Masking Cavities

It can be difficult to mask cavities in the surface of a model like wheel wells or cockpits, but with these tips it can be done quickly, cheaply and easily.

Down and Dirty - The Tissue Paper Method

All you need is some common toilet tissue, water and cotton swabs. Begin by gently stuffing the cavity with dry toilet tissue.

Place dry toilet tissue in the cavity

 Next, press the tissue down into the cavity with your finger or a toothpick.

Push the tissue into the cavity

Finally, dampen the toilet tissue with a wetted cotton swab. Push the wetted tissue into corners using a toothpick. Keep putting single layers of tissue into the cavity and wetting it with the cotton swabs until the cavity is full.

Use a wet cotton swab to compact the tissue until it fills the cavity

A Sillier Way to Mask Cavities

In the toy aisle of your local big box store, you can purchase a substance which is custom-made for cavity masking. This wonder solution is the stuff you once played with as a kid - Silly Putty.

Using 'Silly Putty' to mask cavities

Tear off a hunk of the moldable goo and knead it to soften it up. Push it into the cavity you want to mask. Really no need to worry about it sticking to the paint in the cavity - the stuff sticks to virtually nothing! Push it right up into the corners of open wheel wells. If anything, it might work too well. If you have the tiniest bit of overlap at the edge of the cavity, it will mask the surface as well. It is best to use it in such a way that it appears under-filled, because this will usually give you the result you want. The only way to find out is to 'play' with it (pun intended).