I made the mistake of using some old school masking tape on week old paint. I used tamiya fineline tape first to mask off the wing leading edge of my Revell PA-18 Supercub and it works great. The older tape was used behind that to mask off the remainder of the wing. When I removed the older tape it left behind small amounts of very stubborn adhesive. I have tried denatured alcohol on a cotton swab with zero results. I am afraid of damaging the painted surface and I’m needing advice as to what I may try. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Sorry I forgot to let you know it was Testors gloss red enamel applied with an air brush
This is NOT based on actually trying this myself. You don’t mention the type of paint, and that probably makes a difference. Having a sample you can test on would be great.
So anyway. There is a product called “Goof-Off” you can get at paint or hardware stores. There are multiple formulations, including water based. Also, WD-40 is great for removing adhesives. But I have no idea what any of these will do to your paint.
That’s why I no longer use any tape but Tamiya for masking.
Like said above, it would be helpful to know what sort of paint the masking residue is on. If an enamel, try using windex. If it is an acrylic paint I would try using enamel paint thinner. WD-40 would not be a good option as it would at the very least discolor any paint it absorbs into. And it is a strong cleaner, so it will likely attack any paint.
Plus WD40 will not take more paint.
Goof Off is way aggressive.
yes I feel your pain. Even old Tamiya tape pretty much wrecked my Type XXI model.
Itll look ok as a derelict.
I suggest mechanical means as a last resort.
Sometimes, if the tape is applied when the paint is dry but not fully cured (especially with gloss paints), it’s not necessarily adhesive residue. If slightly soft, the surface of the paint can sometimes take on the texture of the masking tape itself and then cure hard, leaving a relief-like textured surface. If this is the case, there’s very little you can do about it apart from removing the paint entirely or polishing with a fine grade wet n dry paper followed by a recoat.
Goo gone and a q tip is my go to. Smells like oranges and gentle on plastic.
On another thread Mona Lisa thinner was mentioned for other uses. That stuff is pretty harmless against cured enamel and Acrylic paints. Perhaps that is an option for removing the adhesive residue.
Yes sorry to let you know the type of paint. Its testors red gloss enamel applied with an airbrush. Thanks
Once that paint dries and cures it is very tough. Gloss enamels are quite hardy. Try windex on a swab for getting the residue off.
Sometimes, simply sticking the tape back over the residue, in a dabbing motion, will pull the residue back off. I don’t think that would be likely to work though, after using any type of solvent on it. It usually takes a lot of “dabbing” and a little time, but usually does the trick.
I still use regular masking tape to cover larger areas…Tamiya tape for edges (burnished down)…when it comes time to use the generic masking tape (new or old) I’ll stick it to the palm of my hand first to de-tack it a bit. I’ll only press down on it on top of the Tamiya tape, and just barely press on it (just enough to stick) in areas that it comes into direct contact with previously applied paint.
Goo Gone will not affect a lacquer surface. Anything else I cannot say.
Testors gloss enamels are not a lacquer. It would definitely be best to test Goo Gone on a paint mule first.
Maybe a little heat in some form,dry or wet.
[dto:]…I sometimes get this specially on canopies and I just dab the residue as fermis said and it comes right off.
A fresh piece of tape ususally will remove some of the residue. I use Goo-Gone to get the rest.
Actually rather than heat, I would try cold first. Maybe stick in the freezer and then try a non-woven sanding pad. Heat will make it gooey.
Hello every one, and I thank all of you for the suggestions and ideas you have given to help me. I have successfully removed the last of the old tape residue from my Piper Supercub wing. I was able to remove it by using a soft tee shirt rag soaked in denatured alcohol and pressing fairly hard. Once the residue was gone I could see I had polished the area so much that the painted surface was super smooth and resembled a real painted fabric covered wing like some of the very expensive paint schemes I see on real Supercubs here In Alaska. So I gave the same teatment to the remainder of that wing and loved it so much I did the rest of the airplane. I haven’t attached the wings and tail feathers yet so that made it easier to accomplish. And yes enamel paint is tuff as nails after its dried for awhile and very little of it transfered the the soft rag. So again I thank all of you for your suggestions and I will retain your ideas for later projects. All the best to you. Rick