black windows masking question

Hey guys,

I see from the tutorials that there are some templates for the black window masks.

I have tried with soooo many models and i ALWAYS seem to mess up the mask job. I tried tracing it with tape and then cut it out, but i can never seem to get it to trace properly...

anyone have any ideas on how to do it good? Because i've seen you guy's pics and they all seem perfect....

help...

Hey guys,

I see from the tutorials that there are some templates for the black window masks.

I have tried with soooo many models and i ALWAYS seem to mess up the mask job. I tried tracing it with tape and then cut it out, but i can never seem to get it to trace properly...

anyone have any ideas on how to do it good? Because i've seen you guy's pics and they all seem perfect....

help...

First use Tamiya masking tape. Cut thin strips and lay out the out line you want, it will bend if thin enough. Then back up your masking with wider tape. For the best results airbrush is better, but you can brush paint from the inside use Tamiya Acrylic XF1 Flat black.. Let dry then remove tape. Any bleeding can be scraped off with a toothpick. Any large mess will clean off with Ammonia which will not harm the plastic or any paints except. Tamiya's Acrlics. Avoid cutting tape while on windows or body.

I use a liquid masking solution (Mr. Masking Sol, or Microscale liquid mask), you apply it on the area you wish to not get paint on and wait about an hour for it to dry. You only need a thin layer, using too much will just make it take forever to dry. It dries into a very thin plastic film. I use a brand new #11 blade to gently trim and peel off the excess film, afterwards I use an enamel paint marker to color the window frames. Wait about 10 minutes for the paint to dry, then lift off the film with a tweezer, be careful not to scratch the plastic. And voila! You have a perfect window frame.

I like this method better because like you, I always seems to have problems of paint seeping under the masking tape. Alternatively, you can use bare metal foil as well, although I have never tried it myself.

Good luck!

I'm a firm believer in the BMF method. You only really need to use the BMF on the edges of the mask, you can use tamiya tape for the rest. The application is the same as using BMF for trim.