"paint mask"

[LonnieFisher]

Does anybody know how to make paint masks? It has to be possible for the hobbyist to make paint masks at home. I don't know how they make them, so I don't know how to replicate it at home. Does anybody have any ideas how to make them?
One idea I had is to put clay of some sort over the places to get painted and then coat with silicone. Kind of like a thin mold. Then cut the openings where the clay was. But that would be kind of thick and not easy to paint in the openings.
What do you think?

[Mego Magyar]

What are you looking for? I've done vinyl ones, my Astin Riddler style and a Black Cat as well as one on my Bucky.

[LonnieFisher]

I'm looking for some method to paint details onto heads(hair, eyes, mustaches, etc.) like they do in the factories. They are production painted with a "mask" so they are all exactly alike. The paint is sprayed and not brushed. I don't like brush strokes and want to do multiple heads exactly alike.

[LonnieFisher]

Paint mask, not painted mask. Not a concealment mask, a mask with which to apply paint to a head or body or helmet or whatever.

[Iron Mego]

Vacuu-form may be your best bet. Most paint masks are made of thin copper, but doubt you'd be able to find anybody State-side that makes them.

[LonnieFisher]

This video shows one being used at 1:18. This video is awesome and shows how they produce the vinyl heads with hair that we like in a smaller scale. The video is from 1968.

[LonnieFisher]

And another good video that shows some processes that Mego and re-Mego figures go through.

[Bantha5]

I,ve had luck with vacuforming. I use a thin clear plastic sheet, then cut out the areas to be painted. Not super durable, but it gets the job done.

[LonnieFisher]

I,ve had luck with vacuforming. I use a thin clear plastic sheet, then cut out the areas to be painted. Not super durable, but it gets the job done.

How many times do you think they could be used before they need replacement?

[Apjac Corny]

Believe it or not, Silly Putty is a great tool to use for masking. I've used it on my aircraft models for years. The camouflage on this model was masked with Silly Putty.



For a Mego head, you could paint your base coat of flesh and cover the areas that you don't want painted with the Silly Putty leaving the hair or cowl exposed to be painted in the desired color. Silly Putty forms to any shape so all you need to do is mold it around the hairline covering the face completely. I suggest using spray paint whether it be from an airbrush or a can. It just works better than brushing when you are using any kind of mask. As soon as the paint is dry you can remove the Silly Putty. With Silly Putty there is very little paint creep or break edge.

These days for masking Mego heads I'm mostly using Tamiya Masking tape and an X-acto knife. I did this on my Hobgoblin custom just recently. I was out of Silly Putty but that head would have been a perfect candidate for that method.

I've also used Magyar's "Son of Satan" vinyl sticker for a paint mask on my custom. I applied the sticker and lightly airbrushed the upper part of the Zica torso with my base flesh color. When the paint was dry, I removed the sticker leaving the flesh color of the Zica body showing through to give the pentagram scar effect that Daimon Hellstrom is known for.

[LonnieFisher]

Silly Putty won't do for multiple heads. I'm looking to make multiple heads with identical look. With a paint mask it takes like two seconds to paint the application. I'm talking production style multiple heads. Lots of heads. I'm talking manufacturing, not individual customs.

[sprytel]

Still a cool tip, though.

[Bantha5]

How many times do you think they could be used before they need replacement?

If it not to intricate, about 50 times. But they are not that difficult to make, so you can have a few going at a time.

[Starroid Raiders Dagon]

I like the vacuum form idea. Also, I have used Smooth On Rebound silicone rubber which can go on quite thin (I use a thickening agent after 2 passes over the master) so that might be an option?

https://www.smooth-on.com/product-line/rebound/

[dr_cyclops]

Lonnie, I think vacuum form is what you are lookin for.
Use clear sheets so you can see, exactly where you want your cuts to be.