Masking question

skyraider0609

Alrighty then...stupid question from a returning newb. I'm going to get my courage up and try the Revell 1/48 C-45, which I'd like to do as a Navy example. The color scheme is white with day glo orange, which will be a challenge in itself I think, but my question is this: is there any kind of trick or technique to have the masking come out exactly the same on both sides of the model? Or is it just going with the Mark 1A eyeball and winging it? I've never attempted this, so I'm a little intimidated. YT vids have been helpful with info about type of tape and that sort, but I'm hoping someone here might have a trick. If I get it wrong, it'll be a mess. Thanks in advance.

Pete

 

 

 

What I do is scan the paint/decal scheme drawing, then print out a couple of copies.  I then cut out pieces of the fuselage and wing areas and cut them into templates along the color seperation lines. I tape these templates to the surfaces I want to mask, and mask up to the cut line in the template.

So, if I'm understanding you Don, you scan the decal instruction sheet and use the copy for guidance. How do you size the copy so it is 1/48 scale? Does that make sense? A small reproduction wouldn't seem to help. Am I missing something?

Hello!

I think it might be that Don omitted the scaling in his description, but I'm fairly sure he scales the drawings to match his model. Some companies (Hasegawa) help you out with this, with most you have to do your own math, but it's not really complicated. You just have to measure some distances in the drawing and on the model and then do the division/multiplication plus you have to set up your computer and printer accordingly. Like let's say you measure the distance between the front of the first window frame and the back of the last window frame. In the model it's 30mm, in the drawing (let's say you printed it out one time without scaling = 100%) it's 20 mm. Then you set the zoom for the printout to 150% (20 * 1,5 = 30) and print it out again. Measure to verify and you should be good to go. Hope it helps and good luck with your build

Paweł

Yes, I scale if need be.  I find a lot of aircraft kits do have those drawings in the right scale. If not, my graphics software has a quite simple function that resizes the print.  I scan it using that graphics program, alter the brightness and contrast if needed, then use the resize function if needed.  To resize, you need to determine the scale of the drawing.  To simplify, I just measure something like the wingspan on that drawing, the wingspan on the completed model, and make a simple ratio.  My graphics program resizes by percentage, so I convert that ratio to percentage by multiplying by 100.

Check with a local copy store.  They have an is/was wheel to size if necessary.  I did that with the mustang I did last year.  Just go in with the sheet and your figures and they can do the rest.

Measure the wingspan of the model, take the drawing in, point to the ends of the wings and say "make these "x" inches apart."

I frankly don't have that much faith in instruction three views. But I have used Don's idea for stuff like camouflage and it does work well.

I think your C-45 is International Orange, not "Day Glo".

Thanks for the continued input guys. I think the closest FedEx Kinkos would be where I'll go and explain what I'm trying to do. The decal sheet arrived yesterday. I'm impressed with Caracal's quality, atleast the printing anyway. You're correct sir, international orange and not day glo. 

If you have a printer with a scanner attachment it is easy enough to do scaling of a drawing at home without a trip to a copy center.