I have a couple of models working or in the pipeline that have a gun sticking out a window. What is the best way to paint that? It seems there are three options:
1: install the window with the gun in it, mask around it, paint it, hope you don’t break it off
2: temporarily install the window without the gun, mask it, put something in the hole for the gun, paint it, remove it, install the gun, attach it permanently
3: just mask the opening and paint the plane, paint the glass separately
other options? I know how good I am at breaking off sticky-out things…
Are you thinking a machine gun sticking out of s glass window of a bomber?
In that case I would install machine gun in the glass, paint machine gun and then install the glass.
Facing a similar dilemma with the waist guns on a Hasegawa B-25.
I’m thinking of nipping the barrels off, installing the main body of the gun behind the glazed panel, fitting them and sticking in the barrels last of all. After painting, decals etc.
It should work if I keep the holes clear. I also want to add the belts to the guns and I can’t see anyway besides keyhole surgery, to do this after.
My thoughts for when I tackle my B-25/PBJ is to paint the guns first. If possible fill the opening with foam to paint the fuselage then install the gun and glass. Of course dry fitting before hand will help to ensure no putty work afterwards is needed. Install after decals.
If putty work is needed, paint guns, install both gun and glass, putty and mask both to paint fuselage.
I would also except for the below wing insignia, try to keep the model in a jig/lazy susan for decals etc to limit knocking bits off.
Obviously, the gun must be painted beforehand, and then installed in the window. The part of the window where the gun fits in usully needs some paint as well.
Before airbrushuiing the fuselage, i would recommend to mask the gun by wrapping a piece of kitchen paper around the gun with some maskign tape on the exterior, and on the glass; This is much easier to remove than masking tape over the gun, and avoids a breaking gun, or a gun disapearing inside the plane.
The rest of the transparent part: mask the fuselage with masking tape, fill in the transparetn part with liquid maskign fluid and remove the fuselage masking tape before the fluid hardens. This way you have a straight window
I ran into this same situation on some of my builds. I approached it two different ways and both worked. Both were B-25’s. On one, I painted the the guns first and installed them knowing id have to repaint the barrels.
The other i filled the waist windows with a couple of foam ear plugs. I left the nose glass off on this particular build and masked over the bombadiers area, painted everything and then installed the clear parts. Both worked well. I found liquid masking works well on the hole that the gun barrel sticks through to prevent any overspray from getting through.
I’ve temporarily installed them as well using Micro Krystal Kleer so that the paint job is uniform. Since it’s water soluable removing it is usually pretty easy. This also provides a means to spot clean the clear parts again if there’s any fogging from the painting process… which has happened. Hope this helps:v:
