The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum

I am trying this for the first time to do the camo on a Hunter for the Musketeer GB.

Has to have been the most frustrating 45 minutes I have spent modelling in ages. The stuff barely seems to need a lot of pressure to get it to stick to the surface in the first place but it loves to stick to itself! Every time a new piece that I was positioning happened to accidentally touch a piece that was already in place, it would stick like glue and pull up part of the piece that was already down. In the end I took it all off and went to do something else non-modelling for a bit.

Is that normal? Is it just a case of I need to be more careful NOT to touch what I've already positioned?

Help appreciated before I try it one more time tomorrow, please.

David

In the UK silly putty is a kids toy that bounces, and shatters when you hit it with a hammer. What you want to use is BluTac (other brands available) which is a temporary fixative mainly used by teenagers to stick posters to their bedroom walls. Fresh tac is quite sticky though will loose it as it accumulates dirt and paint. On removing any traces can be lifted by gently rubbing with a larger piece.

I tied using silly putty after reading how a lot of modellers use it with great effect in the USA,

I found that the UK version of silly putty must be different, as it had a self levelling quality and kept spreading out on its own accord.

I agree with James and find products like Blu Tac work well, but some times leave a greasy residual.

Thanks, gents.

I have tried 'Blue Tac' type products before and, as Splash noted, found they left a slight greasy mark in places on the acrylics I use. Maybe there is a brand that doesn't do that but I tried a couple of the ones available here.

Perhaps I'll just paint the green camo on with a brush and be done with it!

Thanks again.

David

Haven't tried it myself, but I believe White-Tac leaves no residue. It's apparently manufactured by the same company as Blue-Tac, except it's white

Nigel

Well, I made a mess of it. Used a combination of frisket, tape and Maskol. The frisket even pulled up the DSG AND primer on the port wing (and yes, I washed it before painting).



I suppose it will be passable after a lot of touching up.

David

I think you're using the wrong product (or maybe the right product isn't available in the UK). The silly putty I can get here (it's a "generic" brand toy, not the "real stuff") comes in little plastic eggs and is exactly right to use for masking (IMO). Sticky enough to stay where it's placed, not so sticky that it causes problems, and no residue.

I would not personally ever use Blu-Tack for masking because of the oily residue, but as mentioned you can get non-oily versions of the product, if you look for it. I'd still rather use the silly putty.

I masked this Harrier using the putty:

Great result on the Harrier.

I am in Florida and used silly putty in an egg shaped container. Freshly bought at HobbyLobby.


David

Problem no.1 is we are all over the globe.
Blutac is different for each market area because of regulations on product constituents.
I have UK/Irish Blutac; it does not leave any greasy residue, but UK/British does, a wee bit and is harder to remove; it leaves small bits behind. One is made in Ireland one is made in the UK, for the same market though.
Same with Silly Putty; stuff bought here [N.I.] wouldn't stick a thing, it wont hold on any surface and its quite like glazier's putty. I did have US silly putty once, its a really different product to that sold in N.I.
I've used Tesco Whitetac for masking; not very sticky at all, no residue.

Bruce, from where in Australia do you get your silly putty? I've looked in several places without success so far.

Nigel

Nigel, I got mine at Toys'r'Us.

Thank you Bruce, duly noted.

Nigel

I discovered what I was missing about using Silly Putty. When I rolled it into very thin sheets then cut pieces to apply as masks, it stuck to the model and worked just fine.

David

I've always used blu tac without any issues.

I have been using Blu Tac forever. No residue that I have ever noticed. But I will give Silly Putty a test and compare.