I need help with finishing canopies!

Clear parts can be polished up first with plastic polish. Then wash with mild soap and water..Wipe dry .Inspect the areas that need to be masked.Vwry thin or cut it thin masking tape .Apply in small tiny strips along the frame edges until you surround the area.now use liquid mask or again small strips of masking tape for the center area left to mask.

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.

I see you re posted here so i will paste what I wrote in the other thread:

I have two mehods: First I polish the canopies inside and out with Simoniz haze remover or any xtra fine scratch remover, tis increases clarity. 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. The Future makes them look even better.

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.

Bleed under the tape line can be avoided by spraying light coats instead of heavy ones.

Good man! It's good to be back in the groove after a dry spell.

Man I hear ya!  Tamiya tape has never failed me either.  It's good stuff.

As a slight high-jack that will be brief, I'm kinda stoked to say I worked on a long-dormant build yesterday and today.  To actually fire up the old Paasche felt damned good! 

Okay.  Sorry for that outburst of exuberance.

No worries my friend. I usually mask during the building phase, so I often leave the stuff in place for weeks. Longer when things go wrong... So far Tamiya tape has not let me down on residue. Unlike all the other stuff I have tried so far. 

If it ain't broke...

Stik, it left none on the wooden trim piece I masked.  It was only on there for an hour or so at the most and it peeled off with no drama.  I am gonna try it on a canopy before too long though.  The next one without an EZ mask in the box will be a guinea pig I guess.  Sorry I couldn't be of more help!

Gary

Tex, does the Frog tape leave any residue behind? Or give problems if left on for extended time periods?

Paint and hardware stores carry a line of masking tape called Frog tape.  The edge of the tape is "self-sealing"; water or water-based paints activate the tape to block any paint bleed-under.  I used this tape a couple years ago on a bathroom painting project.  I needed a very "tight" edge on some narrow trim.  I laid the tape and then ran an old "duster" brush moistened with water along the edge of the tape.  Sure enough, when painted over, there was no leakage, just a nice, clean paint line. 

I believe this tape might be handy for scale modeling too.  Of course, it would seem great for masking acrylic paint but I think one could also use it with solvent-based enamels by first sealing it as I did with a water-moistened brush.  Then one could brush/spray over it with enamel with no seep through.  I may have to give it a workout on my next canopy job.  

Gary

The problem with paint leaking under edges of the tape can be solved by "sealing" the edge.  If you are covering a paint layer, lay down another coat of that under-color just along the edges of the tape. For transparencies, lay down a line of a gloss clear along the edges.  I use Testors Glosscoat.  If anything does leak under the edge, it will not be very visible.

I am pretty much the same after trying different techniques over the years, including liquid masking agents. Tamiya tape is my #1 choice. And I have been dipping my canopies in Future for close to 20 years now. Very much a required step. 

Bare Metal Foil sounds a bit wasteful. One time use And that's it. With Tamiya tape I use fresh tape for along the frames, but any fill in is done with re use stuff. I have never had seepage with Tamiya tape, nor any residue left behind like I have with other brands. Yes the original edge work- application and cutting can be tedious, but the results are worth it.

I've only used Bare Metal Foil to mask a canopy one time.  And yes, I noticed the adhesive residue too.  I removed it with a small amount of Goo Gone on Q-tip.  That did the trick but I wasn't impressed enough to use it again as a mask.  I use Tamiya tape with the outline the frames and fill in the center method.  If I can find a pre-cut mask for an aircraft model, I'll use that of course.  I've used EZ Masks for three projects with good results.   They do have a large selection, check their website:

http://www.ezmasks.com/

Good luck!   Gary