Scribed Panel Lines

[Paul]

I was asked about panel lines on my project board, but it might be more usefull in the long run to reply here....

To make the panel lines:
After the model is primed I stick a piece of painter's tape on the model to use as a straight edge then scribe in the line with a sharp awl.  Go very light on the first pass as pressing too hard on the edge of the tape can dent it.  I then sand with 400grit to knock off any burrs.  Next go over the model with an old toothbrush to get the dust out of the grooves. Re-prime and paint.  After painting I accent the lines with a fine-tip marker. Art Media here in Portland sells markers named "Pigma Micron" that are waterproof and fadeproof.  The ink takes a few seconds to dry, so if you get any where you don't want it you can wipe it off with your finger.  If you wipe in the direction of the airflow you can get a neat weathering effect.  The ink is not solvent proof, so if you want to use a clear-coat, spray a list mist for the first layer.  Brushing on a clear-coat will wipe off the ink.

I've only tried scribing on basswood, I'm not sure how it would work on something with a more uneven grain like pine or fir.  It might be hard to get a consistent width.

[Model Maker]

When making my Spitfire models, I experimented with three different approaches to panel lines based upon reading various articles on the internet. I've captured my results in the pictures below.

The first picture shows the panel lines simply marked using a soft dark grey artist pencil. The width looks about right for the scale, but it lacks depth.

The second picture shows the panel lines creating by masking and then building primer up around the masking tape to provide some depth.  A soft dark grey artist pencil was used to colour in the lines. The depth looks good, but the width is too wide for the scale.

The third picture shows the panel lines created by scribing the lines similar to Pauls method and using the soft dark grey artists pencil on top of the finished paint, but before the final clear coats are applied. This provides depth and a more proportional width for the scale. This method is certainly more realistic than the other two methods.

[Flying T]

another way i put lines on is this:  i make around 1/72 scale,so digging in (scribed) will make it too big,i use a straight edge and a mechanical pencil to draw in the lines where needed after  finish paint. i use acrilic paint.after drawing i spray the plane with a clear coat

[lastvautour]

Thank for the tip.

Lou