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  • masking tape

    Some of you pro painters should step in here, however.....
    Masking tape (not household sticky tape) is usually marked indicating the number of hours or days that it is safe to leave the tape on the job. Heat and sun will cause the tape to harden up fast, so keep the masked job indoors or in the shade if possible. Hardened masking tape can usually be removed with 3M masitic (glue-gum) remover until it goes final, then it is all hard work and it may mark the paint (usually look like crepe' paper).

    One of the problems with trim tape is that it does not always stick down on the edges, especially on churves. There are a couple of tricks that may help. If the tape or metal is cold, heat it slightly with a hairdryer while applying the tape and press the tape down with a wallpaper roller. Practice this before doing it for real.

    If the tape does not stick down the paint will leak under the edge of the tape and leave a messy raged edge. With some kinds of paint, I put down the tape, spray a light layer of clear, then when dry I spray my trim color, remove the tape and put down another layer of clear. The top layer of clear will blend the trim into the finished coat. Where you can't use a clear it is possible to lay down the tape, spray a layer of the base coat, then lay down the trim color. The object of the clear or base coat is to seal the edges of the tape so that the trim color will not blead under tape.

    Besure to test your paint before you use it this way.. Rust-o-leum for instance may swell up, wrinkle and slough off if a clear is applied at the wrong time.

    good lulck
    RonC
    Ron C
    N96995

  • #2
    Re: masking tape

    If you have to do curves, mask them with the narrowest tape you can find then use the wider stuff over the thin. The narrow tape curves a LOT easier!
    Hank

    You can also overspray the tape with the base color to seal the edges of the paint.

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    • #3
      Re: masking tape

      3M makes a tape especially designed for striping. It is called Fineline. It comes in various widths, but for laying out a design on an airplane I am sure the 3/8" width would work. There are several advantages to using this tape. For one, it it easy to see where it is stuck down well and where it is not. It is a thin plastic or vinyl type tape (not paper), and where it is not stuck well it looks different. You can see through it where it is stuck well, and you can't see through it where it isn't stuck. Secondly, since it is some sort of vinyl, it makes tight curves very well. And last of all, it leaves a very fine edge on the paint, instead of a large raised welt like paper tapes.
      Richard Pearson
      N43381
      Fort Worth, Texas

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      • #4
        Re: masking tape

        The 3M is what we used and it worked very well. No bleed through at all. I would recommend putting regular masking tape over the vinyl as the paint runs right off of it! Had no trouble making the curves with the this stuff. The thin stuff really bends. Also did not pull up any paint whether over fabric or metal.

        Ryan
        Attached Files
        Ryan Newell
        1946 BC12D NC43754
        1953 15A N23JW
        TF#897

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