Techniques for painting stripes on bombs.

Which type of bombs are you painting? M117 750 lb type? Mk.82 500 lb bombs? Different bomb types had different stripe configurations. 
Tamiya makes a thin strip version of their masking tape that is supposed to be good for complex curves. I'd bet it could be used for the compound curves of the bomb stripes. Just paint the yellow first, mask it off, then airbrush on the OD. Another mask that I have heard of being used are the tiny rubber bands used for orthodontics... aka braces. I had a good supply of those when my kids were that age. 

Tricky. I'd keep trying with the tape. Maybe mark the stripe first with a pencil traced around a circle template hole forced down over the nose of the bomb. Then just go slow with the tape. Start with a strip of Tamiya Yellow that's really thin.

I paint my share of waterline boot topping stripes on ships. Once you get the first side masked, it's much easier to gage the width from there with the second edge. Those are tricky because they get wider as the ships hull goes from vertical to counter, say at the stern. But if it's taken slowly, it will come out fine.

Bill

Hello!

My take on that was to take an old tire tube - take your pick if you take bicycle, motorcycle, car, truck or tractor tube. The thickness of it will be the thickness of the stripe. Cut it up in small squares, then paint the bomb tips yellow and let dry throughly. Then you punch a hole in each small square, slightly smaller than the bomb tip diameter. Then you put each bom tip in a hole you just punched, align the pieces of tire tube on each bomb carefully. Then you paint the bombs OD, grey, silver - what they need to be. Remove the pieces of tire tube from the boms and you can admire your stripes.

Unfortunately I don't have an in-progress photo of the process, but here's a photo of bombs painted this way(those are 1/72):

Hope it helps, have a nice day

Paweł

 Might be able to dip the tips, place a drop of paint on a pallet, mark the line with a pencil then dip to the mark, paint fuse last.

The challenge comes into play if you do the older multi stripe bombs.

Stik, Bill, Pawel, and others who replied:

Thanks for the info. The bombs are 750 lbs (6) and 500 lbs (2). As such, the larger bombs are supposed to have 2 thin stripes and the smaller bombs 1. I'll experiment with some of your suggestions and see what I can do. I really like the idea of marking a line on the bombs first using the circle template to act as a guide. I've got to get one of those! I'm also going to look into finding those small dental rubber bands. I had originally considered using some sort of rubber band, but didn't think I could find any small enough. I also might look to see if I can find some tiny rubber grommets that might serve the same purpose. The type they use like washers on small screws. Lots of food for thought and experimentation.

Again, thanks for the help!

Ken

Stik,

A very enlightening picture showing real bombs. While I am obsessed with getting perfectly straight, clean, and even lines on my model bombs, the real deal was a far cry from neat and clean! But though it may not be realistic, I think I'll stick to trying to make mine as neat as possible.

Ken

If you can chuck your bombs up fairly straight in a drill then rotate the bomb ( drill running) and just touch the brush or a paint pen against them. Instant line. I do this on Christmas ornament parts all the time on my wood lathe. Not always paint, sometimes using a wire to burn in a line. It works very well, course the lathe has a tool rest. I also do the same thing with epoxy in my fly rod building, the blank is rotating then toouch the brush loaded with epoxy to the wraps and it comes out nice and even.

Anyway think about that and experiment with it. I think you will be surprised how easy it is.

stikpusher

Which type of bombs are you painting? M117 750 lb type? Mk.82 500 lb bombs? Different bomb types had different stripe configurations. 
Tamiya makes a thin strip version of their masking tape that is supposed to be good for complex curves. I'd bet it could be used for the compound curves of the bomb stripes. Just paint the yellow first, mask it off, then airbrush on the OD. Another mask that I have heard of being used are the tiny rubber bands used for orthodontics... aka braces. I had a good supply of those when my kids were that age. 

 

I tried that narrow tape and do not like it.  It is not flexible enough in the direction perpendicular to the surface.  When I applied it to a round subject to make a curved pattern, it kept lifting up at the edges, in creases.

Don, I had the same problem with the masking tape. The edges would not stay flat. Maybe by cutting the width of the tape down to 1/8" it would work better, but I have not tried that yet.

Olderguy, I think getting the bombs chucked up nice and straight in a drill would be pretty difficult, as they have the fins attached. And then there would be the issue of trying to hold the drill in one hand and controlling it, while trying to apply the paint with a bruch in the other hand. If I could get the bombs chucked up OK, maybe I could put the drill in a vice and lock it in place while running? I thought about using my drill press for this, but then the bombs would be hanging down and the paint might run.

My latest idea is to see if using small rubber O rings would work as a mask. If I can find some at my local hardware store today I may give that a try. 

Ken

Chuck your bomb in a drill press, turn it on, touch with fine tip brush  with yellow paint. Done. Now if your bomb isn't round or you sanded part of it flat, this won't work too well..

Great thread and just in time because I've taken to preferring using ordinance over drop tanks when available with a kit. Good info here to use for sure.

