Painting Windows/Frames

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Painting Windows/Frames

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 27, 2003 8:44 AM

Hi Folks,

I'm pretty new to this, so please forgive what might be a stupid question.

On the car I'm building, I need to paint the edges of the windows black. I've tried to do this on my last two cars and screwed it up both times. I tried to mask, but the paint bled through. I've seen two suggestions on the internet. One suggested using masking tape and then sealing the edge with clear paint. Another suggested using a ruler/french curve and outlining the edge with a black permanent marker. Before I make another mistake on this, I'd like to know if you think either of these suggestions is the right way to go or if you have another suggestion that might work better.

On a related question, on the car body I need to paint the frames around the windows black. I tried liquid mask on my last car, but I found that when I peeled away the part to paint, some of the surrounding mask lifted and the paint then bled through. Maybe I just need more practice with liquid mask. But, before I try liquid mask again, what do you think is the best way to paint these frames?

Thank you very much for your help!

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naplak

Member since
December 2002
From: USA

Posted by naplak on Thursday, March 27, 2003 10:17 AM

If paint is bleeding under your masking tape, it may be the tape itself, or that it is not pressed down well enough. I use special modeling tape for masking -- Tamiya and others make it. Then I put it on a glass surface and cut it with a straight edge, and new knife blade.

OR, I use Bare Metal for masking -- cutting it the same way.

For either, I use a piece of balsa wood to rub it down into place.

For edges, I just use a fine brush and go very carefully, and slowly.

I use a RapidoLiner -- from artist suppliers -- for doing very fine lines. I use one that is 0.18mm. It is like a marker... sort of... but makes a very fine, consistant line.

www.naplak.com/modeling ... a free site for modelers www.scalehobby.com/forum/index.php ... a nice Modeling Forum

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 8:50 AM

To the masking recommendations made above I would like to add this:

To avoid bleeding, airbrush pretty light (thin) coats of paint, allowing enough time to almost dry (wet appearance fade away) between coats. When I'm painting with enamels it takes less than a minute. It won't be dry to touch but dry enough for not to bleed. Depending on the color it might take several coats but the results really worth it.

Hope this helps.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 1:56 PM

You may also want to try Bare Metal Foil. They make several hues of metal and they make a black chrome which looks just like window trim, and if you screw up, just take it off and try again.

N.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 31, 2003 6:39 PM

My favorite window mask is still Scotch brand transparent tape. This stuff adheres well and cuts cleanly but you can end up with scribemarks from the knife blade.

Place it full width on the glass and burnish it down well. With a new blade, cut to desired shape. Lift the end with the blade and pull it back on itself.

Any mastic residue can be removed by blotting at it with a wad of the same tape.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 31, 2003 6:52 PM

I would say try the Bare Metal Foil as well. I actually just started using the stuff myself and it is great stuff. Like nwilliams said they have a black chrome that is perfect for window trim.

Ray

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 31, 2003 8:48 PM

wtf?

QUOTE: Originally posted by heylonghair

I would say try the Bare Metal Foil as well. I actually just started using the stuff myself and it is great stuff. Like nwilliams said they have a black chrome that is perfect for window trim.

Ray

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 31, 2003 11:43 PM

I have Tamiya paint markers with fair to excellent results (depending on just how shaky I was at the moment).

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 1, 2003 2:26 PM

Hi,

I used to struggle with this problem. I have in the past (before the days of pre-cut masks for winows) masked the straight lines of the windows, 1 side at a time, and brush painted that side. once the paint had dried enough to remove the masking tape, i would remove it, wait for the paint to completly dry and then do the next side. One all the sides are done i would then go around the window with a fine brush and paint in the round corners.
The other thing i used to do is use the raised edge on the frosted part of the window(if your kit has this) and use a brush (fine brush is best) to flow the paint up to the raised edge.

Of course i don't have this problem on the newer kits as they come with the precut masks!!!

Hope this helps.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, April 5, 2003 10:03 PM

Thanks very much for all of your suggestions!

I'm currently building the Tamiya Jeep Grand Cherokee. There are no window masks provided with the kit, so I tried the masking suggestions. Problem is, while the windows are frosted around the edge, there's no discernible "edge" once the tape is put down. I thought the Scotch tape idea was a good one (since I thought I'd be able to see through it), but the clear and frosted sections blend together under the tape. So where to cut? I decided to draw a black line along the edge that I could see through the tape and then I cut along the line. I burnished it down and painted (brush) the frosted edge, removed the tape a while later, and viola, nice smooth edges!

Fortunately, the next two models I'm planning to build have window masks included with the kits, so hopefully the window prep will be much easier.

Thanks!

KB

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 7, 2003 12:36 AM

One thing I have tried with aircraft canopies (don't do many cars)...
I paint the frame as carefully as I can with a brush and then before the paint dries and after it has set up just a bit...I take a round, wood toothpick and carefully and lightly rub away any slip ups. The goofs go away and the canopy is preserved without scratches. If you mask and find it bleeds, you may try removing the mask before the paint is fully dry and using the toothpick trick on any bleedthroughs.

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arnie

Member since
February 2003
From: Salina, Kansas USA

Posted by arnie on Monday, April 7, 2003 12:13 PM

One trick I've always has good luck with is to seal the mask with a light coat of the underlying color. This will reduce the problem of "bleeding" because if there is any bleeding, it will be the underlying color. Of course, this doesn't work on canopies. That's when you use a light coat of Future. In both cases, don't over do it because you don't want a heavy ridge of paint building up against the mask.

"There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'."---- Dave Barry

"Giggity" ------------------------------------------------------------- Glenn Quagmire

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 7, 2003 12:32 PM

If you use acrylic paints, you should be able to scrape of any minor bleed-through with a toothpik or piece of balsa wood. Enamels can be done too, but not as easily. I often just let the paint dry, and then go back with a toothpik that I've sharpened into a small 'chisel' and scrape away the unwanted paint. Works ok.

M.

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