Back in the 60s i used to make copies of the decal sheet on a heavy grade paper andvthen hand cut the stencils with a hobby knife.....it was labor intensive but this is a great idea....few years back tried making Decals off of my computer but that was a pain as well.
I have the Silhouette cutter and have used it a few times to create masks and stencils. Large, simple shapes come out nicely but small and complex shapes are hit or miss. I have found that using velum works well for some projects better than adhesive based materials. For accuracy in designing, I prefer to use Adobe Illustrator and import the files to Studio Design, the Silhouette software. The weakness of the cutter is its blade which does not always rotate smoothly. I wonder if there are more precise cutters that use a different and more delicate cutting tool without burning or otherwise damaging the masking materials.
I have some Tamiya Tape Sheets on the way to see how the tape works in place of the vinyl masking material. When it comes to painting the U.S. national insignia, I spray the blue first then apply the white over the blue. This eliminates the thin white outline I sometimes get by spraying the white first. Overall an excellent video. Thanks for sharing!
I just went through this process on my own build, not for the markings, which I haven't gotten to yet, but to simulate, the fabric tape on the flight control surfaces. Using a scaled blueprint from the Internet, I created the masks that cover the fabric areas in the Silhouette Studio software , leaving the rib tape exposed. This is painted with primer. After the masks are removed, the areas are very lightly sanded with a 4000 grit sanding sponge. When the later primer coat and final base coats are applied, the rib tape has a subtle look to it. This was on a kit that had no fabric ribbing detail, but should have because all the flight controls are fabric covered. As a final note Paul Budzik has a video on scaling drawings that is very useful for making the size adjustments needed for drawings in scale.
I'm very interested in using a vinyl-cutter for masks, as my focus is on civilian airplanes. Have you experimented with small fonts (maybe tail numbers), and if so, how small is too small?
I have. Usually when the lettering gets down to under 1/2 inch tall, the cutter wont produce a good cut. With my b-17 build in 1/72 scale, the tail numbers I have to do in decals as my cutter could not give me a good mask.
Back in the 60s i used to make copies of the decal sheet on a heavy grade paper andvthen hand cut the stencils with a hobby knife.....it was labor intensive but this is a great idea....few years back tried making
Decals off of my computer but that was a pain as well.
Very cool! True modelling skills.
I have the Silhouette cutter and have used it a few times to create masks and stencils. Large, simple shapes come out nicely but small and complex shapes are hit or miss. I have found that using velum works well for some projects better than adhesive based materials. For accuracy in designing, I prefer to use Adobe Illustrator and import the files to Studio Design, the Silhouette software. The weakness of the cutter is its blade which does not always rotate smoothly. I wonder if there are more precise cutters that use a different and more delicate cutting tool without burning or otherwise damaging the masking materials.
Laser cuts would be the upgrade to vinyl cutters but they are pricey.
I must admit it does look good.
Thank you!
I have some Tamiya Tape Sheets on the way to see how the tape works in place of the vinyl masking material. When it comes to painting the U.S. national insignia, I spray the blue first then apply the white over the blue. This eliminates the thin white outline I sometimes get by spraying the white first. Overall an excellent video. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Frank, great tip! I think you will like the Tamiya sheets better over all.
I just went through this process on my own build, not for the markings, which I haven't gotten to yet, but to simulate, the fabric tape on the flight control surfaces. Using a scaled blueprint from the Internet, I created the masks that cover the fabric areas in the Silhouette Studio software , leaving the rib tape exposed. This is painted with primer. After the masks are removed, the areas are very lightly sanded with a 4000 grit sanding sponge. When the later primer coat and final base coats are applied, the rib tape has a subtle look to it. This was on a kit that had no fabric ribbing detail, but should have because all the flight controls are fabric covered. As a final note Paul Budzik has a video on scaling drawings that is very useful for making the size adjustments needed for drawings in scale.
Thanks for all the great tips!
Cool beans....will check out that video and thanks for the reply..
Super. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
exelent 👍🏾👍👍🏿👍🏽👍🏻👍🏼
Thank you!
HP laser printer uses white toner if you need to add one to you markings options arsenal?🤔
Jman
Thanks for the tip!
I'm very interested in using a vinyl-cutter for masks, as my focus is on civilian airplanes. Have you experimented with small fonts (maybe tail numbers), and if so, how small is too small?
I have. Usually when the lettering gets down to under 1/2 inch tall, the cutter wont produce a good cut. With my b-17 build in 1/72 scale, the tail numbers I have to do in decals as my cutter could not give me a good mask.
Thank you@@StyreneModelersHavenit sounds like I'll have to look for an alternate for all those tiny registrations.
Seems silhouette vs cricut is usually 50/50
on ease of use?😳
Jman
Since I have only used the one, can't really say.
I need help finding a low tack transfer tape.
By first placing Tamiya tape on your clothes, it becomes less tacky.