Just used this technique on my four piece Stuka cockpit....WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!!

There are lots of ways to do canopies, this is the easiest. Acrylics are more forgiving than enamels so removing any over spill with a toothpick really makes a difference. Thank you for sharing 😀👍

It took me an additional liter of Scotch to get such a steady hand

Thank you for this video. It's an old one, but still out there. It is very good to see how to paint by hand. I do not have air brush. And only use acrylic paint. So you can see how helpful this was. Thanks again

I did try this and I now have a new way to do complex canopies without fear of scratching or cutting the canopy during masking. My own results on this same canopy (Tamiya Zero 1/48th scale) are just so fulfilling .. very pleased indeed. Oh and Ive only been modelling for 55 years ... I win at being the slow learner.

this technique works out so well when using tamiya acrylic. i remember as kid doing this and completely forgot all these years later. struggled with maskol and got frustrated. youtube search led me here and old memories returned. working on this very same kit as well. the lines are so fine and this works perfectly. thanks for this video.

Thank you. My first model after returning to the hobby after years was --- the Tamiya 1:48 Zero. A professional modeler told me to hand paint the canopy and you showed me the way!

Most informative and helpful . After years as an AFV modeller l am new to aircraft modelling and this tutorial is most useful . Thanks.

Color note- I work on jet fighters, mostly the A-10, but some others like the F-16, F-15, and a few Navy F/A-18 and Marine AV-8Bs. The canopy interiors on those are black over primer (usually chromate green/yellow). The note on that is the black is usually very faded. I would recommend using NATO black instead of Flat black, and maybe lighten it a bit more to a charcoal grey.

awesome tutorial, I actually moisten the tip of the toothpick by holding between my lips. a little bit of moisture can prevent scratching

Thanks for the tutorial Rebel ! I am looking forward to trying this out !

I enjoy your videos, thank you for posting , they're always helpful and encouraging

Great video. Now I'm totally confused but equally determined to forge ahead. I'm gonna try everything and this is one of the best ideas with acrylic.

Thank you so much for showing this amazing technique! After ruining one canopy with masking tape not cut at the proper edge and xacto cut marks on the clear windows, I thought I'd never be able to paint a canopy properly. First attempt at modelling by the way. After watching your video and using your toothpick technique, I ended up with a perfectly painted canopy. Hard to be precise using the paintbrush with seventy-two year old fingers and eyes, but the cleanup with the toothpick was magical!! Thanks very much!

Doing the Airfix 1/72 B25 MkII and did this. Worked out really well, very pleased. Thanks.

Brilliant solution ! Be sure the paint is absolutely dry though! Thnx for the video

Wonderful video great technique in video making and the instruction and little tips as you painted were very informative.

Very nice, thanks for the video, always love your videos!

nice ... use this all the time ... particularly on big "greenhouse" canopies ... great video.

Hey. Thanks for the tooth pick clean up idea. I hand painted some canopies in the past and tried scraping with other things. Never thought to use a tooth pick. I revisited some older builds with the toothpick and did some decent clean up. Thanks.

Very good to see this done in detail......my questions all answered.....thanx!

Very good and practical technique , easy to learn , thank you for sharing

Excellent video. Thanks!

Absolutely LOVE that StarFleet delta logo. Found your video, and I bit the bullet today on a well...a simple Revell 1/48 Zero (#5267) as practice. It's almost a "shake-'n-bake" simple kit, but I gave it a bit of love anyway. Used your technique to satisfactory results (MY skills, but good practice). My compliments to the "chef".

Sharpening the toothpick! That's the deal. Almost lost you at one moment but - great vid. Thank you

This looks easier than masking with tape or liquid mask.

for canopies i find using a very fine dried-up brush works well. I accidentally discovered this a few years ago when I accidentally used enamel paints and couldn't clean the paint out of the brush

I've used this trick also but if I have the time I will mask them. Makes the lines crisper. P.s. if I do need to brush paint I would rather use Vallejo white tops or the Revell aqua.

Questo video mi ha aperto un mondo grazie di cuore!!! Continua così....👍👍👍😂😂😂

Thanks, I have struggled with painting canopies. This technique is going to be useful.

Really useful and interesting tutorial. I always provide the canopies frames with two colors as well (interior and exterior), but thinking of the gleam of the transparent plastic, at times I tried painting the inner side of the canopies in the interior color, so that if you see such frames through the oposite site, the gleam of the transparent plastic does not go through the painted-on line. However, painting on the inner side of canopies is way more difficult than doing it all from outside. And what annoys me the most about painting on canopies are drops squeezing and lines turning out thicker than needed.

