stash4466

Hey guys! How do i put scale panel lines on a fiberglass wing? I dont want to use tape or markers ! This is for a giant scale warbird. Any help would be great! stash

abufletcher

The standard procedure is to lay thin strips of tape down on the panel lines, then spray with primer until the tape is covered. Next, you carefully sand down until the tape is exposed, then VERY carefully peel up the tape, leaving behind a recessed panel line.

stash4466

Thanks for the info!

Tmoth4

My Feedback: (1)

1/32" Chatpak tape is what you want to use. Get the crepe type that can do curves.

Jim

acerc

If you want truly scale panel lines buy a roll of FliteMetal and make the actual panels.

TerryW

Have been looking for some kind of tutorial on how to go about doing the tape and making lines etc. Any help here ??

TomCrump

There are a couple methods, when using tape.

Are you looking for butt joints, or overlap joints ?

The Stuka, picture below, has butt joints, using 1/64" tape.. The Cessna wing has overlapped joints

TerryW

I build WWII type aircraft, but they use both styles, overlap and butt joint. I will be doing a Spitfire as my main focus, but am going to practice doing a P 51 first.

TerryW

I also forgot to ask where would you get 1/64 wide tape ?

TomCrump

.015 http://www.injectorall.com/draftingtapes.htm

TomCrump

For butt joints, lay out your lines, and place the tape directly over them. I do this over a primed, ready to paint, airframe. I use automotive high build primer and give the lines two good coats. When the primer sets up, but isn't fully dry, I pull my tapes. After the primer is fully dry, I give the airframe a light sanding with 400 grit to get rid of any ridges.

I find that if you wait until the primer is fully dry, that I run the risk of tape, and tape residue, being left behind on the airframe.

Overlap panels take some planning. On a fuselage you have to start at the bottom, and at the rear. Tape is placed on the rear/lower panel, and paint is built up on the forward panel. An airbrush is excellent for this type of work. On wings, I start at the most rearward panel. If you have long, straight lines you can paint more than one panel at a time. I work in one axis at a time. On a wing, I start span wise and work towrds the leading edge. Then I start at the wing tip, and move to the wing cord..

This may explain it a little better. I go through the process, with pics, starting here: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...005782&page=74

Leroy Gardner

Back sometime ago I perfected the art of scribing pannel lines and rivets for my 1/5th scale Mustang. They are cut in to the primer prior to painting, the lines are .012 thousandth" wide. I made the tools to do it out of dental picks and brass tubes.

OldScaleGuy

My Feedback: (2)

Leroy, can you give us any more details about the tools and the process?

Leroy Gardner

Steve for some reason the URL address won't go there, so go to the search box and type in ( east lines and rivets ) you will find it that way, it's in Tips & Techniques, did it some time ago.

Leroy

OldScaleGuy

My Feedback: (2)

Found and book marked. Thank you! Maybe the link will work from this computer.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/tips...es-rivets.html

Leroy Gardner

You just taught me something, every since they changed the format I'm still trying to figure it all out. Thank you,

Leroy

frets24

My Feedback: (15)

Here's a quick graphic to give you an idea of what Tom is talking about and then a few pics of an early P-51 and my latest Zero.

P51 taped, primed and then a few of how it looks after paint and weathering.

On the tail of the Zero you can see a combination of the chart tape and layered painter's tape to give me both the fillet panel around to forward root of the vert.stab and panel lines on the rest of the stab.

On the wing there is a bunch of HVAC foil tape which is great for doing access panels, hatches, inspection covers, etc. Entire A/C gets a silver base coat so when the weathering is done and color is lightly sanded away, edges chipped etc it really makes things "pop"...especially the foil tape accents since it really is real aluminum showing through.

TomCrump

Thanks for posting the pics, frets 24. I deleted mine, long ago.

Nice work on those birds !

frets24

My Feedback: (15)

Thanks, Tom!

I save all of my pics both on the sd card and on a disc as well as two seperate drives on the computer......Yes, I'm a hoarder!!! Learned about redundancy the hard way and since I know a percentage of our planes will unexpectedly expire and rekit themselves it's nice to have the pics to remember them by.

fly20

My Feedback: (2)

How do you guys cut out those perfect circles from the aluminum tape? Even with a new blade it always seems to grab and tear.

Leroy Gardner

Use a round nose blade with a film of 3-in one oil on it, the blade needs to be razer sharp, I use a diamond hone to keep it that way.

frets24

My Feedback: (15)

Scribe the circle using a circle template and a good sharp pencil then cut out with scissors. Look at it from the backside after to see where it might need to be trimmed or shaped up...easier to eyeball the shape without the glare.

TomCrump

I do that, too.

I've also sharpened cut off pieces of wing tubes. Place the sharpened end on the aluminum and smack the other end with a hammer. It's a poor man's die cutter. LOL

You can see one on the fuselage of my Stuka, just below the elevator control horn, in the attached pic.

fly20

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks guys. I'll give all the techniques a try.