I was wondering if some of you mask your windows on your buildings or engines? How do you go about doing it. I have some liquid mask. Is their a better way? Failures are allowed on this thread. What didn't work?
Bill, I am not a fan of using liquid mask. I use blue painters tape and a new x-acto blade to cut the tape around the windows. Works for me. John iuse
Thanks John, I am glad you replied, I mistook you for someone else on another thread, great photo's of your layout
Hi Bill, I have tried it a few ways, so far. Let me start off by saying, I usually start with an undecorated unit, so they come with no "FRA part 223 glazing", it is less a pain but on these, I try not to install the glazing till the very last. I have masked off, where I thought the windshield wipers would have wiped the windows clean, but then you gotta peel the tape then try to install the wipers and glue so as to not mess up your finished model.. It is probably my fault, but I have had little luck with the masking paint. So far, I cant get paint, weathered or not, to peel when I want it to, but man the paint lifts when I don't want it to, every time, all the time. But that's just me.. Maybe if I wasn't a Local Chairman things would go better LOL. As you know better than me, we used to have "cab cleaners, at every crew change" these were good jobs and those folks did their jobs and cleaned every cab and all windows of every engine. They did this while the carmen filled the journal boxes and looked for defects on the train. Here we called them "puddle jumpers, as they jumped across all the ice reefer drains (lots of peaches), but they were good carmen" and great guys, would help or give you anything they had to help with the movement of traffic, those carmen were the best to us. If they gave us a defect on a "roll by", they would tell us just to stay on the head end, and they fixed it; just a great bunch of folks to work with. MW guys were just as good to us, what great guys, and boy they are so funny, I have so much enjoyed working with all these folks, you know what I mean. You MW guys had the best jokes, rumors, and food, but you guys are generally in need of some physiological help by the way. But I ain't telling you nothing new.
Bill, I make an attempt to take out the windows on a painted unit prior to stripping off the paint. I had a Broadway Limited SW 7 that was unpainted from the factory. Now why would the factory on a unpainted unit install the windows, handrails, and all the other details on this thing glued in, is beyond my comprehension. I made an attempt to take out the windows, them puppies were in for the duration, they were going to break so I just masked them off. Most of the times, the windows will come out, just take the time to take them out. John
The windows on the Baldwin I just finished look bad because they were factory glued in and the interior glued too locking them in place. I was afraid to pull them apart for fear of damage. For what its worth I use the yellow frog tape for most all my masking needs on models.
Originally, I thought to get most thoughts on masking, but what this was really about was spraying the dull Côte after you have finished. Any comments on that. I have just sprayed the Windows, but that dosent look good on all models. Comments? Should have brought up the dull Côte first, beat me with a wet noodle. Sorry !!
Funny Bill, I ASSUMED you were thinking Dulcoat! I have screwed up plenty of windows that way. But I have saved a lot by going back over it with gloss coat or Future after. If it doesn't cure too long it can be carefully scraped off with a damp toothpick also. My other thought would be masking oversized around windows onto the body, then carefully brushing dulcoat around them on the body. Good luck, show us how it goes.
I too, hate models with windows glued in place. When faced with that, I cut masking tape covers for the windows to spare them all the painting/weathering/dullcoat routines. A hassle... but necessary IMHO. Toughest I've done was cutting the window masks for an NW-2. The arched cab top windows were a royal pain. Thankfully, that particular project was in S scale, so I had a bit more fudge room. They only time I've intentionally modeled dullcoat onto a window is when I use a windshield wiper effect on an F-type engine. Otherwise, the dullcoat on the windows make for an abandoned looking model instead of one that is working for a living. As an engineer, I keep my primary windows clean so I can see the track conditions, where my ground crew is, etc, etc. Plus, a dirty window is nearly devoid of visibility when having to look into a setting/rising sun situation.
Well the window's that came with the tug boat are a total loss. I did have a clear plastic sheet that came with another kit. That worked much better and I was able to cut the windows out of that. Easier to cut them a little bigger to keep the glue away from the viewing area.
