Masking Canopies with Parafilm

Tools 'n' Tips Article by Frank Crenshaw in 2004

 

The only thing you really need to mask with Parafilm, is of course Parafilm. I get mine from the hobby shop, or it can be mail-order from www.micromark.com. I am not sure how this technique will work with standard hobby knives, and I HIGHLY recommend getting some scalpel blades. I get my scalpel blades from www.riogrande.com. They come in a box of 100 for about $20.00 USD. A real bargain IMHO. These scalpels are only slightly more expensive than regular hobby blades, but are far superior in so many ways. The cost is kept down by them not being sterilized. Scalpel blades from sources such as Micromark are much more expensive, and tend to be the surgical (sterilized) blades. Unless you are really anal - you don't need sterilized blades to work on plastic kits...

Click on images below to see larger images

 

 
Masking begins by cutting a piece of Parafilm off the roll (this piece is about 1/2 wide). The paper wrapper is removed and the Parafilm is stretched out. This stretching makes the film much thinner and very rubbery. I normally try to keep the side that was covered by the paper toward the plastic, but I am not sure it really matters which side you use. It seems to work regardless.
The stretched out film is draped over the canopy. Do not try to put this stuff on like you would tape. Do not try to follow panel lines, or stretch it to make it conform and follow lines. If you do this - you will not like the results as the film will pull up and away - usually while painting..

DRAPE the film on and carefully press it into place on the part. Normally I do one side of the canopy, then the other if the film doesn't fit over the whole canopy.
The other critical thing as that more than one layer be placed on the canopy. So after the first layer is in place - cut another piece of film and repeat the procedure of stretching, and draping the film to cover the first layer.

I normally only use two layers - but if using something hot, like heavily thinned enamels or lacquers, I go ahead and do three layers of film.
Once the layers are in place, I take a new blade and hold it between my fingers to cut the canopy frames. I find that the scalpel is so sharp that it only needs the smallest of pressure to score the lines. Holding the blade in my fingers gives me terrific control. I have no trouble at all masking very complex frames, or frame that have complex curves. I have even masked the canopy on a 1/100 scale B-52 without any trouble.
Again - don't worry about getting the whole canopy at one shot. I build up the layers on a side, cut it out then do the top, then the other side. Once the frames are cut free, of one needs to touch up, the Parafilm is very rubbery and is super easy to push around with the edge of a toothpick. This is how I am able to do the fine rounded corners such as are on an F-86 windscreen without much fuss. I cut the film square and push it (using my toothpick) into the rounded shape.

Here is the finished canopy - it took me about 10 minutes to do the whole thing. That is because this is a very easy canopy - but this Parafilm masking works great and is a fast, efficient, and effective way to mask every sort of canopy. It even works great on vac canopies.  

Also - it doesn't matter if you future your canopies or not - the Parafilm doesn't react with future (as long as it's dry of course).

As to attaching windscreens - that doesn't really matter. I USUALLY use something called crystal watch cement (also available from www.micromark.com). This stuff is superior for attaching canopies (usually). If I have a canopy that has no frame where the clear part attaches to the fuselage (such as the Tamiya P-51) then I use something I call "future goo"

this goo is gelled future. I discovered it accidentally about 8 years ago.. I left some future in my dipping cup and forgot about it - and for some reason, rather than tossing the cup, I tried to clean it out. Under a hard skin of future there was this super thick "goo". I figured that stuff might come in handy so I put some of it in a paint bottle and have been using it ever since to attach canopies and other small clear items. It dries perfectly clear - but isn't as strong a glue (but stronger than you might imagine).

But usually I just use the crystal watch cement..

Hope this helps make your masking easier.


Regards,
 

Frank Crenshaw

Photos and text © by Frank Crenshaw