I'm having trouble finishing canopies, need some advice.

May I suggest EZ Masks?  They aren't that expensive and they have masks for over 200 kits.  The owner, Chris Loney, is a good guy, based in Ontario.  I've used three of his sets so far with good results.  I dip the vinyl masks in a bowl of water with just a bit of dish detergent before applying them to the canopy.  They are easy to position that way and really fit well.  If you haven't tried them before, you might give them a try for one build.  I tried to talk Chris into doing a set for the 1/48 Monogram Mi-24 Hind.  Heck, maybe he has, as I haven't perused the list lately.  Good luck!

Gary

Have you considered just using regular Scotch Tape?  I mean it's alot cheaper and more abundant then the Tamiya tape and is basically the same thing.  For fine window work I always go with Scotch tape... I use a brand new hobby knife to trim along the edges, then take a toothpick and burnish down the edges so that I know they are all firmly down and making contact with the surface.  But one thing I don't use is a paint brush when doing masking.  For some reason using a paint brush, no matter what type of mask you're using tends to lift the edges and will get under the mask.  Always use an airbrush with a window mask.  It tends to eliminate that problem alot.  However, if you do get run-under paint, you can minimize it by brushing the paint over the edge of the mask starting in the middle of the mask to the actual part.  If you run your brush along the edge of the mask you rnu the risk of lifting it up and getting the paint under it.  But after removing the mask you can use a sharp hobby knife to very lightly scrape the paint off the surface.  After scraping, put another coat of Future on and any scrape marks will disappear!  Hope this helps!

I use Tamiya tape, and I burnish it with with my thumbnail. I don't know if that presses it deeper than a toothpick, but I wouldn't think it would. I also turn on the flashlight on my phone and set the canopy on top of it whenI trim so I can see where, exactly, the frames are. And when I spray, I spray it from a 90-degree angle to the mask, so there's no way that airflow from my airbrush will seep in and push it up.

Also, I spray the first coat on the canopy a little thicker than I normally do. The airbrush isn't quite spitting or anything, but I feel like it dries almost as soon as it hits the canopy, so it won't run under the mask.

-BD-

lawdog114

Be careful with the latest incarnation of Future. Somewhere along the line they changed the formula and it doesn't cure like it used to.

 

I have heard that it has to say (with Future) on the label otherwise it's a no no. I still have about 1/2 of my original Future bottle that I purchased 16 years ago. 

Thanks everyone, for all of the helpful tips.  I will put them into practice.  Here is what I learned from your combined wisdom:

1. pre treat every canopy with Klear/Future

2. use light coats of paint to prevent runners

3. quit drinking whiskey and put the money towards eduard pre-made masks when possible.

4. use tamiya masking tape/strip method for masking when not using eduard masks

Thanks for taking the time to help me out, any future tips would be appreciated too.

Mate - there's some good tips here....I've used them all, with great results.
One word of warning - The Baron is right - Windex will clean adhesive goo off on a jiffy and it won't touch enamels....BUT IT EATS FUTURE AND ACRYLICS!!!  BEWARE!
An alternative (but not as cheap) are pre-cut masks like Eduard makes - I've used them many times - most recently on their 1/72 Hellcat -  and they're just about perfect.
I do like using the Bare Metal Foil the best - Future, mask, paint (LIGHT COATS!) and then remove immediately.  Rarely has there been no residue to remove in spots - but a little spit on a Q-Tip removes it without damaging anything.

Good luck!

I have two mehods: First I polish the canopies inside and out with Simoniz haze remover or any xtra fine scratch remover. I then dip them in Future and use a paper towel to wick out the excess then they are set aside to cure for at least a couple of days.

Now for the masking part, if you can get pre cut masks specially for complex designs then you have half the fight won. If not I use cheap masking tape from the dollar store. I find it to be extra sticky and will stay put. If for some reason you remove the tape and some adhesive is left behind, tthen i use a q tip and a little Simoniz to remove the sticky stuff.

It's a cop-out, I know, but when it comes to canopy masking I would recommend the Eduard pre-cut canopy masks.  They make them for just about every kit and they are really life-savers. 

I've had too many great kits ruined by my poor attempts at masking.  I admire those that can make due with Tamiya tape and a sharp #11, but I've struggled. 

What fermis said. Tamiya tape works really well for me as well, light coats.

I use a weak ammonia solution (Windex), applied with a cotton swab, to remove tape residue.  I haven't noticed that it attacks my acrylics (mostly Tamiya acrylics), while I know that isopropyl is a solvent for them.

MUSTANG1

Dip your canopies in the Future first, let the Future dry in a dust free container ( I let it dry over night). I use tamiya tape to mask. Burnish the tape, Then paint. Just paint in lite coats and let the paint dry between coats. That first coat will seal the mask. Give it a try.

 

Light coats is the key.

I love Tamiya tape for canopies. It's the only tape I've found, that I can leave on for weeks, and not have any residue when I remove it.

Bonus tip!...For those canopies that have very faint frames ****cough*Hasegawa*cough****, you can hold the piece up to a light and see the frame through the tape.

Dip your canopies in the Future first, let the Future dry in a dust free container ( I let it dry over night). I use tamiya tape to mask. Burnish the tape, Then paint. Just paint in lite coats and let the paint dry between coats. That first coat will seal the mask. Give it a try.