anything else for that matter, the paint always goes on unevenly, where you can see the brush strokes. It also takes many coats to finally get a solid color, as opposed to still being able to see the base plastic color. I've always used Model Master paints straight out of the bottle for hand brushing, so I don't know, maybe it's time to try another brand of paint. I mask and airbrush almost everything now though, so it's not too big a deal yet. Just one of those things that kinda comes with the territory I suppose.

Chris

Post by **LindaSmile** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 5:04 pm

http://www.bare-metal.com/bare-metal/ba ... _foil.html