Masking on a tile gives something to hold on to

In the past, I had a hard time holding onto canopies while applying thin strips of masking tape to outline the frames. I recently discovered something that helps me hold onto 1/72 scale aircraft canopies while I mask them. After dipping the canopy in Pledge Future floor polish and allowing it to dry, I fill the inside of the canopy with Blu-Tack poster putty. This gives the canopy good stability while I’m applying and trimming masking tape.

While working on an RS Models Ki-94-II, I placed a little more Blu-Tack than necessary inside the canopy. Before moving on, I pressed the canopy onto a 3" x 3" kitchen tile that I cut my thin strips of tape on, thinking I would trim away the excess Blu-Tack. But by leaving the canopy attached to the tile, I could use both hands to easily apply the tape in straight lines. I was able to pick up the tile and canopy together to trim the tape. I had a lot more to hold onto while trimming the tape and applying masking fluid to cover areas between the tape. I was able to tape, trim, and mask the entire canopy in 20 minutes.