Technique for securing "open" hatches during painting

SgtRam,

Good tip!

I would be afraid of paint finding a opening in the hatch seal. In the past I simply have left the hatch lids off and plugged the holes with blue poster putty.

I take some masking tape and press it against the inside lip of the hatch opening.  Once I encircle the opening (sticky side out), creating a "chimney", I stuff the inside with some tissue. This ensures that no overspray can seep past the hatch lip.

I plan ahead . Before i attach the upper hull  i apply the masking tape to the underside of the hatch openings . Then coninue building and painting . When its all finished i push the tape down and pull it out with tweezers.

SgtRam, I would usually use simple toilet paper.
I wet it and push it into the area that needs to be covered.
If the areas has fine detail that might get caught by the paper and ripped of I do it Rob's way.

The Humber is a devil, so much detail, so many visual points.
The plan is to only have the drivers lid and the commanders hatch open, that way I can close the box and only do some touch up work on the drivers vizier and use the main door to pull out the paper,

I am very much looking forward to your progress pictures J

As always
Boarder

My SOP for this is to stick a masking tape (Tamiya) from the inside . This will cover the open hatch with the sticky side of the tape and then I press the hatch to it. After painting, I remove the hatch and pull out the tape. No paint inside, no white glue to remove. I also do this to paint around the open hatch, replacing the tape to stick the hatch.

Always amazes me the ways so many attack a simple problem all differently.  And all as effective as the others.

For me my SOP is a cube of foam rubber pushed all the way in the open hatch then gently pulled out until it stays in place.  Or, maybe because of my mood that day... A Posit-It rolled up and the tube shoved on the hole with the foam cube stuff down the tube to seal and hold in place.

I like that one about putting the tape from the inside before closing it up and sticking the hatch on  the outside for the exterior camo.  My SOP has been updated