Best masking fluid?

[Magos Takatus]

Hi, I just wanted to know if any of you use masking fluid when painting and which brands you've got along well with. I'm curious because the bottle I ordered from Green Stuff World has dried up and I'd like to know if it's something common to all masking fluids, to GSW bottles or whether I was just unlucky? I probably need to apply masking using an old brush with a decent point so lacking an applicator is not a deal breaker. 

 

Thanks for your time.

[Slave to Darkness]

Never used masking fluid, weird arcane sorcery and all that, but I will watch this  thread as I may learn something. :) 

 

*lurks lurkingly*

[andes]

I've had good success with Humbrol, though in my experience it's a use-it-or-lose-it product in that once the bottle is opened it dries out much more quickly than, say, paint.

[Bung]

I've had good success with Humbrol, though in my experience it's a use-it-or-lose-it product in that once the bottle is opened it dries out much more quickly than, say, paint.

That goes for any masking fluid.

 

I tried a few and Humbrol Maskol is the best i found.

[andes]

 That goes for any masking fluid.

 

 

I suspected that was the case... as far as I can tell, they're (mostly? all?) liquid latex so you're on the clock as soon as you crack the seal on the bottle. And be careful if you have a latex allergy.

[Magos Takatus]

Thanks for the replies. I wasn't aware it wasn't something you could keep around long-term. It's a bit of a pain. I ended up having to strip the paint off what I was tying to paint anyway so no great loss.

 

I might get some before a big job but I'm more or less done with the masking on the Knight I'm working on.

 

Thanks for the help!

[andes]

I'd not hesitate to use the liquid if the job needed it, but aside from some very specific cases silly putty and Tamiya masking tape have done the trick for me.

Edited May 23, 2022 by andes

[Magos Takatus]

Yeah, I've been using masking tape in places and found it fairly successful. I was trying to paint the knee plate on an Imperial Knight and I'd already painted the trim gold. For some reason I was trying to paint the knee plate a bone colour but for some reason hand-painting it produced a green tinge. I thought spraying the bone primer on would be easier but I didn't want to try to cut out the pattern of the trim on the knee plate as it's quite intricate. I eventually ended up with a load of texture on the offending piece so I just stripped it again. I'll prime it with the bone this time and paint the gold trim afterwards. I'll chalk it down as a learning experience to finalise the colours of a model before I start painting. It's just so easy to paint a Knight's armour and then break up the main colour with a few spot colour panels. I'll try not to do that in future.

[andes]

FWIW I think silly putty could have masked off the gold trim fairly easily. 

[Rik Lightstar]

I've found masking fluid to be an absolute nightmare every time I've used it. Depending on the size and shape of the area to be masked off I've used the following:

• Clingfilm / Saran Wrap - for larger areas especially ones that protrude from the model.
• Latex Gloves - if you want to cover the entire model except for a weapon for example, poke a tiny hole in the palm of a latex glove, push the part through, wrap the rest of the glove around the model and hold in place with tape.
• Masking tape - the tamiya stuff comes in a huge range of widths and the adhesive isn't too strong.
• Blu Tack / Poster Tack / Silly Putty - easy to mould for getting into weird shaped areas.
• Thumb or finger - if I'm airbrushing I'll often just make sure my (preferably gloved) digit obscures the area to not get paint on.

Whatever approach you use though, the best tip I ever had regarding masking is:

• Once you've masked off an area go back over it with the colour that is under the mask. This will give a bit of a seal to the edge of your masking and you're less likely to get bleed through.

Rik

[Captain Caine 24th]

Humbrol is fine. And though I use vallejo a lot, I don't here. I sometimes have a problem of getting paint that's been on the store shelf for years - which is especially a problem for a compound that dries out easily.

 

There are limitations with any masking methods. I've ruined plenty of in-progress paint jobs because I didn't stick the masking tape to a table once or twice to reduce the stickiness (prevent tearing paint while on the model). Masking putty can leave a residue, but is certainly a lot faster than fluid or tape for irregular camo patterns. Masking fluid is a bit imprecise, but I use it to help my masking tape in areas of gaps. I join the others in using tape or other means for most applications. 

 

There is one notable exception, perhaps worth mentioning as I wouldn't discount masking fluid entirely - chipping or weathering effects. So, the ordinary hairspray & salt (or commercial chipping fluid) weathering method involves (i) painting the model in rust colors, (ii)applying the chipping fluid or hairspray & salt, (iii) painting the model normally, (iv) then applying water and a brush gently to the model so as to 'chip' away the top layer of paint, revealing the painted rust layer underneath. An alternative method, is to start by (i) painting the model a rust color again, but (ii) instead of applying hairspray - just apply masking fluid randomly with a sponge; (iii) paint the model normally. The masking fluid hardens to a soft rubbery texture and can be wiped away with a finger - no need to mess around with a brush and water to create chips.

 

I use Castin' Craft Mold Builder liquid latex. It's rather large, cost effective by volume, and remains good a few years later (I bought mine in 2019 and used it this weekend to paint sector mechanicus containers). It does take a bit longer to dry than humbrol. So, the tie-in here to the initial point is that I suspect the mold builder could be used for other applications (or any liquid latex for that matter), but again it would face the same limitation that it's not great on detail. If you were really worried about it drying out you could use a measuring cup or shot glass to scoop out what you need as you need it, so as to keep the main container closed and preserved to the extent possible. 

Edited May 24, 2022 by Captain Caine 24th