KenK01

Don, I had the same problem with the masking tape. The edges would not stay flat. Maybe by cutting the width of the tape down to 1/8" it would work better, but I have not tried that yet.

 

....

Ken

 

Ken, the narrow stuff I tried was 1/16.

Wow! And the 1/16" tape would not lie flat? I didn't even know that they made the stuff that thin. I fooled around a bit today cutting some of the regular tape down to narrow stips and it looked somewhat promising. Though trying to get enough strips of the same width would be a challenge. 

The idea of using O-rings for masks also hit a few snags when I tried it today. I had picked up a couple at my local hardware store yesterday and was optimistic. What I failed to consider was that the 500 lb bombs and 2 of the 750's have a thin rail molded on the bomb along one edge, and this keeps the O ring from sealing around this area. And on top of that issue, despite being fairly flexible, the O rings have a tendancy to creep down the front of the bomb. I'd get them neatly into place and all lined up, and a minute later they had moved out of alignment. Being round in cross section, they don't have much surface area touching the bombs to provide grip. Or mask. So probably O rings are not the answer. Maybe the dental rubber bands would work better if they are more flexible and flat in cross section?

Don’t use straight pieces of tape, cut a curved section of Tamiya tape the width of the stripe using a circle cutter. You have to experiment with the size of curve you cut. The downside is you have to start with a wider section of tape to cut. 

How about painting entire bomb then dip the nose in the stripe color, wick off the excess.  After it dries, dip again in the main color and wick off the excess again.  That will leave a stripe whatever width you want.

GMorrison

Tricky. I'd keep trying with the tape. Maybe mark the stripe first with a pencil traced around a circle template hole forced down over the nose of the bomb. 

 

Bill

 

Don't need for bombs but I will remember this great idea anyway.

Nathan T

Don’t use straight pieces of tape, cut a curved section of Tamiya tape the width of the stripe using a circle cutter. You have to experiment with the size of curve you cut. The downside is you have to start with a wider section of tape to cut. 

 

 

 

Just tried that with a scrap of paper, essentially a semi circle. When you wrap it around it looks like a funnel shape. The only thing is I'm not sure there will be much grab but it did work perfectly.

Nathan,

I can understand how this would work, but I'm not sure about what a "circle cutter" is. Is this a special tool that will cut out circles, like a compass with a blade on one end? Fill me in.

Ken

Have any of you tried using something called Vinyl Fine Line Masking Tape for Automotive Paint? It comes in widths ranging from 1mm to 4mm and is supposed to be used for doing pin striping on cars. The description claims that it is highly conformable and suitable for masking narrow curves. They also claim that it has a low tack adhesive that leaves no residue if removed within 30 minutes. Sounds promising.  

Don't know about the vinyl fine line, but the 3M green fine line, at least in the 1/4 inch isn't that flexible for curves.  Norton blue stripe tape is real stretchy, and the narrower widths like 1/16 or 1/8 may work.  Think the Norton may be pretty much like the Tamiya white tape.

KenK01

Nathan,

I can understand how this would work, but I'm not sure about what a "circle cutter" is. Is this a special tool that will cut out circles, like a compass with a blade on one end? Fill me in.

Ken

 

Yes, like a compass. Check google, amazon, or EBay 

Thanks Nathan! I'll check that out.

AND...not to be a turkey a month too early, but...

Get out a good fine point round brush. Pray on it.

Chuck the bomb in a clamp.

Paint a semi circle on one side. Flip. Repeat.

Stick the boomie thing on the bottom of the model.

FaF

GMorrison

AND...not to be a turkey a month too early, but...

Get out a good fine point round brush. Pray on it.

Chuck the bomb in a clamp.

Paint a semi circle on one side. Flip. Repeat.

Stick the boomie thing on the bottom of the model.

FaF

 

Minimize or avoid caffeine intake before doing this...

Hi;

 I am late here. My idea always works for me. take the Bomb or missile and chuck it in a battery powered large drill. Now take the finest brush you have, or a good brand paint pen. Lay the bomb in a piece of foam with a wedged trough cut in it.  Make sure the part of the bomb you need to paint is hanging out the end.

     Now slowly paint your stripes with that paint brush, dipped in the right color, or Pen of the right color. When done you will be running circles around any bomb you see coming at you! LOL. T.B.

I have a slightly different take of the bomb stripes. Here is a 1/72nd scale 105 I dd a while back. Notice the yellow stripe on the nose. I did that by taking and applying a thin strip of yellow decal film. Compare that to the bombs hanging on the plylon. I did those with the paint method (and pretty badly too ).

I don't know why I didn't use the decal method for the bombs!?!

Actually it didn't occur to me until I saw this thread. I hope this helps.

armornut

 Might be able to dip the tips, place a drop of paint on a pallet, mark the line with a pencil then dip to the mark, paint fuse last.

That works for me for WW II bombs.  Dip propellor tips, too.

the Baron

 

 

armornut

 Might be able to dip the tips, place a drop of paint on a pallet, mark the line with a pencil then dip to the mark, paint fuse last.

 

 

 

That works for me for WW II bombs.  Dip propellor tips, too.