I have been having issues with tape residue of late when i am masking off areas to paint.
I use Gunze Sangyo acrylic paints for the majority of my airbrush work, and Tamiya masking tape that I buy at my local hobby store. The problem i have is that every time I remove the tape it leaves part of the sticky residue on the paint beneath and its looks terrible. So far I havent found any product that will remove this residue without damaging the paint and it is really beginning to annoy me.
I never had this problem pre airbrush times - for some reason it doesnt happen with paint from a pressure pack spray can.
Can anyone give me some suggestions or hints on how to fix this? Are some masking tapes better than others (that being said, supply is limited in australian hobby stores)? Does this happen with enamel paints also?
I’ve only had this happen when I left the tape on too long, and I only use enamels, so I don’t know if this problem you’re having is peculiar to acrylics.
As for the kind of tape, I use regular wall-painting masking tape available in hardware stores. It helps to press the sticky side of the tape against cloth (like your pantleg) before you apply it to the model; it removes some of the tape’s tackiness. It may also reduce how well it adheres to the model, though. It takes trial and error.
Here in the US, masking tape also comes in a blue color, which is less sticky than the traditional tan colored tape. I’ve never used Tamiya or any other hobby-specific tape, since the Wal-Mart cheap brands have worked for me.
As for getting off residue from the model, I had to strip the paint when it happened to me–and even that didn’t turn out to well. I ended up scrapping the kit and starting over.
I use blue painters tape and the tamiya yellow tape. The blue tape I try to find is the thinner stuff (I don’t mean width, i mean thickness of the tape itself). I’ve never had any residue problem left behind. I almost wonder if your coats are reacting to the tape and creating a flaw in the paint. Are your coats fully cured by the time you start masking again? Have you noticed this with all your paints or just a certain paint color your using now?
Once you’ve yanked off your mask, take some fresh masking tape, roll it in a loop with the adhesive facing outward. Mash your rolled tape into the residue and pull. It’ll come right off. No solvents or scrubbing necessary at all. Remember how we used to take exploded bubblegum bubbles off our faces? It’s the same principle.
I always ensure the paint is fully dry/cured before i tape off for the next coat, and as for the paint/colour, this has happened with all Gunze Sangyo acrylics, and also with a couple of tamiya acrylics. I have never used enamels with my airbrush though, so im not sure if that will make a difference or not.
I might try and find some of the blue tape at a hardware store and see how that goes.
one trick I use is to rub the tape on the the underside of my forearm and then peel it off if I think the tape is too “Sticky”.Then put it down on the model where you intend to mask.After painting,wait five monutes and carefully peel the tape off slowly and carefully to insure a clean demarcation between the colors.I used the above method on the anti-glare panel,home-defense bands and yellow wing flash on my Ki-61 Tony.
I dont know if there is a 3M paint store near you, but I have been using Shurtape Painters Green. Made in Canada. As the name suggests, its green. About halfway through a 50 metre roll, and its been great. I dont know about widths, this one is 36mm. Low tack/no residue.
