Click on Image to EnlargeOriginally developed to paint - in 1:72 scale, with only rattle/spraycans - a "Wave Mirror" camouflage, as above, on my Do217k2 build, the method relies crucially on preparation of masking, thus:


A raised barrier, or "bead" (black), is laid onto the model (green), in the pattern desired to be feathered, and it, in turn overlaid with a membrane-type masking (red) - typically a masking tape. After burnishing down securely in the areas between the beading (see below), slitting the membrane allows the latter to be removed (right), leaving cut membrane edges curled back and raised yet further away from the surface - thus creating a mask which will produce the desired feathering, when gently spray-painted.

Several bench tests yielded insights and steady improvement, up to a completely successful procedure, and set of materials (see Part 2).


TEST I: LATEX-COATED THREAD BEAD


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FULL RESAgain, seeking a "ropy" pattern, actual "ropes" - threads of cotton (top-left) and synthetic (top-right) weaves - dipped in liquid latex maskoid, were evaluated as beading. Neither, however, would (without forcing) curve as tightly as desired - the synthetic thread even less than the cotton-fiber. Aborting work with the latter, a trial did proceed using the cotton thread, which was frequently cut-through and otherwise severed during extraction - the resultant digging to remove it leaving the tape apertures too wide, as well as crushed down, so that features were both too thick and their borders poorly feathered (if at all). Worse still, extraction produced a high "scratch factor" - cut-marks in the underlying plastic (bottom) - which subsequent painting could not hide.


Test II: DIRECTLY-APPLIED LATEX BEAD
The above suggested that latex could just be applied directly, to produce a superior bead, and this was tested:


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FULL RESApplying the latex in a heavy bead, from the end of a toothpick, a pattern with the desired tightness was immediately achieved, and subsequent extraction - though still difficult - greatly improved, now producing a few of the desired, fine features, with successfully-feathered edges. However, extraction being still too difficult - due to strong bonding between the latex and tape adhesive - much of the masking was still prohibitively abused, leaving the majority of features still too thick, and less than half of their borders feathered.

Clearly, the problem had been narrowed down to that of reducing the adhesion between the bead surface and tape adhesive - to be tackled (completely, by the end) in Part 2.

Cheers,

-Matty