hello,

I used some waterbased "maskol" like product from "model color ".

Now I am astonished how difficutl it is to rub this off after airbrushing the model.

Does anybody have a special trick in his/her sleeve that doesn't ruin the paint?

I use the tip of a rounded toothpick to rub it off. Slow, yes, but it does work.
capnjock

I use maskol quite a bit and the secret to using this stuff is to apply it thick. I ran into the same problem while I was building a 1/48 scale Ju-52. I applied it too thin but I used a combination of soaking the parts in hot water and slowly peeling off what I could with a set of machinist tweezers. It'll take a while but it will eventually come off. Another trick you could try is to use a small piece of duct tape to remove the maskol if its on a flat surface like a wing or something. Good luck.

thanks for the replies.

It will be a real test for my patience level

I had to use an X-acto blade to lift it off of my Rotodyne. I had left it on for 6 months though!

i also found that it is much easier if we apply them thick.
i peel with masking tape, toothpick, knife...anything that will do the job...

my 2 cents

But how thin is a thinned maskol? I recently got the Humbrol one.. they say to thin it with water. But how thin should it be?

When I put the maskol on my Ju-52 I had thinned it down to about the consistency of enamel paint and it went on good but removing it afterward was another story, I bought another container of maskol to use to thicken up the one I had thinned. I keep my maskol about the consistency of yogurt, relatively thick. This way I can brush on 1-2 coats and it will come off easily after I'm through painting.

I think most people run into problems removing these liquid masking mediums because they apply them too thin.
I use plain old everyday liquid masking medium from the art store, it's a liquid latex, thick as yogurt, covers and sticks well, and is easy to see after the paint dries, and just as easy to remove by lifting a small section with the tip of a toothpick, then using twezzers to lift off, usually in one piece.
If it doesn't appear thick enough after the first coat dries, I apply a second coat.