Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Bantam wasp stripes

Wasp Stripe Masking

I really wasn't looking forward to this bit.

One of the main features of the Bantam tug is it's colourful paint job. Starting from the front, we have wasp stripes. Now, I've done these on model locomotives and it's a whole load of no fun. I've not found a method that is easy or enjoyable. Purgatory is black and yellow lines that all have to be the same width and spacing, or the error stands out like a sore thumb.

Anyway, at the aircraft show I bought a metre of masking film. It wasn't with this job in mind but after consideration it proved to be ideal.
  • First, cut the film so it fits the front of the boat.
  • Mark the lines on with a fine permanent marker.
  • Peel the backing off the film and stick it in place.
  • Cut all the lines with a sharp knife and peel every other stripe away.
  • Spray with Matt black paint.
  • Peel the rest of the stripes away and marvel at the result. OK, touch a few bits in with a brush, but generally marvel that it worked so well.
Still not fun though.

Wasp Stripes

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