Tin foil masking

The P51 isn't just shiny metal, no, it needs some colour too. Normally I'd be inclined to brush paint these as I'm not very good at masking things. Well, it always seems to be a load of trouble and I prefer working with a brush, especially when you have panel lines to follow.

However, this time I was determined to do the job "right" so the tail fin was masked with Tamiya tape (buy the refills, they are cheaper than the new stuff and just the same except you don't get a plastic holder) cut into narrow strips.

To cover most of the plane, kitchen aluminium foil was wrapped around the model and secured to the Tamya tape with normal masking tape.

Foil works better than paper for this job as it stays put when you wrap it around the model - paper has to be stuck in place or in inevitably flaps just when the spray is pointing in that direction. Well, it does for me anyway.

After spraying with yellow acrylic, the masking was removed. My lining up hadn't been perfect but the excess paint was peeled off with a cocktail stick so all looks OK.

At the front, a similar trick was used for the blue nose. I even re-used the foil. I was impressed with the way the Tamiya tape stuck over the engine exhaust ports. It had been touch and go whether I'd stick these in place before painting and now I'm glad I did.

This time the paint used was a glass enamel. Like the acrylic, it adhered to the Mr Color paint perfectly well. The base coat had enjoyed a couple of days drying time in a dust-free box. How long you need to leave it before being able to peel off tape without lifting is a mystery since the instructions on the bottle are in Japanese.