Customising advice required

[amesmj]

Well i'm no expert Neil, but to mask i would use Tamiya Masking tape, it's available from most model stores or Hobby Craft and then i would probably mix my own colour with Humbrol paints.

[Reg the Caterpillar]

Well, not so much of a custom job but a chance to correct and error. I've just received the First Choice Monarch Bristol Britannia. I've always had a problem with the mould due to the way the wings have been attached with a huge seam that eats into the fuselage, meaning the wing assembly has a large amount of fuselage on it. This 'issue' is then compounded when the manufacturer can't be bothered to paint that part that part of the fuselage the correct colour. The result on the Monarch is that there is a substantiam area of real estate that is silver rather than black.

Anyway, to cut a long story short this model was relatively cheap on ebay so I bought it with the intention of painting the offending area the correct yellow colour. It wouldn't hide the seam but it would make the model look a damn sight more authentic.

What I need to know is how to colour match the paint, what sort of paint to get and any perils associated with the application of masking tape. I would hate to carefully apply the paint to the offending area only for the tape to strip the cheatline...

Any advice will be greatfully received.

[Jolly-Roger]

Hi Neil. I might try and fill the seam using Humbrol filler. It's like a fine grey filler pastethat can be applied quite easily and canbe carefully sanded down using a fine grade of emery paper. It's used widely for plastic models but I have used it on other materials and seems to do the trick. Just squeeze a bit out of the tube and apply using a thin flat toothpick, then allow to dry before sanding down.
<DIV>In respect to colour matching I have taken to using acrylic paint in the "Model Color" range (it's a Spanish product in little plastic bottlesand available at most Modelzone shops). The colour range ishuge and you can get about 10 shades in every colour, and they are easily mixed to refine the shade you need. Also being waterbased they dry very qiuckly.</DIV>

[Reg the Caterpillar]

Thanks Mike. Probably won't bother filling the seam as it will be tricky to sand it down in that area without affecting the existing paintwork. I'll check out the paint though as there is a Modelzone at a shopping mall that's not too far away. Might just take the model a long and try and match it in the shop.