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Canopy Problem


TimDarrah

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Hi guys,

 

I have a problem, besides too many kits and not enough time!! I'm working on the Fine Molds Me bf109F-2 and dipped the canopy into Future. A couple of weeks or so after I did that, I applied Tamiya tape on the dried canopy, it sat on there for about 3 weeks until I could get some Dull Coat. I just pulled off the tape and it has what looks like the sticky residue on it, but doesn't feel that way.

 

A) what did I do wrong?

B) how do I get this crap off my canopy?

 

The tape stayed on until all overcoats where finished and dried.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks,

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I have couple of ideas, that may or may not solve your problem. I just had a similar problem on my 1/48 Skynight. The vac canopy was masked with Tamiya tape for quite a time, due to the amount of filling and sanding needed to finish and also due to procrastination on my part, adding to the length of time to get the painting finished. By the time I pulled off the canopy masks, they'd been on there at least 5-6 weeks, and had endured at least 2 primer coats and a coat of interior green followed by another coat of gloss dark sea blue.

 

I found the clear parts to be cloudy, which I too thought was tape adhesive, except it wasn't sticky. I think it was one of two things. The first possibility is that the multiple coats of paint (and I use enamels and lacquers) allowed for the seepage of some of the solvent through the tape and onto the Future coat on the canopy. The second was that the Tamiya tape DID leave a residue on the surface, but that its residue just isn't tacky like most tape residue is. I've had this problem on a couple of rare occasions, and I need to add that not only may time be a contributing factor, but also temperature. I model in the garage here in Florida, and during that build the temps in the garage averaged at leat 85deg each day, and perhaps that affected the Tamiya tape.

 

I was afraid to try to use any kind of solvent on the vac canopy as I considered to too thin to sand and polish. I also didn't want to try to disolve the Future on the canopy. While this would more than likely solve the problem, it would require more masking and painting on an already decaled and painted model. My salvation was a chisel pointed WOODEN toothpick and the Future itself.

 

The wooden toothpick was soft enough to scrape without scratching, and yet stiff enough (with the chisel edge) to chisel, scrape, and flake the cloudy areas until all of the clear parts were once again clear! I did have some of the canopy frame paint flake of too, but that was simple to touch up with a fine pointed brush. This is what I would suggest you try before attempting to strip the entire canopy. It's tedious, but should work. Take your time and apply enough pressure to flake off the Future, but avoid turning the toothpick so that its sharpest edges may scratch the plastic. When the chisel edge wears down, carve a new one. Best of luck!

 

Gil :smiley16:

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Try recoating the clear parts of the canopy with Future applied by brush. If the tape or paint solvent fogged the Future it is possible that anohter coat of Future will disolve and reset the original and get rid of the fogging.

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Thanks guys for the info. I was also PM'd suggesting that I use a bit of WD-40 in a Q-Tip. So I'll try a bunch of these suggestions.

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I've encountered this problem as well. I always suspected the Tamiya tape either did as mentioned, left a residue, or another possibility is it pulled up some of the Future.

 

If you used non-acrylic paints, alcohol will remove the future and not attack the dullcoat or paints. I do use acrylics and found that the dullcoat insulates the paint from the alcohol as long as you're using a light touch in those areas. Some Novus cleaner will remove the alcohol residue and the polish will then restore full clarity to the canopy, no Future needed.

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Thanks guys for the info. I was also PM'd suggesting that I use a bit of WD-40 in a Q-Tip. So I'll try a bunch of these suggestions.

 

Tim - did the WD-40 work? Its always been a proven trick for me..

 

Adam

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I tried the alcohol without sucesss but the WD-40 worked pretty good. I'm still working on it. Thanks for all of the suggestions.

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