I've been looking at the etch stencils for US vehicles in WWII from Lion Roar and Voyager. How generic are the sets? How easy are they to use? I don't have an airbrush. Can I use a paint brush or small peice of foam to dab the paint on? Voyager makes a set for the M5A1 early version. It appears that they are copies of the decals in the AFV Club kit, with a few extra stencils thrown in. Does anyone know just what is included? Thanks for any help.

Can't answer your question about Lion Roar or Voyager. Stencil-It makes stencil sets for U.S. vehicles, though.

In order to obtain the best results with any stencils in 1/35 scale, use an airbrush. Using a brush will clog up the stencil and result in a poor rendering. More times than not, it'll end up looking like a blob or a smudge.

I reviewed the 1/35 Lion Roar WWII Marks for US Military Vehicles here

As long as the surfaces are flat you might get away with using a sponge or foam but what I have done in the past is after carefully masking around the stencil I have used a can of Games Workshop Skull white- making a few light passes with the can rather than spraying full on.

Others may have more informed opinions (ie; the exact size a given star, etc., should be) here but as for me what you get seem to cover the most common sizes.

Using a "sponging" technique or even dry brushing should work well for you with just a little practice. I've seen both used in order to get a worn look to whatever is being stenciled and the results look good.

But let me suggest to you that you buy an airbrush as soon as you are able? You don't necessarily need to start out with one of the expensive name brands. Harbor Freight carry a fairly nice (read: usable) Chinese knock off AB that runs for much less than one new kit and will put small compressors on sale every now and then at less than $50.
I won't normally suggest the purchase of anything from the PRC but in this case they provide an adequate substitute if money is tight.

Mark

hey there.

I did a review of the LionRour Marking's for U.S. Military Vehicles a while back..

Review is here

It shows whats you get with the template.

Delbert

Thanks for all the replies. I'm still trying to decide which set to get. I'll check out the info on the airbrush and compressor as well.