I am combining 2 Cornerstone REA Building kits to form one long freight building. I’ve airbrushed all the walls and would like to airbrush the windows and doors. However, there are more than 90 windows and doors and airbrushing will cover their gluing surfaces. I could mask all of the surfaces or hand-paint the windows, but this would be very tedious.
Any suggestions on how best to proceed? Thanks for any input.
So you are probably talking about painting the front of the window frames, which glue into the building from the back of the wall.
I just paint them and then use MEK or a strong liquid cement to glue them into the building with. That usually goes through the paint enough to work fine unless it is really thick. If it is thick, just scrape some paint away on two sides with an X-acto knife.
Don’t paint the backs of the frames and the ‘glass’ will be OK using minimum glue.
Elmer is right on with his suggestion. I do the same thing and also use MEK as my only solvent cement as it is much cheaper than commercial MRR cements and as he mentioned it will cut thru a thin coat of paint. You could also make a quick card stock mask if all the windows are the same; or make a couple of different sizes if more than one size. Just a suggestion if you want to be sure there isn’t any paint on the glue surface.
-Bob
There are a lot of doors and windows, but only a few types of these pieces. I would try just making a loose-fitting mask out of cardboard, so that you could quickly cover a part with the mask, airbrush it and then lift the mask off, repeating as needed. Put a popsicle stick on the mask as a handle to keep your fingers clean.
Another option is just to paint them and not worry about the glue surfaces. Instead of styrene glue, use an adhesive such as Aileen’s Tacky Glue or white glue. The bond won’t be as good, but there is little load to support.
Masking the glueing surfaces on windows and doors is easy if you do it while they’re still on the sprue. In most cases, the parts are in a straight line in two dimensions, and only require that you cut the tape into narrower strips before applying it. To do that, I lay out strips of masking tape, sticky-side-down, on a sheet of glass (my preferred work surface for most modelling), then use a straightedge and sharp blade to slice them into narrower strips. Here’s a sprue of windows and doors for a factory. I’ve already sprayed them with primer, but the tape is still in place for the final colour:
Here’s the same windows painted white and with the tape removed:
I generally leave them on the sprue until it’s time to add the “glass”, and that’s usually just before they’re installed in the structure.
Wayne
I spray the front of the windows with rattle can paint and use orange tube testors to secure the window and glass assembly to the wall. In other threads, others have said that bond is only as good as the bond between the paint and the styrene, since the styrene is covered. That seems to be true. Its weaker than if the gluing surface was uncovered, although, the testors seems to melt the rattle can paint somewhat and gets to the window itself.
But the windows pop out only when I happen to stick a thumb through them.
Since I hate things that are overglued, I only use 4 small drops on the corners to secure the windows after sometimes nicking the paint off. You might want to use more glue than that.
Thanks to all those who replied to my post. Your comments helped a lot. As a retired scientist, I’m going to run an experiment by masking all the windows and doors on one sprue, using a mask to paint those on another, and just paint everything on another and then use MEK cement. I’ll see what works best for me, and then use that method on subsequent large models.
I spray paint (air brush or rattle can) the front side while the windows/doors are still on the sprue. I then use canopy glue to install the “glass” to the windows and to install the windows/doors in the walls. It seems to have a good (enough) bond and dries clear in case of any goofs.
In my experience, Cornerstone building windows snap into place fairly securely, so painting should not matter because you may not need any glue to hold them in place.
I would not paint the backs (insides) of the windows and doors because you’ll be gluing the glazing material onto that side.
I usually spray paint the windows and doors while still on the sprue and use a sharp tool, preferably the tip of a flat screw driver, to scratch the paint that cover the gluing surfaces.
The windows aren’t load bearing so a strong bond isn’t critical. Apply some professional MEK glue (testors professional) It will automatically melt the paint when it glues.
But even testors window / canopy glue would be more then strong enough even with paint on the windows.
Reverse the process. Take the windows and doors off the sprue and place them into the window and door openings in the walls. Airbrush the entire assembly with the desired window and door colors, then remove the painted windows and doors and airbrush the walls again, this time in the desired wall colors.
Rich
Most times, I don’t even paint the window’s and door’s. Depending on the color. I choose an exterior color to compliment the window and door color. Especially if it is an all brick building. That way you don’t have too much paint hiding the detail, like in the masonary lines of the mortar. I assemble the building, paint it my color weather, install the windows and doors, without scraping any paint, with my favorite Ambroid Pro-Weld glue, or MEK OR lacquer thinner, let dry, give it a couple quick coats, of dull-cote and then install the window glazing. That way no scraping and no bleed in of paint on the glass. Works perfect for me all the time and you only have to handle each component once, rather than two or three times. If I do want to change the window and door color, I prefer Doc Wayne’s way, but not quite as much masking.
All my buildings have removeable roofs also. The inside plastic or wood lip they sit on, I add a 1/8 square strip of balsa wood, to that lip that is molded on, gives the roof more area to sit on with no light bleed through. I use Zap-A-Gap Medium CA+ for that on all that type of work for years, not one has come off yet.
Works many years for me.
Frank