Making good Masking

[Green_Elite_Cab]

GEC, if you're worried about the angle on the side for your PATCO car, just put the darn car on your copier or scanner and make a copy! Then use the image on the copy as a guide for cutting the film.

(35 years ago, someone told me this was the best way to document PC boards. I slapped my forehead and wondered why I hadn't thought of that.)

Why do I overcomplicate things?

That actually sounds like a good idea, I just need to make sure it gets copied to scale. I suppose its counter intuitive because it may not be easy to fit the shell in there, but i suppose I could prop the scanner open a little.

Very Nice! The LIRR one concerns me though, how did you get the tape in around the hood door seams?

By using 1/8" wide tape strips, I was able to work it into the "depressions" between doors ( etc. ) using a 3/32" dowel with one end formed into a "chisel tip", and another simply tapered to a point. The tape has to be pushed in, as you go. If you laid down the strip and then tried to push it into the crevasses, you would most likely puncture, or break the tape. Metal tools can have "too sharp" edges, and cause cutting or tearing of the tape.
Understand, there is still microscopic "bleeding", nothing is perfect, but unless it is over magnified, it is "unseen".

I'm going to have to make myself one of these tools, that just might work!

There have been some very useful tips posted here, so thank you to all who have contributed their knowledge.

When you do a particular colour mix or thinning of a paint for a project, place a test patch onto a file card [for example] and or a sample piece of styrene. Write down next to the sample patch, the details of the brands, colours, mix ratios, any thinning done and write down the maths in case you make a mistake with your maths.
Compile all these cars in a folder along with sample prototype reference photos and technique notes [building or painting] for each project.

"Oh, I will remember it all my head," just will not happen. You will forget or worse still muddle the facts up.

I hope that these ideas learnt the hard way at work will help you.

Mark

Probably a good idea, especially since I'm trying to synthesize a lot of unique colors. It occured to me today, that I wonder how one would create red tinted windows? (the PATCO cars appear dark, but in the light, they reflect pink/red!) This is just me wondering to myself, That might be going a step to far, considering the kit already came with tinted window pieces, so i'm not going to go that far.

perhaps a light, diluted cote of transparent red, like that from tamiya? I've used similar techniques to create red marker lights, by painting the marker chrome, then putting the transparent red of it. it looks pretty close!