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Masking windows before doing top coat

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  • Member since
    November 2018
Masking windows before doing top coat
Posted by twodb on Saturday, January 12, 2019 11:33 AM

I've got an old-guy, newbie question. After my airplane model (1/48 B-17) is assembled, painted and decaled, I've read that a final top coat of dull or gloss is good to help protect the model and to help the decals look more "painted on". I'm a rattle-can painter and will probably use the dull coat, as the finish is bare alumninum. 

My question is this: do I need to mask the clear parts before spraying the dull coat?

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Saturday, January 12, 2019 11:40 AM

Yes. Otherwise the dull coat will make the clear parts look fogged or frosted up.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: MN
Posted by Nathan T on Saturday, January 12, 2019 12:58 PM

You are masking for the aluminum color right? Always leave the canopy masks on til the very end of the build. That includes the final clear coats. 

 

 

  • Member since
    November 2018
Posted by twodb on Saturday, January 12, 2019 1:09 PM
Makes sense. Thanks! The aluminum has already been sprayed. I then installed clear parts and after that, added decals. Ready to either leave it alone, or go through all the masking effort to spray the clear...
  • Member since
    January 2013
Posted by BlackSheepTwoOneFour on Saturday, January 12, 2019 7:47 PM

Glue the masked canopy to the fuselage. Spray the first coat the same color as interior - zinc chromate. Then spray the color of your kit on top of it. Final coat should be your clearcoat.

Remove mask after all painting sessions is done.

  • Member since
    November 2018
Posted by twodb on Sunday, January 13, 2019 9:11 PM
Most of my modeling as a kid didn't involve painting, much less masking! I was in to much of a hurry to play with it. 50+ years later, my patience is a little better, so I'm now learning things that I WISH I had known earlier. BlackSheep, you just created one of those "Doh!" moments! Mask BEFORE installation!! Such a simple concept, but not one I'd thought of as an old-newbie! I realize now that I've done a lot of things bass-ackwards on this build that I'll be doing differently next time. I'm just trying to finish this one w/o doing something un-repairable... :)
  • Member since
    August 2014
  • From: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posted by goldhammer on Sunday, January 13, 2019 11:23 PM

Since you have already painted the rest of it, mask the clear parts including the inside before painting the two colors on the frames.  Remove the inside masking and attach to the aircraft, then spray your dullcoat and unmask the rest

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Monday, January 14, 2019 9:23 AM

I  sometimes do dull coat canopies and greenhouses on birds I heavily weather.  World War 2 planes were especially vulnerabl to UV fogging of plexiglas.  Modern planes are much more UV resistance, but you still see a few ramp queens tied down on the grass that look a bit grubby.  Navy planes that spend a lot of time on hanger deck are a lot cleaner.

It bothers me sometimes to see a well weathered warbird with a pristine canopy or greenhouse.  It may happen in real life but it is unusual.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    January 2013
Posted by BlackSheepTwoOneFour on Monday, January 14, 2019 1:04 PM

goldhammer

Since you have already painted the rest of it, mask the clear parts including the inside before painting the two colors on the frames.  Remove the inside masking and attach to the aircraft, then spray your dullcoat and unmask the rest

 

Definitely mask the whole inside of canopy. Good call that I forgot to mention.

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