black window surrounds

[chas3840@yahoo.com]

I am building a Tamiya Citroen 2cv 1/24th scale model.  The front windshield and the back window are both flat rectangles that have a radius on the 4 corners.  Looking at the 2cv models that I have seen on the model car magazine forum website, builders have surrounded these windows with what appear to be perfect black 'rubber' gaskets.  I am asking how was this accomplished?? I've tried a few ways, but none are even close to what I've seen here. HELP!  

[cobraman]

A black marker may help you.

[Fat Brian]

Depending on how the windows and trim are done on the kit a black marker may be best or you could mask them off after painting the body and hit them with a brush or paint pen. Without seeing exactly how this kit handles the trim it's hard to be really specific.

[stitchdup]

If the trim is molded on the body just mask off after paint with decent tape, then hit it with some matt/satin black

[NOBLNG]

Do you mean the rubber moldings that the glass is set in? If so, I made these out of .040” half round and painted the them with Tamiya XF-85 rubber black.

Edited May 25, 2021 by NOBLNG

[chas3840@yahoo.com]

Thanks a lot!  Looks good.  Just to be sure, that is half round styrene rod?

[NOBLNG]

Yes. Evergreen and Plastruct have it in different sizes. If I recall, I cold bent it around the drill bit while holding it flat to the board with the tweezers. Then warmed it slightly with the lighter to “set” the bend.

[Zippi]

I've tried to free hand window trim with a black Sharpie and my hands are not that steady.  

Edited May 27, 2021 by Zippi

[Bugatti Fan]

Getting lines straight for things like windscreen rubber seals is not always easy. I use a small engineers spring divider that I can set to the desired width and carefully scribe around the aperture. This makes a more defined edge line to work to on the moulded detail of the kit parts. The better defined scribed line is much easier to work to either with a fine line pen or making a wash and carefully use a dip pen to follow the line and allow capillary action to run the thinned paint along the line. Once the fine line is defined in this way the main bulk of the rubber seal can then be fill painted to the sharp line created.

Edited May 28, 2021 by Bugatti Fan

[John1955]

This was an easy one to answer. Just use a Testors black paint pen on the interior side of the windows. Even with severe arthritis in my hands, it's quick to do. If you need to, use scotch tape on the surface before using the paint pen to keep lines straight. No rocket science or special tools needed. 

[Classicgas]

I find paint pens like that to be too thin for this kind of thing. A fresh black sharpie pen works great.

[NOBLNG]

There are three different interpretations of what “rubber gaskets”  the OP was enquiring about. I assumed he wanted to fabricate the gaskets. Painting the existing molded in gaskets is another, and painting the frit (I had to look up the name) is another. Everyone has provided good solutions for all three scenarios.

[Classicgas]

The kit i built was the revell germany version. It had the surrounds molded on.

[kruleworld]

18 hours ago, Classicgas said:

I find paint pens like that to be too thin for this kind of thing. A fresh black sharpie pen works great.

Do you find that sharpies look kinda of purple? (rather than black). that's what i found.

[Classicgas]

If you use a single coat. I usually put 2-3 coats down, and it will appear more of a true black.

[Spottedlaurel]

I don't much like masking, so when I'm feeling sufficiently confident I just do it with brush-painted enamel. My preferred colour is Revell #9 Anthracite, which has a more rubbery look than straight black I try and get the edges more-or-less right on the first go, and may add a bit of second coat if necessary.

My preference is to apply it after I've polished and waxed the paintwork. If the edge needs a bit of tidying then I gently scrape it back with a blade. I'm not attempting to build contest winners, it works for me.

If I do feel the need to mask them then I prefer to use BMF rather than tape. I find it easier to trim it to the edge of the trim moulding.

I'm in awe of those who can represent a chrome trim within a rubber moulding around windows........

[modelercarl]

I have used Bare Metal Foil Black Chrome the same way I use their chrome and aluminum for moldings around windows or body trim.  Burnish it in place and trim with a fresh #11 blade.  It works great for me.  

[Bainford]

11 hours ago, kruleworld said:

Do you find that sharpies look kinda of purple? (rather than black). that's what i found.

Yes, the Sharpie brand markers have distracting a purple sheen. Look for other brands. I have a Bic chisel tip and a Deserres double tip (chisel on one end and medium round on the other). Both have solid black, alcohol based ink and lay down a nice line without the purple sheen.