Options on Masking DPM buildings for paint

[eagle5473]

Ok

What do you guys do for painting the DPM style cast in place windows ect on these buildings?   Has anyone had luck with Micro Mask?  Tape other ideas

thanks

Aaron

[spr1955]

I've always hand painted them with a very small brush.

David P.

[Bendtracker1]

I've had pretty good luck with this brand:

http://www.hobbylinc.com/liquid_mask_painting_mask_tape

I used it on caboose & locomotive windows before so that I didn't to remove them.
It comes off pretty easy with minimal picking.  Didn't seem to leave any residue.

[Kisatchie]

I've always hand painted them with a very small brush.

Same here, although it's tedious.


Hmm... ya do what ya
gotta do...

[mightypurdue22]

I've tried several ways.
1) Spray bomb entire building the wall/brick color.  Then use small brush (or disposable microbrush) to paint window trim (seems to work best for me)
2) Spray bomb entire building the window trim color.  Then paint the wall/brick with a brush (worth a try, but won't do it again)
3) Spray bombed walls/brick with masked windows and trim.  This is tedious with limited results as inevitably paint gets under the masking.  Forced to do a lot of little touch up work.

All that said, I think they're a pain in the butt but I like them and still use them.

Dave

[MichaelWinicki]

I painted the buildings two different ways...  One way was painting everything the wall color and then masking off around the windows/doors, and then hand painting those.  The second way was the opposite... painting the entire building with shade used for the windows, and then masking off the windows/door and hand painting the walls.

The masking tape of choice in both instances was Tamiya... Great stuff.

[MichaelWinicki]

2) Spray bomb entire building the window trim color.  Then paint the wall/brick with a brush (worth a try, but won't do it again)

Dave

I gotta say I like this option a tad better than spray bombing/air brushing the whole thing the wall color and then having to hand paint the windows.

Maybe because I'm masking in either case, and by doing so it allows me to use a larger brush on the walls and it seemed to go faster.

Also in many cases I'm using a gray, brown or white on the windows, so the whole thing gets painted gray, brown or white... and then I'm using some kind of brick color on the walls (usually) and the brick color covers better on the brown, gray or white, than doing it the other way around.

[mplsjct]

Spray the windows, brush the brick afterward.

I'm sure some will say the brick detail gets lost in this method, to a degree it does I'm sure, however, how many of us will be taking photos where in this detail is that critical?

For myself, it isn't, your opinion may differ from mine, I'm OK with that.

[One of One-Sixty]

I usually paint the whole things then go back and repaint the windows.  I also paint the inside either black or some other color, depending on if I am going to detail and light the inside.

[nkalanaga]

Spray the building color, then hand paint the windows.  In many cases I sprayed the entire building with Krylon "Ruddy Brown Primer" then hand painted a lot of stuff, like the mortar lines, windows and doors, an occasional brick here and there, etc, so there was little of the Krylon left visible.  It makes a great brick/freight car red color, but can attack styrene if applied wet.

[OldEastRR]

Whichever way you choose, you're going to be doing brush painting, so here's a little trick to make the extra effort worthwhile: paint the sides of all the window and door mullions black, leaving just the front of them the color you want. In an unlighted building, even with the "glass" installed, the black sides blend into the interior darkness and the mullions look scale sized, instead of a foot thick.

[rogergperkins]

I happen to enjoy the challenge of painting the window frames and use Microbrush brand superfine size applicators.
I have used the Polly Scale paints in the past, and will now use Model Colors from Vallejo.
I paint the building body a desired color(s) and then do door and window details.
Because I like the kits and have done 3 or 4 of most kits,  I use these paint variations to make each unique.

I am willing to trying spraying the building kit the color of the windows and doors, but all that masking is not very exciting to me.

[wm3798]

Step 1:  Spray bomb the interiors black
Step 2:  Spray bomb the exterior with the window color
Step 3:  (Very important) let paint cure overnight.
Step 4:  Get some 2" clear packing tape, put it over the entire exterior wall.
Step 5:  Use an X-acto #11, and carefully trim around each window frame, making sure to cut all the way to each corner.
Step 6:  Carefully pull back the tape from the wall surfaces, leaving the trimmed clear tape on the window frames.
Step 7:  Spray bomb the walls, add weathering, etc.
Step 8:  Poke through the back of the windows and push out the masks.
Step 9:  Install your clear acetate windows, add any window details you like
Step 10:  Assemble the building.

It's important to also drink a beer between each step.

Lee

[strummer]

Good strategy Lee, especially the part about the beer(s)...

Mark in (soon to be very wet) Oregon

[mightypurdue22]

I'm all for trying Lee's method.  After all that's 9 beers...