Well fellow modellists I am closing in on the finishing line with my Hasegawa 1/32 "Stuka" kanonenvogel. Nice kit but I have finally come to the canopy,well more of a greenhouse really. Now I usually mask and spray my canopies,attaching them to the model at an earlier stage but Mr H and his minions have provided a decal sheet with lots of bits to be applied both to the inside and outside to represent the canopy frame.
I,ve never tried this before but imbued with an Obamaesque spirit of optimism I set about my task. What a malarkey! Half a day later and I've just about got the inside of the two sliding bits done.
I hereby promise never to moan about masking another canopy or cleaning off that little bit of paint that always seeps under the edge of the mask.
If I thought I could remove the bits I've done without spending another day repolishing the canopy I probably would!
Anyway I must press on with the rest of the interiors,then just the outsides to do!

Not sure I'll be doing this again!

Cheers

Steve (slightly less stressed now)

Mornin' Steve

good day to you too. I've put the greenhouse away for the day and am having a lovely time with the tyres - there's nothing like a bit of "dry brushing" to soothe the nerves. Also wondering what to do with all the yellow stripey decals as I've srayed that stuff. Maybe I'll stick them on the bl##dy canopy.
Cheers
Steve

Thanks for the heads up Steve, I was planning on scratch building the internal framing, sounds like it is a good idea

You'd be bang on there Mal.
Wasn't the internal framing tubular anyway? My real issue with the decals is that they look no better than masking and spraying the internal then external colours would anyway. Also the pre-coloured exterior decals will never match the shades of RLM 70 and 71 on the rest of the model. The canopy risks looking like it came off a different aircraft!
Oh the fun we have
Cheers
Steve

I've had good luck masking with Bare Metal Foil. You stick it on, burnish it, and then trim it along the panel lines with a sharp knife. It's thin enough that the detail will show through, and it's a breeze to trim. Just don't apply it over Future if you dunk the canopies - the adhesive lifts the Future, so you have to dunk it after painting and then dull-coat the frames by hand.

I usually mask with tape or,if I'm feeling brave, parafilm. That way I can fit the canopy at an earlier stage and then fit and spray it so that it looks like part of the aircraft rather than an add on. I only went the decal route as it was something I'd never tried before. As I said before - "I won't be doing that again"!!!!
I have to say that at 1/32 Mal's idea of building the interior frame is the way forward.
Cheers
Steve