Hey everyone! I thought I'd pass on a little tool I made for cleaning up canopy lines. This tool works best on canopies that have previously been dipped in Future before being painted.
I got this idea once while I was painting an aircraft canopy. I had masked off the clear areas, but the mask didn't work well; I got bleed through. So, I picked up a toothpick and carefully scraped off the paint that had bled through the mask. I got a good, clean line and there were no scratches on the clear part itself.
Later, I was doing another canopy, and noticed a popsicle stick sitting on my desk. A light bulb went on in my head, and I picked up the stick and an Ex-acto knife and started carving. This is the result:
Notice, on one side it has a flat blade-like end, kind of like a reed from a clarinet. (for those who are musically inclined) The other end sports a wedge.
I used this tool to gently scrape any paint from areas that are supposed to remain clear. I used the wide 'blade' for scraping paint off long lines/edges, while the other end worked great in corners and tight, narrow areas.
I've used this tool on canopies mostly, but will also use it on the lines of my aircraft carrier flight deck. As mentioned above, this works best if you coat your surface with Future before painting any lines (I dip my canopies in Future) The wood is strong enough to remove the paint, yet soft enough not to affect the Future; the Future keeps the plastic from getting scratched.
I had coated my carrier deck with Future before I taped and painted it. Now I shall use this little tool to clean up my deck lines and see how effective it is on that task.
It's amazing how something so simple can be so effective!
Hey FSM, maybe this can go in the Mag! (I'll send my SSN if it does.)
Comments are welcome.