Revell HMCS Snowberry Flower Class Corvette
This is the sixth part of the Revell HMCS Snowberry Flower Class Corvette 1/144 Scale RVG 05132
Stencils aren’t anything new, we’ve been using them for years. But they are becoming more common in the scale modeling world and for good reason. They look really great, especially when you are building a model with a lot of recessed rivets like an Eduard kit, you don’t have to worry about decal solvent filling in all of those tiny holes. And that painted on effect can be a lot more realistic than ink-printed decals.
Now I’m not trying to bash decals as they are easier to put on, and you have a chance to move them into the correct position. With stencils, there is more of a risk. It’s sort of a one time shot, get them in the right place, don’t add too much paint so that there is build up, and hope that the stencil didn’t lift and cause bleeding onto the model.
In this post, I’m going to show you how I add the stencils to the hull. It should be a fairly simple process and will hopefully give you a better understanding to try out using stencils on your next project.
Here is a stencil that my brother kindly created for me using his vinyl cutter. Generally, when I’m using stencils I’ll refer to it in two sections, the “Positive” and “Negative” stencil.
The Positive stencil is the outer section of the stencil. This is the part that will go onto the model for painting.
The Negative stencils are all of the inner sections of the letters and numbers, these have their use but will usually be discarded and not always essential to the painting process.
Following along with the decal guide I take the negative stencil, in this case, the K, and I carefully place it onto the hull. It looks quite crooked in this picture, but this is a result of the curved hull section.
Once I’m satisfied with the placement I’ll gently press it onto the model so that it won’t move around. It doesn’t need to be firm as it will be removed in a moment.
Now I can take the positive stencil and place it around the K. This vinyl is rigid enough that it will stay level, yet flexible enough to be pressed around the uneven surface creating a tight seal.
If you were using a larger or more complicated stencil you might want to consider using transfer tape. It’s a low tack clear tape that will allow you to pick up all of the stencils and properly see where it will be placed on the model. Once the stencil is on the model the transfer tape can easily be removed without disturbing the placement of the stencil.
Now that I’m happy with the placement I’ve removed the negative stencil and added the inner circle sections to the 6’s. Next, I’ll mask around the stencil to prevent any over spray.
I used Mr Hobby Aqueous H-12 Flat Black for the lettering. It was thinned about 50-50 with Mr. Levelling Thinner. The Levelling Thinner has a retarder in it which will slow the drying time and help prevent any paint build up from happening around the edges.
Now I’ve removed the stencils and I’m left with this great looking painted on registry. Some of the Masking Sol Neo has been lifted from the vinyl, but now that this painting is done I can get to work removing the rest of the Masking Sol Neo from the ship.
I have a few methods for removing the Masking Sol Neo from my models. It’s usually pretty easy to remove, but sometimes it can be a bit more difficult depending on the paint type I’ve used or how many layers of paint were added.
Here I’m using a cocktail stick to rub over the masking. Once certain sections have been loosened I can use my finger to easily rub the rest off of the hull.
I’ve also found that a soft eraser works really well to remove the Masking Sol Neo. It beads up into these little rubber bits that can easily be brushed off of the model.
For those harder to reach places or parts that are a bit more stubborn, I use my Vallejo Fiberglass Brush Pen. This was great at removing the masking while also being very gentle on the paint.
Here is the final result with all of the masking now removed. Later on, I’ll go over the hull with some Tamiya 1500 Sanding Sponge, and lightly sand over any paint build up.
I’m really pleased with how this is looking, and I like the big bit of paint missing around the 6’s. This was unintentional, as I wanted to have some big areas where the paint was chipped, but I didn’t realize at the time that the registry numbers would be in the same place. I think it helps add to the effect that this is a well used warship.
I looked at the model and the instructions to see how I should proceed with this model. And I’ve decided to finish painting the lower deck, and then I can build and paint the smaller sub-assemblies and add them to the ship as they are completed.
I masked off the outer edge of the ship and then painted on Tamiya XF-19 Sky Grey to the galley and insides of the ship. Again I used Mr. Masking Sol Neo to create chipping as I demonstrated in the previous posting.
I’ve removed the maskings from the lower deck and the galley, and I’m pleased to report that no paint has bled through or been lifted up by the tape. I can’t wait to start adding on the rest of the smaller details.
Also a sigh of relief that no paint bled through with the upper deck. At the moment it’s a bit of an odd moment to finally see all of the colors together instead of all that masking tape.
Here is my “little” bundle of used tape. I nearly went through an entire roll of the tape, but it was all worth it as everything was well protected and I didn’t have to worry about paint touch ups.
Tamiya brand masking tape is excellent, and it is a good idea to keep a few extra rolls in your stock, just in case you need extra.
This project has been more exciting than I had anticipated. I’m very pleased with how the hull and decks have turned out, and they will look even better later on once we begin weathering.
For those of you out there who have been considering using stencils on your next project, I’d advise you to start with something simple. For me, it was painting on the red Hinomaru on some Japanese subjects, or adding on white stars to a Sherman tank.
It might also be helpful to try it out on a bigger scale as a 1/32 Spitfire is easier to mask than one in 1/72nd scale. Be patient and come up with a strategy for how you are going to add the colors. You’ll quickly find that you will get into a rhythm and soon you will speed along with your painting. It can be daunting at first, but keeping the painting simple I think you’ll quickly find the confidence you need to make masking part of your regular modeling routine.
To be continued…
Jared Demes is a modeler from southern Alberta. He has been building models since he was 4 years old when his Dad first introduced him to the hobby. He has written for several magazines including, Fine Scale Modeler, Scale Aircraft Modeling, Phoenix Scale Models, and others. He has an interest in all modeling subjects, with a focus on WWII Japanese aircraft and Science Fiction.
Jared has won several IPMS awards for his modeling, and currently operates his YouTube channel rebelsatcloudnine, where he showcases model builds and product demonstrations.
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