paint masks for windshields?

[metalhead]

Is there anything like this to make painting the black border on windshields easier? Kind of like the Eduard masks for aircraft. To be honest, I suck at masking and thought this would be an easier approach.

[Foxer]

We sure could use something like this .. even decals, but I doubt it would be cost effective to supply decals for all the kits needing them ... that's was the job of the creator when the kits were made!

[Kit Basher]

There is a technique for doing this with a black Sharpie. It works well. You kinda hook the Sharpie on the edge of the glass and drag it around. Obviously, I am not the best guy to explain it in detail, so a search might be in order. HTH

[DaveM]

Build cars from the '50s and '60s!

Bare Metal Foil can work, but it really takes a steady X-acto to keep it from looking like a Grandkid's finger painting project. Bare Metal Foil also makes a black foil. This can be used to replicate the black window trims. I have also seen one model at a contest where the builder applied black decal material to the INSIDE of the windshield. (It had to be black painted on CLEAR paper, of course) It really looked sharp when viewed through the glass. Might not work on realy thick kit glass, but he was building a Japanese kit of something and it really looked nice.

[sjordan2]

Good tutorial:

http://www.italianhorses.net/Tutorials/Window%20Masks/masks.htm

[Tom Geiger]

Avery labels. I used Avery name tags to do the masks for my Dodge Grand Caravans. I created a master since I needed to do two and wanted the option to do more in the future. The windshield already had a mask line engraved in it. So I used Tamiya tape to match that and carefully cut the curves. Above are the rear glass and the side glass. I had to draw these on paper and cut until I got what I thought looked right. Then I created a drawing, that I then printed onto the Avery labels. Note the rear glass mask was created folded over, since both sides should be symmetrical. I drew the side glass once, since it's just a reverse for the other side.

Here's the Avery labels in place on the clear glass shot. Note that I had done the windshield earlier, so I just had it taped off. I taped off the exterior of the glass, and then shot the inside of the glass with Testors flat black. The Avery labels gave a very clean line.

And here's the glass all painted with Testors flat black. I had used a Sharpie for the windshield and wasn't at all happy with the results. The black Sharpie actually show light through in a dark purple. Not at all happy with those results, so I went with Testors for the rest of the glass.

And the results. I had a good reference, I have a 1996 Grand Caravan out in the driveway! Hope this helps!