Spray painting camouflage pattern

[Chris Walby]

I have a 68 inch balsa model that needs a two colour camouflage scheme, could any of you chaps enlighten me as to how I can easily mask the gentle curves of the pattern for spray painting?

Thanks for your time

[stu knowles]

Look up soft edge foam masking tape on ebay, or call at a car refinishers nearby. One box will be a lifetime supply

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Have a chat with Mick E and Phil at the club - they have both sprayed camouflage jobs recently. I think Mick favours pencil marking and airbrushing freehand to avoid leaving a ridge...

[Jon H]

i tend to just eyeball it. the only hard bit is the joints of the wing and fus but its nothing a quick touch up wont sort out

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Certainly easier with a pattern like this...

Edited By Martin Harris on 10/02/2017 00:06:43

[Peter Miller]

The dodge used to be that you cut the shapes from card and held them a little bit above the surface so that the spray could just go under the edge for that soft border

[pete taylor]

+1 for freehand airbrushing and another +1 for the elevated card method. Both work well.

Attached picture is the result of the airbrush method and needs a clear matt coat to even out the colours.

[Jimbo565]

Freehand,good luck and guess work

[Denis Watkins]

Wow, Jim, WOW

[Jimbo565]

[Chris Walby]

Thanks guys, free hand looks like the way to go although I think I'll have some fuzzy lines to start with so the underside first for me!

Jim....I live in awe, how you get those invasion strips so straight free hand I'll never know

Edited By Chris Walby on 10/02/2017 11:53:46

[ASH.]

Does anyone have any tips on how to soften hard edges once painted without overspraying etc.

Thanks.

[Charles Galloway]

Do you chaps spray the whole model with one colour first and then overspray the second colour, or spray each area as patches? Does giving a second coat cause any problems?

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Posted by Chris Walby on 10/02/2017 11:46:28:

Thanks guys, free hand looks like the way to go although I think I'll have some fuzzy lines to start with so the underside first for me!

Jim....I live in awe, how you get those invasion strips so straight free hand I'll never know

Edited By Chris Walby on 10/02/2017 11:53:46

For authenticity, nice sharp and straight lines may not be correct! Existing aircraft in service had them painted on "overnight" with brushes and, I believe, minimal, if any masking...

[Jimbo565]

Chris

The camo. is freehand,stripes were masked with sellotape after camo. paint had dried.

Charles

Your first sentence has it right,base colour first then 2nd. colour,no probs. with paint as long as its the same type.

[Keith Sharples]

Chris.

I just winged (literally) it with an air brush, practice on some paper first to get the hang of it. Random pattern, base colour first (the lighter colour) then when dry the darker colour as pattern. I didn't mask anything as an air brush is low pressure

All the best Keith

[Stuart Z]

Posted by pete taylor on 10/02/2017 09:06:54:

+1 for freehand airbrushing and another +1 for the elevated card method. Both work well.

Attached picture is the result of the airbrush method and needs a clear matt coat to even out the colours.

Pete,

Can I ask what paint you used?

Thanks

S

[Denis Watkins]

For airbrushing Stuart, you will read time and time again to spray with the "consistency of milk"

You have bought spectrum enamel, which needs enamel thinners to spray.

Airfix had similar enamel, and now acrylic colours.

Google Vallejo paints, that wargamers use, and suitable thinners

Then there is car paint of the cellulose variety which offers countless mixes.

For IC, you need fuel proofing, which spectrum is, but other paints can be made fuel proof by finishing with varnish.

Let everything dry between stages, at least overnight, but volatile substances, like your enamel, does dry quickly

[Stuart Z]

Denis

Thanks for the input - this is very valuable info!

S

[pete taylor]

I use Tamiya acrylics mainly with good results. They're available in matching rattle cans too for large areas which makes life a lot easier.

For large-area masking i use either newspaper or brown parcel paper tacked into place using 3M Spray Mount, then add any soft edging to the final result freehand using an airbrush, matching up the wing joins etc at the same time.

[Denis Watkins]

Wow Pete, top work

And top rattle can advice and examples, thanks

[pete taylor]

Thanks Denis

Both of those used the Tamiya rattle can/airbrush technique, as did the Albatros and lancaster below .

I use the cans for large areas and airbrush for edging/detail/filling in (aka cock-ups!)

The brown paper/3M method was used exclusively on the Spitfire for all of the roundels, letters and serial numbers to good effect. Cheap too!

[Mike Stevens]

I did my Catalina recently free hand and just blended one into another...will posta pic but if not true scale doesn't look too bad.

[Denis Watkins]

The beauty of the Spitfire goes without saying, and the Albatros was among my first Airfix builds, being so attractive,

But LOOK at that Lanc Pete, it amazes me just how beautiful they are, and enormous by any standard, and on one

Particular day in history, a pilot climbed into that enormous machine believing he could fly it, how brave they were, and they did fly them.

The Lanc is special, lovely camo

[KiwiKid]

Awesome skills there guys - really a treat to see.

One other technique I am fond of is Blu-tac and cling film. You just cut the Blu-tac into thin strips, bend it to the shape of the camo you want and mask off the rest with the cling film which sticks well to the Blu-tac. You can then spray the subject area with rattle cans or an air brush. By spraying down vertically around the edges you can get nice blurred edges. Couple of my humble efforts below - EDF Skyhawk and a PSS Spit..