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Technique review: masking with silly putty

Remember those funny little plastic eggs with the silly putty inside that we used to capture comic images from the Sunday paper? That wonderful toy material is still around, is still a bargain, is safe to have around the kids.... I read somewhere, sorry, I can't site the source or credit the author, but who ever has my acknowledgement and thanks, where some ingenious chap used silly putty to mask a tank for a first class camo paint job. I have been working on a 1:48 Tamiya Bristol Beaufighter MK VI (fighter/bomber version)....and stumbled on the article on silly putty and elected to give it a try. I'm super glad I did, and am so pleased with the results and the ease and cost of the proceedure that I felt compelled to post and share this cool little gimmick with those who follow RMS. There is no trick to it. I took the template that came with the instructions, although, one could easily generate their own, and mashed out a "miniature pie crust" that was laid over the template. Next, trim the excess from around the outline of the template and set it on the aircraft (or what ever your subject) trim with scalpel, knife and or scissors. For a sharp edge, create a sharp close fit. To obtain a "soft edge" simply roll the edge up with your fingertips and airbrush at 45 degrees across the work (perpendicular) as opposed to parallel to the edge of the silly putty. When the paint dries, just pull off the silly putty and put it back in it's little plastic egg until next time. Who ever belongs to this idea....Thanks, it's a great idea that works, and the results are super! I highly recommend this technique and put it up at the top of the list of cool tricks, right up there with "sludge wash" and dipping clear parts in Future. Respectfully submitted, Bruce Apple

Reply to
Bruce Apple
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Not really a "new", nor "little known" technique. Over the past few decades, more than a few out fits have marketed such "masking compounds". It seems to have been relatively unpopular, but not exactly "little known".

On a similar note, I have seen someone use toothpaste in the same way. He "squirted" it methodically onto the model, using a large bore syringe; (like those "Cajun Injector" BBQ brisket contraptions) and got great results. He also noted that one should not use a toothpaste that had a peroxide-based whitener, for obvious reasons.

Reply to
Greg Heilers

Don't re-use the toothpaste either- Man did that taste awful!

Curt

Reply to
Curt

I've used Silly Putty as an aircraft camouflage masker with good results.

HOWEVER...

I found it left an oily residue behind which caused a flat coat I sprayed on to "bead up". Some of the IPMS guys suggested that cleaning the "Silly Puttied" area with a water and ammonia solution will remove the oil residue so the paint will lay down. I haven't tried this yet but intend to.

Martin

Reply to
centennialofflight

I use it now all the time with Tamiya acrylics for cammouflage patterns, and it works very, very well.

I draw the cammouflage pattern on the base coat with a pencil, then use rolled "worms" of Silly Putty to border the color area. You just pick them up and move them on to mask off the next color zone. Depending on how you angle the airbrush and how thick you make the "worm", you can get a hard or feathered edge.

Unlike Fun-Tack or those temp adhesives, the brand-name Silly Putty leaves no residue and does not peel the paint off. I haven't tried any of the knock-off brands, so I can't vouch for them.

Frank

Reply to
Brooklyn Modeler

Marty:

Be warned-anything with ammonia in it will also remove acrylic paints.

Bill Shuey (sadder but wiser after using windex)

Reply to
William H. Shuey

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