Hey all,
I have run into an issue that I've not really anticipated, being a newly returning modeler. I am working on a British Challenger 2 (Tamiya), and this tank has a lot of clear parts that go all over the top of the turret (Commander's periscopes, etc.), on the top of the hull (driver's periscope, headlights), and on the back (tail lights). I was wondering how you go about painting this thing. Obviously, you can't put the glass in place, then paint. Masking the tiny glass areas appears to be unrealistic. The only apparent way to do this is to do all the painting (preshading, base coat, postshading) to the tiny areas around where the glass goes, install the glass pieces, then mask the larger areas around the finish painted areas, (the spots where the glass now is), then paint the rest of the tank. I can't do ALL of the tank because the turret and hull can't go together until after the glass is installed, thus, a Catch-22. I have several more current production tanks to build, and I'm sure they all have this kind of problem. What have all of you done when encountering this kind of thing? HELP!

Hi Curtis and welcome back to modeling. I use a liquid mask (I think the one I have is actually called Liquid Masking Film)which is thin enough to flow into the corners yet thick enough not to run all over where I don't want it. Applied with a fine round brush it does a good job, any accidental paint spots can be 'rubbed' away gently with a toothpick cut to a flat wedge shape. I should mention I only use acrylics and would be interested in hearing other ways to do this.

Where I can I leave out the glass, for example if I can place through the bottom of the turret, etc, until I am done painting. The ones that I can't leave out, liquid mask, masking tape, and or wet kleenex(facial tissue).

In some case that glass is further back in, so I paint the base coat color around the opening, install the glass and insert very small pieces of wet kleenex.

I never considered using wet tissue paper. I use either masking tape or liquid mask. I wouldn't suggest Bob Divley liquid mask. It is too thick, hard to apply with a brush and(when sprayed) shrinks along cuts that define the edges.

I usually add masking tape before assembling the transparent parts. This allows me to carefully cut the tape in place. Paint as normall and then using a knife edge, peel away the tape.

That's something else I never considered. Guess I'm too used to masking wingy things.

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I hadn't considered doing any kind of masking of the clear parts BEFORE assembly. I think that makes the most sense, for the case I'm talking about. I think it was simply way too hard to do what I was originally thinking. It will be MUCH easier to cover the clear parts so that I can just get down to doing all the painting/shading at one time, as I wanted to do all along. The masking will allow me to do that. Thanks again.

I love this place!