Propeller tip masking

[DavidJC]

I was watching a video elsewhere which talked about finding the right way to paint propeller tips.

 

If there are no engraved or raised lines on the propeller tip, this is how I do it. It does depend on the build of the propeller, this works best if you can have the propellers and hub assembled. You don't have to have the spinner assembled. I have a sheet of fairly thick plasticard with a hole to match the hub pin (if it has one) of the assembly drilled in it. It doesn't really matter where on the card, since you can have any number of different sized holes for different sized propeller hub pins. Push the pin of the hub into the hole and trace around one blade with a sharp pencil. If it's done as vertical as you can it makes it easier to work with, not that it matters. Once you have done that, judge where the yellow tip will be and mark with the pencil either side of the propeller tip on the plasticard. Apply the masking tape using the horizontal guidelines you've just made. For the next tip, rotate the propeller assembly in the hole until the next blade comes into line with the pencil drawing of the previous blade… and mask again. Once you've done all blades, you can remove the propeller hub assembly and merely mask the rear of the blades, matching the tape to the piece you have put on previously. As you can probably see, this works for whichever way round you want to mask. Silver first for red tips, or yellow first for black (for yellow tips). No measuring, no guessing, no dipping, not too much of an inconsistencyIf you can't mask your propellers as an assembly, it will work with individual blades but probably not as smoothly. Lay a blade onto the plasticard, trace round the edge and mark the demarcation as above. Mask that blade, then just lay the next blade as best you can over the tracing and repeat.

 

Hope I'm not teacing anyone to suck eggs and that it helps.

[Ratch]

I spray the tips yellowhttp://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL761/13303934/24421632/407409540.jpg

Then mask the regulation 4 inches (1/18" or 1.41mm  in 1/72) before spraying black

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL761/13303934/24421632/407497205.jpg

[SunrayOne]

I paint the whole prop the base colour, then mask the tip with a strip of whichever width Tamiya tape looks appropriate. Then mask off the rest of the prop as well. Remove the strips across the propeller tips to reveal equally sized tips ready to be painted!