Seriously, over a thousand views and just nine comments?!

I'm clogging a lot of webspace here so maybe tell me if it's any worth to you, no?

Anyway got some new pics and updates so stay tuned, be uploading in a few.

Now to something that I delay 'till I really need it done:

Masking canopies.

First what we need:


masking tape
cutting mat
metal ruler
sharp scissors
a forceps (better to have two)
knife
scalpel (or Xacto)
a few fresh blades
masking fluid (not shown here)

Now:

1) cut narrow strips of masking tape
a few mil wide and at least as long as you'll need to trace one length of canopy frame

2) apply cut tape to window frame such as this:


Don't be concerned about the meeting points of the tapes just let them overlap. We'll deal with them later.

Do all the straight parts of frame that way.

Soon more on curved parts like the back of my Eagle canopy.

Round parts of the frame are a little more tedious to trace.

I go about it like this:

1) cut real narrow strips of tape, one mil wide should do well
2) start on a straight part of the canopy and start placing the tape along the frame from there. As soon as it gets curvy, place the tape down a little more lightly and nudge it against the frame. Go like this a few mil at a time 'till you covered the whole curvy part
like this:


3) look at it from all angles. slight corrections still should be possible if you haven't pressed down the tape too heavily
4) if you're sattisfied 'rub down' the tape with a cotton bud or any blunt soft object the right size (don't touch the glass!)

Soon as all frames are traced you can go about the meeting points.

I use a No.15 blade which is a curved blade. You can cut with it's broad tip or 'rock it' over the object to be cut.
Just cut the surplus tape at the meeting points which should give you razor sharp angles:



Bit hard to see (too dark, I'm sorry) but the forward edge of the canpy (in the picture on the right side) should give you an idea.

Now you still got to protect the inside. Some people just fit the canopy temporarily on the fuselage. I prefer to spray the canopy and the cockpit sill separately (giives a nicer demarcation on the cockpit sill).
No sprayover must reach the inside of the canopy I'm shure we agree.

So you could simply mask the inside with tape. In the case of my Strike Eagle this is not possible as there's a strengthening bar right across the middle and lots of internal structure.
My approach on this as folows: just seal the 'inside from the outside' as if putting some kitchen foil on a jar (bad example? should read my old literature scool books...).

Well. Pic says more than words:



To make shure the tape sticks only to the underside of the frame (and not up the sides esentially masking what we want to spray) I use this trick:

place a lenght of broad masking tape on some stirofoam sticky side up. Press the canopy lightly onto the tape. Cut round the canopy. For the forward opening repeat the process.

For ease of handling I now mount the canopy on a pice of stirofoam with double sided photo tape.

If all is well and done cover the areas within the tape borders with your favoured masking fluid (like Maskol, Mikromask, Vallejo Mask...).

There you go:



Wait 'till dry.

Spray.

Enjoy.

Now a little update. The birds primed by now, but still gotta take some decent pics.

One neat little trick I'd love to share: making detachable pylons weapons and the like.

You'd think this one's glued on (at least I hope it looks like that):



But - surprise - it's not.

One thing I really hate is assemblying after all is airbrushed weathered and ready for take off and the splattering glue all over.

So: detachable pylons.

First fill the lokating wholes. Then you drill a new hole in the appropriate diameter for your trusty steel wire (a sowing pin or else will do, too):


Then you slice off the original (much too flimsy) lokating pins and drill a new one and glue in some steel wire:


Treat both of thze original lokating joints like that and hey presto attachbale and removable pylons, bombs, rockets etc:



Thanks for watching!

Still really nice! Looking forward seiing the final result! When is the next update?