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Hey all, been quite a while since I last visited dakka.
Hoping some of you might be able to help me with a project I will be undertaking that involves masking various pieces using various materials (most likely liquid masking materials).

I've never used any masking material before, so it will be a first for me. My google-fu is pretty weak and turned up very few helpful articles.

My project involves multicolored tanks and I want to weather them. I think I have the steps needed down...
Prime
Base in rust/metal/"primer" colors
Seal with dullcoat
Apply random mask in areas to be weathered
repeat as needed for various levels of "weather"
Apply first 'real' color(s)
seal
Mask details
Apply second 'real' color(s)
seal
remove masks

Like I said though, I've never used masks and could use all the help I can get.
What brands do you recommend? Does it work well over acrylics?
How thin or thick should the mask be applied?
How do you clean it up? How exactly to you remove it from the models? (articles I've read simply stated "once removed"... not helpful).
Do you know of any sites with helpful information?


I thought about using the Salt technique for a more random pattern weathering, but I'll be working with too many layers and details to use salt effectively without rubbing it off due to too much handling.

I've used rubber cement a couple times and it worked pretty well. Try going here for some masking materials

http://www.scififantmodmadrealm.com/MMMM.html

Thanks ChaosDave! Is there a more legible version of that? The color and text (font) gives me a headache.

What I could read was some nice notes about each masking material, but didn't really provide articles/tutorials for use, application or results (at least not that I saw). Know of any "how-to's" out there?

Look for Finescale Modeling either on the web or on the racks at your local shop. Lots of guides on liquid masks (which are pretty easy to find at hobby and art shops), tape masks and even using silly putty! And this is for real scale modeling, not wargaming, so attention to detail is pretty important. Finescale also has a forum where people discuss techniques. Highly worth it.

I've used a product called 'maskol' before (may be testors brand. Label came off a couple of years back).

It's a liquid lates-like mask that is painted on (for aircraft canopies, usually). You si,ply paint it on (from the pot/jar) and get as even a coat as you can.

I've used it only on unpainted acetate canopies, but it didn't mark the plastic in any way, so I'll assume it's safe to use on acrylics, too. I do kno people who use it over enamels and it works fine, though.

I use thinners to clean the brush (don't use your best brush, you'll be throwing the brush away befre too long, as thinners isn't kind to bristles anyway). To remove, you use the very point or tip of a hobby knife (#11 blade) or a pin/needle and lift a corner, then with tweezers, carefully peel it off.

I think you may be barking up the wrong tree here. I think you'll run into a problem if you try to use a liquid mask to do your weathering.
If I understand what I read correctly, you said you would basecoat in your "rust" color, dullcoat, then aplly your masking material where you want the weathering to show? At that point, you would paint the rest of the model in your normal colors then peel away the mask and have rust.
Is this correct? Ballpark, at least?

The problem is that the mask will create a definitive line of color. Meaning, the mask just stops where it stops. When you peel it away, you'll be left with a clean division of rust/regular color. Even if you put the mask on in a jagged fashion, there will be defined borders between the rust and paint.
Also, I think you are causing yourself FAR more work than is necessary. You're talking about priming then masking, then weathering, then coating, then painting, then de-masking, etc.

All you really need to do is, paint your model in its normal colors, then dull coat it, then use weathering pastels and seal again. Weathering chalks work as well, but I find pastels to be FAR better as they are more handy, coming in some form of 'stick'. Here's a couple of links if you're interested:

Basic tutorial on pastel weathering. (not the be all end all encyclopedia)

Weathering powders from Sierra Scale Models. (I have no experience with this product)

Weathering materials from Micro-Mark.(recommended site for modelers)

I have used the Rust All system from Micro-Mark before. I have used pastels for other weathering styles.



Ghidorah

@Ghidorah - you're pretty close, but the effect I'm looking for is chipped paint, not just rust. Rather than paint the chipped spots on top of my army colors, I wanted it too look as though the paint really did chip off (but without the plastic showing).

I was going to try out the Salting technique ( here and here ...and more below... ) to get the chipped paint effect, but I'll be handling the model too much and there will be some fine detail work that I dont' think this technique is suitable for.

A liquid mask will at least stay on the model until I'm ready to remove it. I can add further rust streaks/weathering and such to the "chipped" areas once the mask is removed.
But I've never used liquid masking materials before and was looking for advice.

related "Salt" link; here...check out the next couple of pages on that link too...
And another; here

I use a masking liquid for watercolor paintings. They sell it at Michaels (an arts & crafts store, if you are not familiar) and I am sure it would work fine for this. Paint it on top of your stuff, let it dry, paint over it, then rub it off with an eraser or fine, fine grit sandpaper (or fingernail).

I know the brand I use is meant for paper, so I will test it and see if it works and get back to this thread with results.