HQ Paint Mask

[Allan Shannon]

Colleagues

Nearly there with the tiger 1 , needing to do the von Rosen's scheme this week. I feel a bit daft asking this but how do you use the paint mask from HQ?

They have two sheets one with the decals and a plain vinyl sheet. The instructions are probably idiot proof but I cant work it out! What's the plain sheet for?

Regards Allan

[Mike Conley]

You cut the white sheet a little over the size of the paint mask area you've cut. Peel off the white part and that leaves the slightly sticky face of the clear side.

Then press that clear side against the green mask piece. Then peel off the rear side of the mask. That leaves the green piece stuck to the slightly sticky sheet (and it holds the green outlines in place).

Line the letters up where you want'em, press on good, then slowly/gently pull the slightly sticky sheet off. That leaves the green sheet on where you want it. Watch it close cause some green might want to stay stuck to the sheet so use something to help hold'em against the hull while you peel.

Use paper (old newspaper, paper towels, etc) to mask off that whole area cause you don't want overspray on the hull. Then spray a little paint (because you don't want runs), let it get tacky, spray a little more until it's covered good, let it dry then peel off the green sheet.

AND sometimes if there's not too much fine, delicate mask details, if you pull the green sheets off gently, they can be used again (I've did that!).

I've used HQ paint masks on all my Armorteks and I LOVE'EM!!

Mike (the one in Kentucky!)

[Vince Cutajar]

Hi Allan

It's like Mike described. I used the same masks for my Tiger and have to admit that it took a while to figure it out also.

I only found one problem with those masks. My Tiger has zimmerrit and the masks don't adhere well to a rough surface. If you don't have zimmerrit than you should be OK.

To solve my problem, I used the masks as stencils and created other masks with masking tape (have a look at my build log). The masking tape adheres very well to a rough surface and with care can also be pushed in the zimmerritt grooves.

To create the new masking tape masks I stuck a piece of masking tape to a sheet of glass. Fixed the HQ mask on top of the masking tape. One can now cut the masking tape using a Stanley knife or else mark out with a pencil, remove the HQ mask and cut the masking tape with a craft knife.

Vince

[Allan Shannon]

Mike and Vince, thank you very much for helping me out on this issue. I will practice doing the emblem for Von Rosen's unit, which was not used in the Normandy campaign.

My next big thing will be connecting the Steve Winstone's lights so any help with pictures would be great?

Regards Allan