OK. I fought the law. And the law won. But what about tape?
Three days ago I laid down over MM Blue Angel Blue the most beautimous gloss coat ever using Testors Glosscote reduced with Mr. Color Levelling Thinner. So pleased and proud of myself. Well, as the Good Book saieth, “Pride goeth before a fall”. As I had decided to mask and paint the F6F wheel well after finishing the model’s exterior I decided that after three days and no detectable lacquer smell I was safe. So I masked with Tamiya 6mm and then used 3M blue paint masking tape to extend the mask cover over the model’s surface. I intentionally barely ever touched the 3M tape to the model surface, trying to avoid touching at all. But still it connected at a number of places and sure enough when I removed it I had marred the surfce of my gloss coat. So lesson learned give it a week or so. But… is there a broad 3/4 or 1 inch tape one can use to extend the mask that is less sticky that the 3M blue painters tape?
For future projects,I always paint the wheel wells 1st and then mask them by stuffing them with damp facial tissue so that it fills it and conforms to it.then paint the bottom of the aircraft.
Sorry that happened. I did it too, 7 yrs ago now. Recall the sinking stomach feeling well. I think we’ve mostly all done it once.
I’d suggest saving the the hardware store tape for honey-do jobs. Tamiya does make an 18mm roll. And I just stumbled across this Tamiya product I didn’t know existed.
After having a similar disaster with 3M type tape 7 yrs back, somebody here suggested masking the boundary with proper Tamiya masking tape (de-tacked, of course) and using aluminum foil to protect against the rest of the overspray. Or you can use post-it notes, or wrap in plastic wrap. Or just about anything except hardware store masking tape.
I do have a roll of the 18mm Tamiya tape, but I don’t recall ever using it.
I’ve used drafting tape in the past but don’t know if it’s even made any more. Now I use Tamiya’s masking tape or similar kabuki tape from other manufacturers.
For you youngsters, drafting tape is what we used to tape our drawing paper to the surface of our drawing boards. It has less “tack” than masking tape so as not to tear the paper on which our drawings were laboriously created using T-square, triangles, bow compasses, and French curves.
Drafting Tape is still available!. I have to have a friend get mine from a Drafting supply house in Dallas. I definitely needed it for those large sheets of Drawings for proposed Workboat to Yacht conversions and such.
The other thing is this. Four (4) passes through dry hands creates the same amount of Lo-Tack that Drafting tape does. There is a Tape called LO-TAC.I have used it in the past, Sadly I don’t remember where I got it.
Like Tojo, I always paint the gear bays first, usually before they even go into the aircraft. For masking the gear bays when the rest of the model is painted, I use little wads of Silly Putty. They too can be gently worked around all of the delicate parts in the landing gear bay and can be brought right up to the edges of it.
As for the Glosscote lifting…that might be caused by it not going on quite wet enough. Parts of it may have been nearly dry by the time they hit the model, so they couldn’t join with the paint layers underneath.
Thanks, Eaglecash. I will watch my spray carefully as that is a real possibility. I generally use silly putty. This approach was a bad idea any whichaway you cut!
I have stopped using 3M Blue Tape. Too sticky. Instead I use 3M Delicate Surface Painters Tape. It is purple in color. I have not had any problems with the tape.
Like someone mentioned, I stuff the painted wheel well with dry toilet paper, then tamp it down with a damp paint brush so it conforms to the recess, then let it dry.
For other masking, de-tacked tamiya tape around the edge, then blue tape to attach pieces of plastic grocery bag to the tamiya tape.
I don’t use toilet paper, Because I have had it bleed. What I use is scrunched paper towel pieces, dampened to fit. Also if I need very sharp lines I use the 1/4" wide Auto striping tape, because curves don’t seem to bother it!
Then, Here’s wher care must be use to prevent Blow Over-or Under. Use a back strip of Purple Delicate painters tape and make sure it is burnished down to the preceding tape and none has pulled up ! Then Protect whatever else you have to cover and paint away!