1:35 M109 A2 Howitzer - AFV Club

M109A2 wheel masking set in 1:35 scale (Quickwheel)

Self-adhesive masks cut to the shape of the road wheels of the self-propelled howitzer. The set is not a model or a set of replacement parts — its only job is to separate the rubber tire band from the rim while spraying and keep the border between them sharp. The cut matches the wheels from the kit by AFV Club.

When it pays to cut a mask up

Masks are normally used whole, but they are not untouchable. Cutting them makes sense in two situations. The first arises when a wheel is already glued to a suspension arm or to the running gear and the film cannot be threaded around it — a mask cut in two is then laid on from both sides and the join is hidden where a shadow falls. The second situation is work with an uneven diameter: when one of the wheels has come out a little larger or smaller, a mask can be divided and shifted slightly rather than the whole piece being thrown away. Always make the cut in a straight line with a sharp knife on a mat, never with scissors — a torn edge always lets paint bleed under it.

Procedure and tips

• Cut the mask with a fresh blade on a soft mat, not with scissors.
• Place the join of a cut mask where no light falls on the finished model.
• Degrease the area before sticking it down, so the edge at the cut bonds well.
• Lay the paint on a divided mask in especially thin coats.
• Once it is peeled off, check the join and level any overrun with a brush.

Who the set is for

• Builders of self-propelled artillery in 1:35 scale.
• Modelers who paint the wheels only once the running gear is assembled.
• Those who want a clean rubber-to-rim transition with no lining by hand.

The package contains masks only. The kit, paints and thinners are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.