Personally, I have zero sympathy...

...for modelers who want the result without doing the work.

I monitor a number of the modeling web sites. Why not. Occasionally someone posts a link of interest. For the most part though, I breeze through a lot of crap. Though I speak the same language as these folks, their purposes and mine are a little different. Their concerns and excitements are rarely my own. The other day though, someone was seeking advice. I read the post twice to confirm what was written there. It was very simple. This guy had a model in progress, and apparently he got to the canopy masking stage and there was no pre-cut commercial mask for this subject. (Subject wasn't mentioned.) What should he do? He admitted to being not very good at masking canopies on his own. What should he do?

Oh...I don't know. Develop a modeling skill?

Some guy literally could go no further without one of these make-life-easier crutches? Modeling has been dumbed down to this sort of thing? Part of me wants to weep. Another is not surprised.

Why learn to spell? There's spell-check. Arrggghhhhhhhhh.

When I look at a built model for the first time, what strikes me initially is the finish. If I like that I look harder. The very next place I look is the canopy. How convincing a job was done here? A simple fact: Achieving believable airplane clear parts in miniature is not easy. If one grows up believing what comes in plastic kits, viewing a real airplane canopy for the first time will hold a surprise or two. First, the material is amazingly thin compared to the polystyrene representations you get with a model. The other thing is that in the vast majority of cases, the plexiglass blends perfectly into the rest of the airplane. No ledges. No look like the canopy was bolted on last at the airplane factory. Same with leading edge landing lights. They look like a clear segment of the skin. Examine models at the next meeting or contest. See how rarely this fact is addressed.

The other aspect of nearly all canopies is some sort of framing to hold the clear sections in place. In the old plastic model days this framing was represented by quite exaggerated raised bars -- to make it easier for the modeler to paint? Certainly this was not found on the real airplane. Unfortunately for the modeler, actual canopy framing is not particularily raised, if at all, is quite thin, quite even, quite symmetrical and if it's anything short of these aspects on the model, it's quite noticable. In some cases, it's also quite extensive. How to replicate this framing headache? There are a number of ways, none of which could be termed "easy."

There's no magic touch involved. Either you can work with small items or you can't. Building models is all about working with small objects and masking canopies is part of the process. Like any other process, practice makes it understandable and less intimidating. You simply have to slow way down and focus hard on what you are doing, if you want to do a good job. One needs a steady hand and the ability to work precisely with cutting instruments. Any mistake, any deviation in straightness or width of a frame will jump out at the viewer if it's allowed to pass the inspector. Practice. Learn to do by doing. Pay your dues, if you will. This kind of diligent work takes time and usually isn't considered "fun." But a hobby's supposed to be FUN! What to do?

In an attempt to free the modeler from this part of his or her burden, pre-cut canopy masks were created and  marketed. Adhesive-backed pieces are supposed to be lifted off the backing sheet and placed over the various areas on the canopy to remain clear. Once in place, you paint the canopy, peel away the mask pieces and voila -- perfect framing paint job. They are designed to fit specific kits, or so they say. (I can imagine teams with masking tape and kit canopies and bright lights, optivisors, in a laboratory setting, masking, cutting, peeling and putting individual pieces on some flat surface to be copied and duplicated and mass-produced...how the hell do they create these things anyways?)

I was skeptical. I knew what it took to achieve precise painted frames on clear parts. I got to use a couple of these masking kits on jobs I did for a very fussy client. This gentleman was a modeler and a lawyer. He liked my work and would send a kit with just about all the aftermarket items available for it. One was a 1/48th Zero and another was a 1/48th Me.210. The Zero came with a True Details mask set; the '210 a Meteor Productions "Black Magic" set, I think they were called. In both cases I only got a couple masking pieces into the process. It was instantly evident I'd have to go back and fine-tune these things with my own masking tape. What I was supplied with was almost getting the job done, but not quite. Was I too fussy? What was certain was that I knew what I wanted to see, and someone else's idea of masking wasn't getting me there. Glad I didn't pay for these things. I'll do it my own "old-school" way, thank-you very much.

Regardless of my experience, these things have gotten quite popular. I hope they've gotten more precise in what they are supposed to do, but I have no plans to buy one and see. They've gotten so popular that at least one person has evidently become dependent on them. That's fine. If somebody wants to allow the models they build to be dictated by canopy masks available, that's their business. Seems pretty bizarre to me.

Wonder how the dude's spelling rates?

How to mask canopies: http://retailers.kalmbach.com/product.aspx?id=12440&sc_section=%7B2DF79998-C809-47E3-9D0F-7A586E41848D%7D

Pages 33-34.

Comments

[Douglas]

Due to economic reasons I've never been able to afford after market items like canopy masks.Maybe I'm wrong in saying this but it seems to me that ones time would be better spent masking canopies the old way.Of course I'm something of an old school model builder anyway but that's my two cents on the topic.

[Pat Hawkey]

The fact is, beautiful frame painting jobs were being done long before the arrival of pre-cut masks. I'm not anti-pre-cut masks. I don't need them. I can't imagine becoming reliant on such a thing. Painting canopy frames is a job I don't trust to anyone but me. I'm too fussy. It seems to me that if one wants to be a respectable modeler, one ought to accept the fact that there are tedious aspects to the process. That's just the way it is. If you can find acceptable ways around that, go for it. And good luck.

I'm quite happy in my old-school ways. See you on the old-school bus.

[Tory]

Wow, not building a model because there isn't a pre-cut vinyl mask made for it? Seriously? What has the hobby become? Are modelers just another group of lazy, need it done for me, instant gratification morons?

I'm with you Pat, learn a skill, that is what this hobby is all about. Or find someone talented to build the damn thing for you. I can recommend someone! ;^)