I pant Sellotape. then cut strips the width of the canopy frames and stick them over the canopy. Then a couple of cotes of clear or thinned gloss varnish over the hole canopy. Lastly carefully paint over the very slightly razed Sellotape canopy frame [if model is overall mat] and were done. Works every time and you get a real sharp looking canopy frame.

Wow! that has really helped me man :) Now I can paint the Kates canopy with no problems

What you do is Art called pinstriping ...Not many people have steady hands to Be able for this way of canopi painting!!! Very impressiv!!! :)

Thanks for posting! Can always use more techniques.😬 Jman👀

Good video.Masking canopies fills me with dread as i have not been at it long. It seems some take so long to mask up that you could of learnt to paint it well freehand in the time it used up! Some might find the cork too small to hold or seat in your palm comfortably,if so,use a small jar plus lid or similar.Also don't thin the paint too much guys or it bleeds over the canopy.

Great results!

Water-base paints make a mechanical bond. They basically just stick to the surface which is why they can be scraped off so easily. Lacquer will make a chemical bond - the solvent in it actually melts the plastic which makes it much harder to remove. Even if you get the paint off, the plastic will be damaged underneath because it was melted.

Very good technique. A Zero canopy is always a challenge. Best regards.

A sharpened length of sprue works wonders for stuff like this. Wood has a tendency to be too soft and splinter at the end. Have been using this trick for years... Try it!

Good to see the channel back!

Wow thanks for sharing!

Great trick with the toothpick, thx so much, I was about to give up when I discovered this tutorial

really good informative video, learned a lot from it thanks.

Great upload, thanks, I tried the toothpick method and it really does work. Cheers :)

Seeing this video a couple of days too late...just gave up on masking a Tamiya Zero canopy the other day- just like that one . I figured out just that technique- hand stripe one frame section at a time with a fine Tamiya brush. Worked out so well that I'm probably just going to do them this way, as I brush paint anyway.

Great video. Iv'e only have done a few planes How ever I do mostly cars and trucks . I think this will be very helpful on window glass especially on the trim area , thanks

I must say, you have very steady hands my friend.

Many thanks for that. I have just completed my fourth model since re starting after 30 years. It was a PZL37a in 1:72 and masking and spraying was interesting. Immediate lesson here was the black base coat (it is slightly translucent, just won't show it in bright light). You are correct about black interiors to frames, this is to avoid the reflection back to the Perspex. I use lacquer mostly and it appears to chip and scratch off similarly so I will try this. I wonder if keying the frame carefully would help produce a better surface and a sharper edge? Thankfully the company who made my last one are sending me some spare canopies to practice on. I intend building other versions so if the practice works....pre painted canopies😁. Thanks again, more tips for the tool box👍

salve grazie, ho imparato molto da questi video; adesso so perfettamente come lavorare ... un saluto Piero e famiglia

I've just tried this and it went OK. I think next time I'll apply a thin black wash over the whole canopy first to show the frames more clearly, then paint the frames.

Thank you so much. I'm gonna mess it up.. but this is helpful. My son just bought a bunch of 40+ year old kits

Thanks for posting.

Great video - wish my hands were that steady! Dampening (not wetting!) the tip of the cocktail stick with water or thinner (depending on what paint you use) can help remove stubborn spots of paint without having to press hard and risk damage to the surface.

Thanks for the tips.

Now that video was very useful.......thanks mate.

Nice work

Great video

Very good video, well explain. Greetings from Portugal 😉👍

Patience 👍 good job.

Great tutorial. Thank you. I wonder if black Vallejo primer would work just as well or better than Tamiya flat black paint.

I have had two models so far that have come with the canopies already painted from factory. The only thing is that they are black in color and you have no option for color. You have very steady hands,I am almost 70 and my hands are a bit shakey. I take many breaks. Very good tutorial. I found with myself I had to slow down and take my time as I tend to want to rush it. Thank You for this video it is excellent.

what's the bass line song in background? man!! makes your tutorial so chillout!!!

Thank you and live long and prosper

I watched this video after making a disaster out of a nicely built DeHavilland Mosquito model (it has a very difficult canopy). I was about to give up when I saw this. I see that its alright to just paint the canopy. I have ruined my last clear canopy. I will be using this technique going forward.

Do you put the Pledge/Future/Klear on before or after you do this to clean up the "glass"?

I find I use Tamiya paints a bit more lately.. and as you say they dry quite quickly. I need to stock up on a few more shades, I think.. :) Yikes, the look of concentration on my face... almost scary!! :) Still, the method works... and thanks for using a short clip from my video! :) It is a good method, glad you found it is working for you as well.. as you said, the key is to make sure the paint is thoroughly cured / dried.. :)

I've used the toothpick idea also,came up with that idea myself basically,didn't know about sanding it for the chisel effect though?,thanks for the great tip,cheers

would this still work if you have already dipped your canopy with floor polish? would the scratching scratch the clear coat?

