Kittyhawk
Established Member
In the wooden aeroplane modelling business there are some small areas of black paint (cockpit canopy) that need to be very clearly defined by masking tape. This presents a couple of difficulties the first being that there are a lot of sharp curves and masking tape doesn't like to bend much edgeways and the second is paint creep under the tape.
With regard to the first, tape can bend a little edgeways but too much and the edge puckers up allowing the paint to channel under. My solution was to use lots of little bits of tape to work around the curve but this of course makes lots of overlaps which also allows channelling. The fix was so simple that instead of feeling pleased with myself I feel kind of stupid. All that was necessary was to get a wider tape 25 - 30ml, tear of a bit and stick it down on a piece of flat plastic. Then make a template of the curve on a piece of paper, lay it on the masking tape and cut out the curve with a craft knife and you have a piece of tape that you lift off the plastic and lay it on the work, job done. Yes, I know.. everybody knows that but I didn't.
Secondly, paint creep. In the past I tried every tape known to man from budget handyman stuff up to high end detailing tape and I could not see much difference in any of them. To be fair the results would be acceptable on big jobs but because my stuff is so small anything other than a razor sharp line sticks out like a dogs appendages. A toothpick is a handy tool for ensuring the tape edge is tightly down especially where one bit of tape overlaps another but the only way to eliminate paint creep is to spray over the masking tape with a clear coating to seal the edge. This works well but brings another little problem, the clear coat and paint curve upward against the tape and leaves quite a pronounced raised edge when the tape is removed. This can be mainly overcome by using the thinnest tape you can buy which fortunately is also the cheapest. The stuff I'm using is .11ml thick. From what I see different brands of masking tape vary from .11ml up to .18ml and to .24ml for some of the car painters pin stripe tape. Doesn't sound like much but it makes a difference. And the only other thing I've discovered is to removed the tape just before the paint is dry and it won't muck up the edge.
With regard to the first, tape can bend a little edgeways but too much and the edge puckers up allowing the paint to channel under. My solution was to use lots of little bits of tape to work around the curve but this of course makes lots of overlaps which also allows channelling. The fix was so simple that instead of feeling pleased with myself I feel kind of stupid. All that was necessary was to get a wider tape 25 - 30ml, tear of a bit and stick it down on a piece of flat plastic. Then make a template of the curve on a piece of paper, lay it on the masking tape and cut out the curve with a craft knife and you have a piece of tape that you lift off the plastic and lay it on the work, job done. Yes, I know.. everybody knows that but I didn't.
Secondly, paint creep. In the past I tried every tape known to man from budget handyman stuff up to high end detailing tape and I could not see much difference in any of them. To be fair the results would be acceptable on big jobs but because my stuff is so small anything other than a razor sharp line sticks out like a dogs appendages. A toothpick is a handy tool for ensuring the tape edge is tightly down especially where one bit of tape overlaps another but the only way to eliminate paint creep is to spray over the masking tape with a clear coating to seal the edge. This works well but brings another little problem, the clear coat and paint curve upward against the tape and leaves quite a pronounced raised edge when the tape is removed. This can be mainly overcome by using the thinnest tape you can buy which fortunately is also the cheapest. The stuff I'm using is .11ml thick. From what I see different brands of masking tape vary from .11ml up to .18ml and to .24ml for some of the car painters pin stripe tape. Doesn't sound like much but it makes a difference. And the only other thing I've discovered is to removed the tape just before the paint is dry and it won't muck up the edge.