modelers masking tape..

[steveo3002]

ive been trying to mask some clean straight lines onto recently sprayed gloss paint , my paint finish is nice and smooth yet the tape lets it creep under when brushing a light coat on

if anyone has used some good products could you post up some links to whats best

[Red Firecracker]

First of all what tape are you using? I almost solely use Tamiya tape nowadays.

Secondly, I always spray a light mist coat of either the paint you are using or Johnsons Klear over the tap edge to seal the tap to the work. Once that is dry, then I build up the colour as per normal.

Very rarely do I get any creep using those methods and if I do I can normally see where I screwed up/rushed the process.

[steveo3002]

i was using fine line masking tape that id got when i worked in a body shop , it was used for pin stripes and the like

i will mainly be brushing where the tape is needed ..i think thats the problem

[Eric Mc]

Tamiya Tape is the best out there.

I also "seal" with a light brush or spray of Johnsons Clear.

[dr_gn]

steveo3002 said:

i was using fine line masking tape that id got when i worked in a body shop , it was used for pin stripes and the like

i will mainly be brushing where the tape is needed ..i think thats the problem

Main thing I find beneficial is to slice the masking tape with a new scalpel on a spare ceramic tile or piece of granite worktop. Then use the freshly cut edge. This eliminates the original edge of the tape which can gather dust and debris, and can also have slightly dry adhesive Either of which can lead to a badly stuck edge.

If you use this method in conjunction with Tamiya tape you should be fine on anything other than very rough surfaces.

[CobolMan]

As there's so much modelling knowledge on PH would it be a good idea to have a hints & tips / how to wiki?

[Evangelion]

Best only to mask on gloss paint, this makes the tape stick better and lessens the chance of any paint creeping underneath. If you don't want a gloss finish, give it a coat of clear matt afterwards.

[Red Firecracker]

Evangelion said:

Best only to mask on gloss paint, this makes the tape stick better and lessens the chance of any paint creeping underneath. If you don't want a gloss finish, give it a coat of clear matt afterwards.

Partly true, yes it is slightly easier with gloss, but I only paint in basecoats that require a clear to give them a shine and using my (and Eric's) technique I don't have any issues with paint creep, as long as I'm careful with my preparation and process. Quality materials, quality paint, quality preparation will see you right without being dependent on whether the paint is gloss or matt.

By way of a poor example (struggling to find a picture of a masked model that I am able to show) this model/s was painted with matt basecoats and then cleared once all colours were on.


Fangio and Kling 1954 French Grand Prix by Kelvin Pope, on Flickr

Edited by Red Firecracker on Tuesday 7th December 07:16