My first post here! I been lucking for the last couple of weeks, and thought I sign up!

I started painting my squadrons the other night... Started with the TIE's..

I started off by striaghten them all out in boiling hot water. Sanded all the injection seams on the inner panels. Primed them with Black and and then masked off all the solar panels with a Vinyl mask that I made. and then sprayed with Aircraft Grey and added a wash to them...

The Vinyl Masks I made -

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Looking to hit the next lot over the weekend.

Cheers!

That's the same idea that I had, but haven't had a chance to try yet. What kind of vinyl cutter did you use?

Those TIEs look fantastic. How did you use the cut outs to make the lines so crisp, especially on the inside of the wings? I'm not understanding your methodology, but the result is fantastic.

The "cut outs" are actually vinyl masks. You get a vinyl cutter (kind of like an old plotter but with a blade, rather than a pen) and design your image lines. When you set the vinyl cutter to print, it cuts out the masks. You then paint the tie black all over (or black all over the solar panels, anyway), then apply the masks. From there, you airbrush the grey all over the solar panels. When you are done, you peel off the masks and the black is there, with perfect grey lines.

That looks perfect, great idea!

Sorry for the late reply, Been working on some larger scale TIE's the last couple of weeks...

But DHKnecht is correct on the method of the masks... But a quick run down on my method for the TIES's so far -

• Drop them into boiling hot water and then straighten out the solar panels as most of them are bent.
• Remove all mold lines/flash from the plastic injection process from the factory, with a fine file/sandpaper.
• Prime them all in Black.
• Apply the masks to the solar panels.
• spray top colour (Grey/Blueish Grey)
• Remove the masks
• Paint on wash and other details
• Varnish with a Flat Clear
• And Play!

I am currently working on masks for the Expansion set. Just did the Advance Tie last night, So I will paint these up tonight and post them up later. Once I am done with the Bomber and Interceptor, I am thinking of selling the sheets if anyone is interested....

So the TIE Advances are almost done.. Just need to touch up some of the solar panels.

wow these look really good, I may have to try this when/if I get the courage to actually try it on my fighters (I really suck at this kind of stuff )

How did you make the vinyl masks?

I have access to a couple of Vinyl cutters that Sign writers use.

The cheapest decent quality cutter I have seen is the Silhouette Portrait. I love that machine and it use it constantly. It would be more than enough for a job like this and it's under $150.

Interceptors are done... Just the Bombers to go...

Very nice. I'd be down for some of those masks, or the template files.

Are you still planning on selling the masks. I am extremely interested in them

I too would be interested in picking up some of those masks!

Bump for Dave. Anyone have luck contacting him about purchasing some masks? My PM has gone unnoticed...

I would love to buy some of those masks as well!