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Building Tips and technical articles. => Paint and finishing => Topic started by: wwwarbird on April 20, 2010, 10:44:15 PM

Title: Masking and spraying "Stars and Bars" etc.
Post by: wwwarbird on April 20, 2010, 10:44:15 PM
 How do you guys do it? I'm trying to figure out the best way to mask and spray U.S. "Stars and Bars" or any other multi color insignias and be able to end up with everything lined up perfectly. I assume most nowadays are using computer cut spray masks for this, but the only material I've seen for that comes in white and you can't see through it to line things up. I would imagine the order of colors to be white, then blue, and then red last if used. I know it's a little work, but could someone post a photo tutorial on this process?
Title: Re: Masking and spraying "Stars and Bars" etc.
Post by: Balsa Butcher on April 21, 2010, 07:31:39 AM
I use masks from Contol Line Central for single color decorations. I've never asked them about multi-color masks. For stars and bars and multi-color designs it's always been a matter of transferring the design to the surface then mask, shoot, mask, shoot again and touch-up until you are satisfied with the result.  8)
Title: Re: Masking and spraying "Stars and Bars" etc.
Post by: wwwarbird on April 25, 2010, 08:17:50 PM
 Thanks Pete.

 Sparky???
Title: Re: Masking and spraying "Stars and Bars" etc.
Post by: Stan Tyler on April 27, 2010, 02:50:48 PM
Wayne,

I don't have a pictorial of the process, but it isn't too difficult.

When I create a multi layer mask, I add alignment marks to each mask. I also create the mask as overlays so that each layer is aligned and the alignment marks, or targets, will be exactly overlayed. For a Stars and Bars, I make the bottom layer the overall outline, which will be painted white. The next layer goes on top of the existing mask and covers the white outline so that the internal star doesn't get painted over. Then the blue gets sprayed.  Then if it's a post '43 insignia, the second layer gets removed and the next layer for the red gets placed.

The alignment marks make it easy to place one layer over the other.

That's how I do it.

Regards,
Stan
Title: Re: Masking and spraying "Stars and Bars" etc.
Post by: wwwarbird on April 27, 2010, 08:04:39 PM
 Thanks Stan. That's pretty much what I had figured, but I would still be a little nervous about getting the placement absolutely exact when you can't see through the masking material. It surely would not be fun to fix if you were off just a little. To date I've always used various decals for such markings, but I'm thinking in the future I'd like to get to painting them.
Title: Re: Masking and spraying "Stars and Bars" etc.
Post by: FLOYD CARTER on April 28, 2010, 04:20:39 PM
I can recommend the paint-mask sets available from RG Graphix.  Ralph provides
a written sequence for the various masks so that you get them oriented
properly.

Floyd