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Has anyone tried the Alliance German Stencils?


Citadelgrad

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Alliance model works has a pretty complete set of stainless stencils for 1/32 german AC.  It includes A-Z, 1-0, national markings, swastikas, and staff markings.  All are set up so that you place an L shaped guide, and the larger template provides the outline, then swap the smaller one and spray the interior of the marking.  As they are metal, they are obviously reusable, and I am mentally placing them on wings, tail, and fuselage, I think the fact they they are not a soft mask might be OK?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/141496250903?epid=1139310649&hash=item20f1d57217:g:f6sAAOSwiYlaKNU2  

 

I have used metal stencils on armor in the past.  I am considering a vinyl cutter, but am wondering if this is a viable short term solution?  I noticed that those with cuters sometimes do have trouble with outlines of letters and markings? 

 

IN terms of use, the next 6 in the stash are German WWII.  If I don't need to buy decals for those kits, that's about $10 per model.    

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Like you, I have only used metal masks on armor.  The fact that they will not conform to even the slightest raised detail was a huge turn off for me.  So, if you have a fairing or anything like that that interferes with these masks, you're kinda hosed.  I know it's a big investment to buy a cutter, but holy cow is it great.  

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2 hours ago, ChuckD said:

Like you, I have only used metal masks on armor.  The fact that they will not conform to even the slightest raised detail was a huge turn off for me.  So, if you have a fairing or anything like that that interferes with these masks, you're kinda hosed.  I know it's a big investment to buy a cutter, but holy cow is it great.  

Thanks, Chuck.  Are you able to do numbers, letters, and group markings with borders using a cutter?  I have seen complaints that the cutters aren't great at that.  That is why I was thinking the stencils might be better.  I am torn between a cutter and these, but you seem to be very much in favor of the cutter?

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Eh, I don't do much in the way of German aircraft, but I don't see why not.  The only limitation on the cutter is the size of the stencil you're trying to do.  There's a limit to how small of a cut the machine can make, or how close one cut can be to another.  I did my recent Panzer IV's markings with the cutter and was easily able to do small  1/35th scale Balkenkreuze with it, so I don't see why group markings would be impossible.  

 

I've said it before, but my cameo silhouette was, hands down, the best investment I ever made in my modeling hobby.  I'll never go back to decals or off the shelf stencils again.  Plus, if I can find a color profile for a particular scheme, I can build it, so it opens the door to almost endless possibilities.  

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I wouldn't waste my money on metals stencils again.  I have some, and they aren;t very helpful.  Better off to get yourself a silhouette portrait and make your own masks.   You can import scans of decal sheets or anything you can save as a .jpg into the silhouette program and cut it yourself.  Things get dicey as they get small. though.  Anything under 2mm is too small most of the time.

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On 5/11/2021 at 8:40 PM, ChuckD said:

I've said it before, but my cameo silhouette was, hands down, the best investment I ever made in my modeling hobby.  I'll never go back to decals or off the shelf stencils again. 

 

+2 here.

I don't build enough to use mine frequently, but when I do it opens up a whole world of possibilities. Metal stencils are very limited in their use.

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