Liquid masking products....which?

[belugawhaleman]

Anybody have recommendations or advice regarding liquid masking solutions?

I just purchased a bottle of Vallejo masking solution and some by Mr. Hobby....their NEO solution. Any good? I'll be using these over Lacquer..Tamiya

and Mr. hobby. Any comments, opinions and advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks;

Paul

[CANicoll]

Paul, What are you going to be masking?  Camo patterns or body panels?  I have the NEO and Micro Mask products and usually what I use them for is filling in the canopy masks.  Both do an ok job with that - just don't use acrylic paints (which you said you said you are not using) over the Micro Mask. 

I find the Mr. Hobby NEO mask pretty thick which can be a positive if you are trying to use it to create a camo pattern or mask individual panels.  But the little brush that comes in the bottle doesn't keep its shape very long and is not very useful IMHO.

The Micro Mask seems to be too thin for those projects, once it is applied, but it could be I'm not applying it correctly.  I have not used the Vallejo Mask (strange, as I have most of their other products).

Post your results, please!

[DocRob]

I have different kinds, but none is an all out recommendation. My most used are the Mr. Hobby Sol or Sol Neo. The latter is thinner and water based, if I remember it right. For canopies in addition with Kabuki masks, I prefer the thicker Sol. 
I also tried the Abteilung 502 blue masking fluid, which comes in a larger bottle and is similar to Mr. Hobby. I once tried to do an outlined camo with it, where the fluid was brush applied for the thin borders of the camo, which unfortunately didn´t work.

Worst of all is Microscale Micromask, which spreads well, is relatively thin, but absolutely terrible to remove. I once masked the cylinders of a Corsair engine and spent hours cleaning the stuff.

I can´t live without liquid masks, but I try to use them as seldom as possible. One little dot in the wrong place means drying time and redoing it.

Cheers Rob

[belugawhaleman]

4 hours ago, CANicoll said:

Paul, What are you going to be masking?  Camo patterns or body panels?  I have the NEO and Micro Mask products and usually what I use them for is filling in the canopy masks.  Both do an ok job with that - just don't use acrylic paints (which you said you said you are not using) over the Micro Mask. 

I find the Mr. Hobby NEO mask pretty thick which can be a positive if you are trying to use it to create a camo pattern or mask individual panels.  But the little brush that comes in the bottle doesn't keep its shape very long and is not very useful IMHO.

The Micro Mask seems to be too thin for those projects, once it is applied, but it could be I'm not applying it correctly.  I have not used the Vallejo Mask (strange, as I have most of their other products).

Post your results, please!

I'm planning on using them on these Hasegawa "Egg Girls" figures but

I'm also thinking of using them on armor models. I was thinking

that blu-tac might be useful to remove the mask.

[belugawhaleman]

5 hours ago, DocRob said:

I have different kinds, but none is an all out recommendation. My most used are the Mr. Hobby Sol or Sol Neo. The latter is thinner and water based, if I remember it right. For canopies in addition with Kabuki masks, I prefer the thicker Sol. 
I also tried the Abteilung 502 blue masking fluid, which comes in a larger bottle and is similar to Mr. Hobby. I once tried to do an outlined camo with it, where the fluid was brush applied for the thin borders of the camo, which unfortunately didn´t work.

Worst of all is Microscale Micromask, which spreads well, is relatively thin, but absolutely terrible to remove. I once masked the cylinders of a Corsair engine and spent hours cleaning the stuff.

I can´t live without liquid masks, but I try to use them as seldom as possible. One little dot in the wrong place means drying time and redoing it.

Cheers Rob

Thanks Rob, I'll have a look for the Mr. hobby Sol. Yes, I remember the

Microscale stuff..years ago tried it..didn't like it.

[CANicoll]

7 hours ago, DocRob said:

I have different kinds, but none is an all out recommendation. My most used are the Mr. Hobby Sol or Sol Neo. The latter is thinner and water based, if I remember it right. For canopies in addition with Kabuki masks, I prefer the thicker Sol. 
I also tried the Abteilung 502 blue masking fluid, which comes in a larger bottle and is similar to Mr. Hobby. I once tried to do an outlined camo with it, where the fluid was brush applied for the thin borders of the camo, which unfortunately didn´t work.

Worst of all is Microscale Micromask, which spreads well, is relatively thin, but absolutely terrible to remove. I once masked the cylinders of a Corsair engine and spent hours cleaning the stuff.

I can´t live without liquid masks, but I try to use them as seldom as possible. One little dot in the wrong place means drying time and redoing it.

Cheers Rob

Now that Rob mentions it, I do remember having problems removing the Micromask as well.  Now if I use it, it is over a tape mask to make sure I don't have any gaps in the seams.  If it is a 'fill in the blank' use with masks, I prefer to use the Neo if I can't easily use tape...

[belugawhaleman]

4 hours ago, CANicoll said:

Now that Rob mentions it, I do remember having problems removing the Micromask as well.  Now if I use it, it is over a tape mask to make sure I don't have any gaps in the seams.  If it is a 'fill in the blank' use with masks, I prefer to use the Neo if I can't easily use tape...

I remember when I used the microscale stuff on a canopy it kind of

Beaded up and pulled away from where I wanted....perhaps that was due

to mold release still on the part..who knows..but I hated it. I have a bottle

Of the Vajello stuff that's about five years old....I bought another being

concerned about possible shelf life...Unfounded concern? Probably.

 

[Fran]

For me, one of the best liquid mask is the one from Deluxe Material

 

 

https://deluxematerials.co.uk/products/masking-magic-opaque-40g

 

 

[belugawhaleman]

Thanks Fran! I just found that one of my local suppliers has it.

I'll give it a try.

[Lusitanian]

Google “liquid latex” and you can buy the same exact substance for a tiny fraction of the cost of the same exact substance in a “modeling” bottle.

[belugawhaleman]

On 10/22/2024 at 2:17 AM, Lusitanian said:

Google “liquid latex” and you can buy the same exact substance for a tiny fraction of the cost of the same exact substance in a “modeling” bottle.

Thanks, I'll have a look.

[Winnie]

I got a bottle of Abteilung liquid mask. It's amazing, but I store the bottle upside down to prevent it from setting up... it's great stuff. Got it from Andy's HHQ

[belugawhaleman]

On 11/1/2024 at 11:00 PM, Winnie said:

I got a bottle of Abteilung liquid mask. It's amazing, but I store the bottle upside down to prevent it from setting up... it's great stuff. Got it from Andy's HHQ

Thanks, I'll have a look.

[belugawhaleman]

Just picked up a bottle of Abteilung liquid mask .

So, I now have a variety of masks to experiment with.

Thanks all for your recommendations.