Camouflage stencils...

Don Stauffer

There is a material called frisket film that is made just for that purpose. It is very low tack.  It used to be found only at art supply places.  However, I have seen it recently at Hobby Lobby.

It does not work well over compound curves, but works fine over flat or single curvature surfaces.

 

 

Wow! Don, I haven't used frisket since drafting class back in high school. I'm probably going to go ahead with the Aero Mask just to try the stuff, since it's pre-cut to fit the model. Back when I started out I thought I was a slacker if I used pre-cut canopy masks. I've used Eduard masks enough to know that I'm not being a slacker if I use something like that. A tool like a pre-cut mask helps me deliver a better model in the end. Thanks everyone for your input.

GMorrison

If you have decent flat art, like a profile and plan view in the instructions, making your own is pretty simple.

I make several photocopies at scale, and be sure and check that against the model as it may not be.

Put down some low tack (orange core) blue tape on the cutting mat wide enough to make a stencil from. 

Tape the copy down over that. Usually I'll trim the copy fairly close to the edge of the aircraft, then tape all around the edges.

Cut out the stencil with a sharp knife.

 

 

I do similar to this except I just layer tamiya tape over the stencil/pattern right on top of the cutting mat. The tape is transparent enough that you can cut around the pattern that's under the tape.  You're left with basically a sticker the shape of the stencil.  Peel off the photocopied stencil and you have a pretty good mask.  When I try to trace or cut around a stencil on top of the tape, I have a tendency to push it out of place with the pencil/knife.

One thing I've learned is that it helps to keep the knife moving.  Stop as few times as possible. 

Of course this only works out if you have a scale drawing to work from.

T e d

If you have decent flat art, like a profile and plan view in the instructions, making your own is pretty simple.

I make several photocopies at scale, and be sure and check that against the model as it may not be.

Put down some low tack (orange core) blue tape on the cutting mat wide enough to make a stencil from. 

Tape the copy down over that. Usually I'll trim the copy fairly close to the edge of the aircraft, then tape all around the edges.

Cut out the stencil with a sharp knife.

There is a material called frisket film that is made just for that purpose. It is very low tack.  It used to be found only at art supply places.  However, I have seen it recently at Hobby Lobby.

It does not work well over compound curves, but works fine over flat or single curvature surfaces.

Yeah, I've used Eduard, E-Z Mask amd Montex. I think Eduard is my favorite...

I'm not familiar with that brand, but most masks I've used in the past are of the Tamiya-tape kind.  Companies like Montex use latex masks.