Window Trims

[dougc]

I’m after a bit of advice if you wouldn’t mind chaps.

I’m about 2/3rds of the way through a 1:24 635CSi. First time I’ve built a car, used to do aircraft as a kid and something inspired me to get back into the fold. Chassis, engine and internals are done and the body is sprayed up in a fantastic red to match my mates old (real) 635. Problem is I’m having a mare trying to pick out the window trims in black. I bodged it up last night to the point where I think I’m going to have to re-spray the shell

Is it just a case of a steady hand or does anyone have any ‘tricks of the trade’

Cheers

[r988]

Are you using tape to mask it off?

[dougc]

I tried masking tape to start off with but getting a straight edge on a curved surface coupled with the scale and the thiness of the line required meant that freehand gave almost as good a result (when I can get it right)

Guess its just a case of practice.

[72twink]

Doug, get yourself a cutting mat, a good steel rule, a scalpal and some Tamiya masking tape. Take a length of tape long enough for your run and apply it to the cutting mat. Then slice off thin strips (about 2mm wide) and use these to outline the shape you want masked - the Tamiya tape will stretch into all sorts of compound curves without wrinkling. Then cut a wider strip and overlap the first, this may need to be done in several hits as a lot of the flexibility will be lost the wider the strip gets. Finally use full width tape or sheets of paper to mask out the rest of the car. I've done this on 1/43 and 1/24 rally cars and never had any problems although I do tend to only do one frame per night and only use aerosols or airbrush.

Tony.

[dougc]

Cheers - I'll give it a go. Things seem to have got a bit more expensive since the days of painting Spitfires matt green and brown with brushes and a couple of pots of Humbrol

[AJLintern]

How about using a fine tipped black permanent marker? Might look completely pants, but perhaps worth a try

[viper paul]

Thats what I use for car windscreen rubbers just a flat indellible felt tip

[Nick_F]

You could also score around the edges with a scalpel point, but you have to be as steady-handed to do this as you do with the brush.

Does help though.

[gruffgriff]

Alternatively, hunt down a sheet of Bare Metal Foil from any good model supply website (£6-£7). It is ultra thin self adhesive metal sheet from the electronics industry, sold to modellers primarily for applying to trim on a body to replicate chrome. It really is super thin and with practice conforms to very complex shapes. It`s best to cut some oversize strips, apply them and trim them with a sharp scalpel blade in situ using the moulded lines in the plastic to guide your blade. It works exceedingly well as a mask for the body when painting trim or window rubbers - I`ve been using it for years -just make sure you get the standard chrome - avoid the thicker `bright chrome` and black - they are too thick and unusable. Use a pointed cocktail stick to work the foil in to the moulded grooves and again after trimming to stick the trimmed edge down avoid paint seeping under. It comes with full application instructions. All modellers should have some in stock! Not cheap but essential!

[dougc]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I had a go with the masking tape again and it turned out much better than I expected - could be improved though. I'll have another go at some point. The marker pen idea is a good one too so I'll have a try. Might sacrifice the Beemer as a 'testbed' for learning new techniques. I've orders a 993 GT2 which should arrive by the weekend and I don't want to cock it up trying stuff for the first time.

[gruffgriff]

Doug, if you used HALFORDS spray on the 635 and want it off to start again, soak the body in surgical spirit for a couple of days - the paint will scrub off with a toothbrush without any damage to the plastic. Messy job and you have to be quick and might have to give it a couple of goes but it works a treat. Just let the body air dry a couple of days and spray again - I`ve got stuff on my shelf I stripped and re-painted 5-6 years ago with no reactions at all. Good luck!