Hi folks,
Today I feel like taking a little break from my Hawker Tempest build Here because I’d like to share some thoughts on two products that, IMHO, are absolutely brilliant for our scale models.
The first one isn’t actually a modeling product — I usually use it to clean my helmet visor and the windscreen on my bike. But then I thought: how would it work on our aircraft canopies? Well, visors come out crystal clear and silky smooth, water just beads off beautifully — same goes for the windscreen.
So I gave it a try — and let me tell you, the result is fantastic. Easily on par with the legendary Future polish, but way quicker to apply! How do you use it? Just spray a little onto the canopy, gently rub it in with your fingertips, then buff it off with a clean microfiber cloth… and voilà — your canopy will shine like a gem. No waiting around for the wax to dry, and no worries about a stray bit of lint getting stuck while it sets.
Now, it’s not exactly cheap (here in Italy it goes for about €29 on Amazon for a 500 ml bottle), but for this kind of use, it’ll last forever. And considering how hard it is to find Future these days — and how expensive it’s become — this stuff is, in my opinion, the perfect alternative.
Here’s what I’m talking about:
Now let me tell you about the second product — but first, a quick question: have you ever painted part of a kit, masked it off with liquid mask (like Mr. Masking Sol from Mr. Hobby) to paint adjacent areas, then peeled off the dried mask only to find a dark stain messing up the paint underneath? Well, it’s happened to me — and I found it incredibly frustrating.
I’ve also tried Micro Mask from Microscale, but honestly, I find it a pain to remove once it’s dry.
Then, on a Polish website I regularly order from, I came across a product that costs way less than the others (€1.97), doesn’t leave any residue (even on canopies), and is super easy to remove — just rub it with a finger and it comes off in one piece.
I’m sure many of you have your go-to masking products, but I really feel this one deserves a recommendation!
Here it is:
CHEMATIC 010
I hope some of you will find these recommendations useful. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no doubt — these are fantastic go-to products.
Cheers
Dan