I know this may not seem to important but what do you guys usally do to paint the yellow tips seen on the props of WW2 aircraft?

I always just masked the tip and brush painted yellow but this takes a lot of time and Im not really happy with the results.

Do you think I should airbrush them? I always feel that would be a lot of work just for nice tips!

Thanks,

I dip mine. Don't laugh . . . yet.

I put a few drops in a paint lid or in the dip in a Fuji film can lid. You can pencil the line were the yellow should stop, used the raised line a lot of kit manufacturers mold on their props, or make the paint deep enough to cover the right amount of tip. Dip it, touch the tip to a tissue or paper towel to remove excess, and let th epaint set up a few minutes before dipping the next blade. It works pretty well.

HTH

You won't hear me laughing - that's how I do mine. Well, except for the Fuji lids...I use beer bottle caps.

Mike

me too - dip 'em

I just use a small strip of masking tape below the end of the yellow part on the prop(abt 2-3 mm wide), and paint away on the tip. Repeat for all prop tips...

The dipping method seems good. Will take that up some day!

Cheers,
BP.

I lik ethe beer bottle cap idea, for purely selfish reasons lol

I paint mine with Model Master "Gelb", Gelb because I think it looks a little more faded than just plain yellow, even though its the same named color.

Or if there is no raised line, I use my judgement and mask the tips off then paint them. After than I touch up.

~Chip

Thanks guys. I think I will try the dipping method.
Thanks again for all your input!

Just to keep the thread alive - I mask and air brush mine.
I too will try dipping next time around - maybe one prop dip one AB and compare.

I dip the tips of the prop directly in the bottle of the Model Master Enamel (Gelb).

i hand brush mine iput a pice of tapewhere the line should stop/ then paint

Mask and airbrush, here.

:-) I've tried the dipping method, but the results were not that good. My usual method is to spray yellow (or whatever the required colour is) onto the top half of the blades, mask the tip. By eye, if there is no line, then spray black. I tend to do several at a time :-)
Mal

Good point Mal . . . .

I should have mentioned that I use WELL-MIXED Model Master Insignia Yellow paint, so it's thick enough to leave a good deposit of pigment on the blade. By allowing excess to flow off onto a tissue or paper towel, you still keep a good coat that way.


PS. I still do multi-colored prop tips (USN white-red-white) by masking and painting.

HTH