1:72 M142 Himars painting mask

The real subject

The M142 HIMARS is a wheeled rocket launcher built on the chassis of a military truck with an armored cab. Against tracked rocket launchers it bet on mobility: it drives up, fires off the load from a single launch container and leaves before an opponent can answer. The container is exchanged as a whole, so the machine does not have to be reloaded rocket by rocket. The silhouette is thus unusually plain, an angular cab at the front and a traversing launch section at the rear, and it is precisely that section which is harder to mask when painting.

What the set offers

Masks cut to the shape of the surfaces of the model, so cutting tape along a rule is done away with. In 1:72 scale the glazing of the armored cab measures a few millimeters and masking it by hand does not pay off, because even a small deviation shows on the finished model. The extent of the masked areas you will find in the manufacturer's instructions.

• A mask set for a model of the M142 HIMARS in 1:72 scale
• The masks are cut to shape; cutting tape by hand is done away with
• They are stuck on before spraying and taken off once the paint has dried
• The extent of the masked areas is in the manufacturer's instructions

Building and painting tips

Stick the mask onto a surface ready for painting and press the edges down properly, or the paint will seep under. Spray in thin coats, because a heavy coat applied at once will create a step at the edge. Once the paint has dried, take the mask off with a pull at an angle to the surface, not straight up. Wipe off adhesive residue with a cotton swab moistened with alcohol. On the large flat surfaces of the launch section it pays to cover the rest of the surroundings with ordinary tape.

Who it is for

For modelers of military equipment who want crisp paint edges and clean glazing without cutting by hand. The model, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.