which is the best way for masking off the cockpit area as I'm now ready to prime the model?

howdy davy..

this is my preffered method.
to mask canopy, i always use Parafilm from testors. They're some kind of flexible film and can be stretch a few times thew original length. Just strecth the film to required length and width, place it on the canopy. Gently rub the edge with finger. then carefully cut along the frame line with your hobby knife. Afterthat, remove the unwanted excess film. you can begin painting now.
tips: to avoid paint leak beneath the film, spray with clear color prior to painting.
this work best for me.
after the paint dry, peel slowly the film.

Silantra,
It's the actual cockpit area I need to mask off I havent fitted the canopy yet or would that be the best bet mask it then fit it?

Davy,

I like to use a wad of Fun Tac to hold the canopy in place. I also have been hooked on bare metal foil as the mask of choice for masking off the canopy. I have tried a lot of the others, and it seems to be the easy way and lets me see any imperfections BEFORE I paint. I still do use other methods for masking when needed, but Love the BMF a lot!. Back to the fun tac, It works great, holds for ever, has not yet pealed off the paint it was stuck to, and is easy to clean up. Give it a shot.

Good luck.

Tracy

Davy, If I am not using the canopy to mask off the cockpit I fix masking tape around the inside, to act like "gready boards" Then, carefully stuff wet tissue into the opening. I use this method, as apossed to just stuffing wet tissue in, so that I don't have to stuff it in all the way. Therefor there's less chance of damaging anything. If I have the windscreen in position I will simply place masking tape across the opening then proceed as stated.
If you can hang on I can get a pic tomorrow, my Typhoon is masked like this and in the spray booth, a picture paints a thousand words
Mal

I usually just cover it with wide masking tape carefully put over the cockpit. I then cut off the excess leaving a bit extra and tuck that inside the edges of the cockpit.
I find that it works pretty well on the cockpit and wheel wells.
After I paint, I find that I have very little touch-up painting to do.

Here's the picture as promised;

I use the same method for other voids, such as the intake;

This method gives a nice clean edge, with no touch up required.
Mal

thanks Mal only thing is mines got a long tear drop area as it's a jet if you look in your Ta-183 kit you'll see what I mean Mal nice Typoon BTW

Hi again Davy...

well, both ways work. If u want to posed the canopy in the open position, just mask the canopy and then stick them in place temporary with Blue Tack.
For closed canopy, glue them with white glue. then proceed to painting.

here are some example of the above technique. This is revell-monogram 1/32 Phantom II.

This is the canopies prior to painting. I want to display the canopy open. So i mask it off and cut the unwanted film. Notice the masking film on the surface of the canopy and the exposed bare canopy frame. The film is cut along the canopy frame and peeled off.


Then i glue the fix windscreen and the center canopy in place. The front and back canopy, i held in place with blue tack.

this is the finished painted canopy.






Hope this help. Cheers.

I like to use blue tac, sponge, or what ever I can stuff in without damaging anything. The sponge is my latest method, soft, flexes, and comes out easy, and expands to fill the knocks and crannies.