Many structure fronts or kits have cast in window frames. Examples include Ameritown Building Fronts, DPM wall sections offered by Woodland Scenics, Lionel Buildings, Woodland Scenics “Built and Ready” Kits, Chooch, and DSL shops.
Painting those windows can be a pain, and getting each one identical and all the edges straight can be a pain. Particularly because two or more coats are required. And if you are like me, there is a never ending sequence of back and forth touch ups between the building color and the window color to get the edges right
Well, here is an easier way to paint those windows. In this case I used the Urban Rowhouse front offered by DSL shops:
1. In Microsoft Powerpoint, or some other drawing program, make exact size templates of the windows. You can even draw them by hand and photocopy them. Print the windows. It goes faster if you make a strip of four or six of them
2. Attached a strip of 3M #410M double sided tape to backside
3. Remove the protective strip, and attach Tamiya 18mm wide masking tape, sticky side up, to the 3M double sided tape. Try not to touch the sticky surface of the Tamiya tape too much.
4. Put the assembly, sticky side down, on a clean piece of glass. Make sure there is no cleaning residue on the glass. Cut around your templates, so you have a rectangle the exact size of the window
5. Thoroughly clean the wall sections to make sure there is no mold release, finger print oils, etc. Then prime the wall with the primer of your choice. I used Rustoleum Light Gray Primer
6. Paint the window frames with the spray paint of your choice. In this example I used Rustoleum Camoflauge Dark Earth. Apply as many coats as you need to ensure complete and total coverage of the windows. Obviously you don't need to paint outside the windows, but err on the side of ensuring good window coverage.
7. After the paint is totally dry, press the templates onto the window frames. If you miss, pull that one up and apply another one. Don't try to reuse them. After you are happy with the placement, burnish around the frame to ensure the masking tape makes a good seal.
8. Apply another layer of primer
9. You can now paint the walls, apply water, and weather them by whatever method you wish. The walls here have at least five different coats/wash coats/mortar/ etc: You can see the windows came out crisp and clean
10. And for completeness, here is the finished Block of Rowhouses on my layout:
11. And the night shot:
