Tissue
Tissue: Techniques & Tips for Covering Models
Read this one first!
Covering Your Plane With Tissue
Making the panel lines on models can be difficult if you don't know how to do it. Here are some of the easiest ways to do it:
Some people like using pens and pencils to draw the panel lines. Round fuselages are the easiest to deal with, wind up the motor, hold the pen firmly extended, and while holding the prop carefully bring the spinning fuselage up against the pen. Just kidding, I found making a couple of plastic straight edges from .005 plastic to work good. Some of these are short, some long, some with rounded or square ends. Clear is nice because it allows you to pick up your location. Get a very soft artist pencil, these leave a nice dark mark without damaging the tissue, use these for your reference points when you are ready for inking.
Another thing that has worked equally well for me is to enlarge a good, detailed three view to the size of my model. I cut out the various lines and features that I want to mark. Take your copy with the cutouts, make a few extra holes in the copy for catching reference points such as trailing and leading edges on the wing to be marked and then fold the paper over the edges. Lightly grip the structure with the pattern over it and start following the lines you cut. This is great for some of the wild WWII landing gear outlines. Sometimes I will make a little tick for continuing a line that will cross over an open space. This will be completed with one of the plastic rules after I remove the copy paper pattern.
And yet another method is using a combination of post-its and 8010 magic removable tape to mask the lines and airbrush your markings on, my favorite, but time doesn't always allow for this.
The easiest and most forgivable that I know of was taught to me by Paul Boyanowski. He would take this adhesive film tape, adhere black tissue to it, cut thin strips, remove the backing and apply. This allows for you to carefully position it as you go along. I modified it by using the glue stick in place of the tape and finish with a layer of clear Krylon.
To each his own but I rarely, as in glues, use only one technique on a model. A final spray of the Krylon clear provides an even overall appearance. Have fun.
- Dave Niedzielski
Tissue: Chalking Tissue Tutorial
For builder's who would prefer to color their own tissue.
Tissue: Applying Tissue for a Seamless Finish
Tom Hallman shares his secrets for achieving a smooth, professional tissue covering. Read his tips in the link above, then watch the instructional video below for a step-by-step demonstration of how to apply tissue to your model airplane.
Tissue: Determining Grain in Tissue
Tissue: Applying Easy Built Lite SILVER Tissue
TissueCal™ Markings: Application Instructions
TissueCal™ Markings: Full list of available markings.
*Custom markings available. Contact us for pricing and availablity.