Anyone know where to obtain mylar transfers of panel lines and rivets 1/5th scale? Thanks

Frank Baity
AMA 38026

I don't have an answer but am also curious. I will be ordering a 1/5 scale F4U kit and will be adding panel lines and rivets. Please share any pictures you may have.

Best Regards,
Richard

Gents,
I build a lot of scale helicopters in addition to planks.

Panel Lines:
Get your primer layer of paint to where you only need one more coat, say been sanded down to the 320 grit range. Get yourself some "ChartPak" tape at an art store, say 1/32 to 1/16" depending on your scale. Then use the tape to mark out every panel line on the primed surface. Then prime the whole thing again, with specific attention to putting more primer over the tape than over the rest of the model. Let dry, then remove the tape carefully. Lightly sand with 320-600 wet, only enough to get the surface roughed up and not enough to eat into the "panel lines." Access hatches can be made with card stock paper glued down before the tape, sorry forgot to mention that.

So, now you have a model ready to paint. You can do the rivets now or after the color, but before the clear coat.

Rivets:
Oh so many ways. Starwood Scale Models sells a kit for a very reasonable price for this, but it moslty consits of a syringe and needles with the point ground off and he has a special glue he uses. Lay out the rivet lines with very light pencil marks of a hard lead. Laser levels work really cool to line these up by the way. So once you have them laid out, you just go along with plain ole Elmers glue (white) or similar. Once you get the rhythm of laying them down it is fast and easy. You just get the flow going in the syringe and dot, dot, dot, dot, all along the marked line. Let the glue dry (it will be clear). No more sanding now or they are gone. Also by using the glue, if you goof, and I know you will because I do, you can just wipe it off with a damp rag and not leave any residue. These will be strong enough until you get the clear coat on. You can paint over them no problem. Personally, I prefer to do the rivets before the paint, I have friends that prefer to do the paint then the rivets, then the clear.

If you contact Starwood, please tell him I sent you. 1-650-851-9027, he is on the west coast.
Jack

Helijack,

Thanks for your post and the time expended , however this model ( TF GS P-51 ) is Monocoated already and I am looking for mylar transfers to lay on the covering. I have heard of mylar stuff but can't find it for sale anyplace. Thanks anyway.

Frank Baity
AMA 38026

I do not know of the mylar transfers, however, they would most likely have to be clear coated to be fuel proof.

If you are going to clear coat, you might as well draw your panel lines and rivets on the covering. I use Helix brand felt tip markers. The colors are available in 0.1mm, 0.3mm, 0.5mm and 0.8mm The black ones are also available in the same sizes. A set of 4 cost me about $11 at Staples. If you don't have a Staples, almost any drafting supply house or blueprint copying place should have them (or something similar ). Those sizes should cover just about any size line and rivet you would need.

If you look at panel lines on a real plane they are not black. They are usually a very dark, "muddy" brown/black in color.

In any case, the lines and rivets will need to be clear coated to prevent them from coming off.

Hope this is of help.

If you find the mylar transfers, please post the information to the board as there seems to be a lot of people who would be interested.

I've done rivets on Mylar before. I melted them on. I used a soldering iron and brass tubing. Oh, and a dimmer switch to get the temperature correct. Works great. They have been on my ercoupe for 5 years now and they don't rub off.

To achieve panel lines, I masked various panels and then scuffed them with a scotch brite pad. The contrasting grain of various panels implied the panel lines. This worked great with chrome monokote, but I don't think it would work with any other color.