This is the first thing that I would like to know in 2005. Do you have, guys, some special trick to make that beautiful spirals in the spinners, mainly in the german planes? Sure, I am not speaking of decals.

mmmm i'd like to know that too!

cheerz Q!

Hi Ramão i havent done the spinner thing much except on a few commisions i did a few years back
the breif then was absolutley no decals. all had to be painted on :-) so all i did was cut a very thin strip of masking tape around 1mm thick max! and this makes it a lot more pliable and you are able to curve it better i set the two thin strips side by side and then airbrushed inside the section. it seemed to work fine , mate no specialised techniques

Thank you Kenaz.
Then, it was so simple, the secret was there, under my nose and I didn't get to see it
I was trying to make the spirals with strips of masking tape with about 3mm of thickness. Not too pliable this way. I'll try again.

Well, once we are here, how about to know another methods to make those spirals? No need to be a special trick. Does anybody knows?

No problems Ramão! glad i could help a little , there must be tons of ways to do this really lets hear more guys ? please. i'd like to brush up on my aircraft techniques too!

I havn't done any spirals yet but I found a great way to do those single color tips without trying to mask a straight line on a curved surface....

#1 Paint the entire spinner hub the tip color first..

#2 use a Circle template and find the hole that is the right size for the spinner tip that you want...

#3.. then holding the spinner though the circle template. spray the back part of the spinner the base color.. you have to be careful not to get too much paint on where the color changes so you don't get a paint definition line..

this method worked pretty well on my last wingy thingie..

Pushing the spinner trough a plastic bag helps too,it gives a straight line without masking

But those spirals....

Good tip Delbert. (sorry for the pun)
I make mine using a rotary tool in a very low rotation. Your method is very easy too.


Kenaz, I got to mask the spinner of my Stuka, now it is waiting for painting.

Yep, those that get do such perfect spirals have to win a prize.

well mate i.ve been thinking for some time to get into some wingy things for my own enjoyment so you inspired me recently with this post ,
i did the following spinner the same way i explained

That's a nice spinner!!

cheerz Q.

Yep, nice spiral Kenaz
Hmmm...
Well, first I made mine with three spirals, each one starting on the root of each blade and finishing almost in the top of the spinner. I was observing that spiral type during a couple of hours. And I didn't like this way, then I began everything again. I think, the best form of the mask is wide in the beginning and narrowing until the end. Not too much of course.
Now I'm seeing, your spiral is almost in that shape.
I will try again, and again... lol, the worst is that my propeller is in 1/72.
:-)

thanks for the kind comments Q .

Ramão yeah the three type spiral is going to be quite complex and even worse in 1/72 scale :-)
yes do makeit narrow on the top portion it will make it look better ,these things arnteasy though :-) i was truly out of practice when i did this one today ! K

Would it not be a lot easier to use the decal included in the kit?

cheers

Philip

sometimes phillip those decals are more trouble than masking them
espcially when applying softeners and setting solutions etc...

You are right K, and also, in this kit the guys from Fujimi forgot to make a decal with spiral. I think they love to put modelers in action.
Well, after some attempts, and some centimeters of masking tape, I got finally to do my spiral. I think it wasn't so bad, just 80%.
I took a pic, when it is ready I'll show it here.

great Ramão cant wait to see it
glad it worked out !

The spiral on the spinner of this Fw 190 was achieved by painting the spinner white, then simply masking the spiral with a thin piece of masking tape. The tape was cut with a tapering point and simply wound around the spinner. The spinner was then painted red.

The white ring on this Hs 129 was done in a similar fashion. To get the thin piece of tape cut with 2 parallel sides I secured 2 scalpel blades together. Paint the spinner white, mask with the strip of tape ( the mark one eyeball is remarkably accurate when doing this, just keep adjusting until it's right), paint the red tip, mask, paint the green base. Remove the masking and walk around with smug grin on face

Mal

Great, thank you Mal, I got to make my spiral in that way, I just encountered trouble to glue the thin tape on place, but I got it.
And that spinner with three color bands, I made some only with two colors, I had already seen your Henshel article, I was wondering how you had made that.
I'll annotate the tip of the two blades together, I think very hard to cut those thin strips.

Forgot to mention that Tamiya tape is excellent for doing this. However the 190 is an old model and I used normal painters masking tape on it.
kenaz, you spiral masking is awsome
Mal

Thanks mal
i'm not really a wingy thing modeller but i intend to do more i enjoyed my 190 dora i'll put some piccies up soon ! actually i was just about to complement you on your spirals and spinners your Henschel 129 is just beautiful mate. probably the best winter scheme i ever saw on a model aircraft ,its tatty enought to look realistic and worn battle weary, but not at all out of context .

Well thanks Kenaz, If we're not careful we'll be walking around with swelled heads :-)
Love to see your Dora, if the spinner is anything to go by it's a beaut
Mal

Hello, I'm here again, this time to show my spiral on spinner. After some attempts I got to do it.
Thank you guys for the support, your help was very useful. Now I don't have fear of it anymore.
Really, you helped me a lot.



Thanks,
Ramao

Not too bad, huh?

Ramão That looks Fantastic!!!
very well done indeed!