1:ALL BALKENKREUZ1

Balkenkreuz 1 – painting masks (Solid Scale)

This is a set of painting masks, not decals and not a kit. The Balkenkreuz is the bar cross that served as the national insignia of the German armed forces in the years 1935 to 1945; the manufacturer offers its shape variants as separate items, and this set matches variant 1. The masks are cut from a self-adhesive film — you stick them onto the model, spray over them and once they are taken off the insignia stays sprayed directly in the paint.

Use

• Stick the mask onto a perfectly dry base coat
• Press the edges down carefully, so that no paint bleeds under them
• Spray in several thin coats, not all at once
• Take the film off shortly after it has dried, slowly and at a shallow angle

Why spraying instead of a decal

A sprayed insignia has no glossy carrier film and no visible decal edge, so it does not have to be sealed in with varnish or with a softener and there is no risk of silvering on an intricate surface. The result stands up better to subsequent weathering, because the insignia becomes part of the paint layer. On two-color crosses, work in individual steps — the light base first, then the darker part — and always let the paint dry completely between the steps.

Who the set is for

• Modelers of military vehicles and of Second World War aircraft
• Those who want markings with no glossy decal edges
• Builders who go on to weather a model and build up layers of varnish

The set is not tied to one particular scale; it is a universal sheet. Compare the sizes of the insignia with the model you want to use them on before buying. Paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.