The Little World

Wi’ nod to George Formby…

My relationship to clear plastic parts and canopy windows has changed over the decades. My original plan was to cover them with cement fingerprints and I can report that my first years in the hobby were entirely successful.

Even if the Mounties in Kaslo B.C. lose my 1966 fingerprints ( taken for the innocent purpose of emigration, rather than crime… ) I think there must still be some form of record impressed into a number of scale model B-36 and F6F canopies.

Heretofore I have tried brush painting, bow pen lining, tape masking, and fluid masking – with varying degrees of success. All have their uses, and all their flaws. This time I experimented with a combination. As the nose of the Mi-2T was a very finely-moulded whole, I cemented it onto the fuselage and essayed to mask it with both tape and Mr Masking Sol Re2. This is the Creos product that goes fairly hard when set.

Too hard, sometimes. I wanted an easier peel-off this time so I blanked the centre of each panel with standard model masking tape. The edges abutting the fuselage were filled in with the fluid mask.

Not a tough job, nor a long one. Economical on tools; a sharp satay skewer as applicator.

Results in the final report.