Great tip using cocktail sticks.

Very nice

私たち日本の「零戦」が、こんなに愛情をもって、製作して下さって感激しました💛 フリーハンドの技術が、本当に素晴らしいですね～(=^・^=)

Thank you for a great video. I have never seen this and find your instructions very useful. I have just one question. After painting the canopy how do you add a varnish when there are no masks? Thank you in advance for your reply. All the best! Pavel

De lujo. I loving it

Yet another wonderful vid from you! :D

Do you have any experience and using a hand brushed primer coat first before applying the primary color coat lines to the canopy? Please advise?

What kit is that that gives you a spare canopy? That’s brilliant!

The Champagne cork and toothpick are they from Tamya also?

I also need to add: Just an observation -- you KZfaq video makers have just the *best* fingernails for these close-up shots! A bit humbling when I look at my own...guess it's time for my manicure!! Cheers, and Carry On!!

Very nice job, great instruction. I've never had any luck with canopies, but that was a long time ago, using bigger brushes and enamel. Acrylic is much more forgiving, but the cork holder and the toothpick cleaner are great tips. Acrylic is water based so why did you have to buy acrylic thinner? What is that stuff if not just water?

This is so fabulous. When building airplanes I generally tend towards 1/48 and larger...(I also am big into Science Fiction; particularly *Star Trek* and of course *those* scales vary wildly!!). Masking fine detail can be a real chore and pain. But, just-for-fun and giggles I have a 1/72 Academy Stuka, *AND* a 1/48 Revell Stuka to build side-by-side for comparison (I know...Academy Vs. Revell? OK, not a fair fight, but...it's supposed to be a "fun" hobby though, right??). So, the thought of (gasp!) hand-painting fine lines? Never thought to attempt such an impossible feat -- until now!! Thanks for this video, it has re-energized me. Sitting here looking at a stack of kit boxes, and projects in-process but un-finished? Just the kick in the butt that I needed!!! (LOL)...

Modeler and Star Trek Logo . . . Donated! ;-) Greetz from Germany

Can you dip the canopy in Klear after you've done this?....I find that the acrylic will wear away slightly due to hand traffic and wondered if Klear would seal it in better

Simple method: mask only vertical lines with tape, paint, mask horizontal lines with tape- paint... works for me if masking went wrong

What size paint brush are you using in your video?

The gentleman you learned the toothpick method from does it the same way I do. I discovered by accident really when I was a kid. I didn’t own an airbrush so everything was painted with a brush. I didn’t even know such a thing as an airbrush existed. Anyway, I was very surprised someone else cleaned up canopy frames the same way I did. The reason I say that is I’m not very good at all at painting models, so I figured I was the only one that did it that way. My thinking was everyone else had much better ways of painting canopy frames. Turns out I’m not the only one that does it that way. As for your steady hand, I wish I had that capability. My hand shakes like I’m about to be hung. Anyway, the way I mask canopy frames now is to stick the tape on the window to be covered, draw the edge of the framework with a sharp pencil, pull the tape off, cut on the lines and stick the tape back in place. Once it’s all masked then I airbrush the frames. Last, the last thing I want to do or imply is me thinking I had invented the trick using a toothpick. Like I said earlier, I just assumed no one else had the same problems painting canopy frames as I did. I learned to build models on my own so I doubt very seriously if I build models the right way. Not even today. I’m pretty sure I’m doing some things wrong. It does make me feel better knowing you and that other gentleman do the same thing. I’ve seen his work and he does a terrific job. Anyway, thank you for sharing your skills and how you paint canopy frames sometimes.

If your using acrylic, you can dip the stick in windex. It help remove the paint without putting pressure.

amazing

Nice tutorial, i don't have the patience to mask. I will try it tomorrow and let you know how I do.

Lacquer tends to etch the styrene I think. Works best with acrylic to get a clean removal of paint

It saved my life

Thank you. I've had a real problem with my canopies. It really bothers me. I'm gonna try this method. I hope it works with enamels. Again thank you

I have essential tremor and am trying to get more in to scale modeling because I like torturing myself I guess. Only thing that stops the shaking for a bit is alcohol. 🍻 Enjoyed the video. Relaxing music too. I’m all about the bass.

ackrylic will take off,no liquer?

I have always hand painted my canopies.

I have always problem in masking canopies and painted them with a cut brush. the had is so short so doesn't spread and excess the metal part. then clean the excess with toothpick moistened with thinner.

1:03 is it 87115 as you say or what is shown on screen 87155?

I wouldn't trust my hands for a split second to do a canopy line like that lol.

Anybody encounter where the paint pools up into small puddles when painting the canopy? I used warm water and soap to wash the surface still the pooling happens :(

Why do you paint the darker green lines first ?