canopy painting

Thanks Guys
Thanks for the input, hopefully with a little practice on some of these tips I'll stop dreading the canopies. Or maybe, I can make convertible planes....lol

Whaz up,
All the above methods are good in masking off the canopies and so here is one that I use.
I use liquid ez mask applied w/ a fine brush. I apply this mask just a day or so before I start my painting process(gives it time to cure)
The results are very good. To remove the mask once the painting is done, I just use a tooth pick(make it nice and sharp) and pick at the corner to get a piece up in the air.
From there I use masking tape (small pieces though) and take the rest off.
I have used the methods above but I tend to go w/ the liquid mask.
Then again its on how I feel at that moment
Flaps up, Mike

i saw this tip somewhere on here, and i tried it on my last two models and works just fine. I lay down a strip of masking tape and paint it the color of the exterior of the plane. When dry, i just use a new exacto blade and cut very very thin strips and apply it to the canopy. Much less time consuming, and looks fine

I use clear tape. It works pretty well as when you burnish the tape you can see where it is sticking and isn't. As for curves, they can be tricky but what works for me is:

1) Cut the tape on the curves to help it sit down
2) Cover any seams with another peice of tape
3) Burnish the tape to insure a good seal against the item.
4) Hold off applying the tape until the last minute, the longer the tape is on the more difficult can be to remove completely.

Parafilm works well but my favorite masking material is Bare Metal Foil
It adheres tightly to the canopy and the frame stands out in crisp detail.
Just burnish it down good with a q tip and trim away the frame area carefully with a sharp #11 blade and paint away.
As soon as paint is dry remove foil with a round toothpick.
That's the method I use and always have great results.