Guest 000 Posted October 19, 2019 Share Posted October 19, 2019 Can anyone advise on a superlative masking tape please? I've tried most of the selection available at Bumblings and they are all not so flash if you want a perfect result. I'm talking about a paint to varnish line that will stand very close inspection, millimetre by millimetre. Most tapes are not bad but will give a tiny bit of under cutting that then needs to be cleaned up with a craft knife and with a magnifier fitted on your specs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SloopJohnB 322 Posted October 19, 2019 Share Posted October 19, 2019 Have you tried insulation tape? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 643 Posted October 19, 2019 Share Posted October 19, 2019 Green or blue and to reduce the stickiness(depending on length) pull across your pants first,still sticks but not as severe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 000 Posted October 19, 2019 Share Posted October 19, 2019 Thank you. I will the suggestions on a test piece first. One of the difficulties is the paint/varnish I'm doing is that they are a one-shot deal. Mess it up and it's very difficult to correct. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 000 Posted October 20, 2019 Share Posted October 20, 2019 Use 3M only, there are several types that may suit, the purple low tack I like but there are several fineline pvc types but they are very fiddly. Double taping helps give a good edge too. I like the sound of the fineline pvc type. I'm only trying to mask off paint to varnish lines a few centimetres long so the fiddly aspect shouldn't present a problem. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VERGE 1 Posted October 24, 2019 Share Posted October 24, 2019 Go to an automotive refinishing place and get the yellow tape (Japanese i think) it has a very low profile and is great for masking where you dont want to see a thick line where the paint types change. Perfect match paints used to stock it. Have you tried Wairau paints? Not sure where you would get it outside of Auckland sorry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted October 24, 2019 Share Posted October 24, 2019 Verge is spot on. You need an Automotive Refinishers Tape. The normal masking tapes from Bunnings etc are for house paints. Automotive/ Marine finishing coatings are thin and need special tapes with sharp edges and ultra thin in thickness.Try these guys.http://tapespec.co.nz/shop/Futureprotect++l+++Masking+Systems.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 000 Posted October 25, 2019 Share Posted October 25, 2019 Thanks for the good advice - one can always rely on you chaps to come up with answers. So what I'm trying to achieve is a razor Sharp line between the black paint replicating the canopy and the varnish on the rest of the aircraft. Both are sprayed finishes. I thought I might manage to sell a couple of these models - I didn't count on an order of 50 so I need to get my production and finishes sorted. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dtwo 157 Posted October 25, 2019 Share Posted October 25, 2019 Thanks for the good advice - one can always rely on you chaps to come up with answers. So what I'm trying to achieve is a razor Sharp line between the black paint replicating the canopy and the varnish on the rest of the aircraft. Both are sprayed finishes. 20191022_214410.jpg I thought I might manage to sell a couple of these models - I didn't count on an order of 50 so I need to get my production and finishes sorted. Awesome! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
idlerboat 116 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 .....automotive plastic mask.... The stuff designed for twopak. Just practice a little on removal time. To short and the finish will string, to long and it will show brittle notches. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VERGE 1 Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 You can purchase online here: https://smitsgroup.co.nz/products/5615/masking-tapes-other-tapes this might be the one you want: https://smitsgroup.co.nz/product/84207/jtape-flat-orange-masking-tape-6mm-x-50m Plane looks great; wish i had that level of craftsmanship. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 000 Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Thanks for your help with the masking tape. Will chase your recommendation up on Monday. Plane looks great; wish i had that level of craftsmanship. And thanks also for your comment but it's not skill, it's just having the right tools. At the moment I have 10 of the spitfire Mk.V's under build and have started on a run of P.51-B Mustangs - but it's all come to a bit of a stop. I need to figure out how to sand the little fiddly bits. No skin left on my fingers and the bloody fingerprints are hard to remove from the wood. Girl's hands.. but got to pay the expenses on that canal boat somehow.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dtwo 157 Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 Dremel with appropriate attachment? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 000 Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 Dremel with appropriate attachment? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 000 Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 Dremel with appropriate attachment? Yep, got a Dremel but it's a bit vicious on little bits.After a bit of experimenting this is what I've come up with if anybody has a similar problem. I cut a 300mm piece of 5mm steel down to 25mm wide. One end is clamped in the vice and the rest of the bar sticks out on the side of the vice you want to work on - depends if you're right or left handed. On the bar I put a bit of 25mm emery tape held on with a tiny ratchet clamp on each end. The little bits I want to shape and sand are very thin and only 10-20mm long, but the bits are cut 20 - 30mm longer to provide something to hold on to. When finished, the handle part of the job is cut off and the piece will need just a couple of whisks over the sandpaper to tidy up the cut off. Holding the bit between thumb and forefinger, the front part of the forefinger runs along the edge of a steel bar which gives good control but just make sure it is properly de-burred. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 000 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 This masking off paint lines is driving me insane! On these models I sand to baby's bum smooth, spray two coats on varnish, sand with 400grit,then mask and spray some parts with black paint. I bought some eye wateringly expensive detailing tape as advised in posts above but am still getting a degree of undercutting. And what do you do about corners where one line of tape overlaps another? There is always a paint dribble there. The attached pic shows the aircraft canopy in black AFTER an hour of delicate clean up of the paint line with a scalpel, and it's still not all that good. There's got to be an easier way. And I realize that this query has nothing to do with boating except that if I can keep selling these things then we can afford to keep canal boating starting April. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 000 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 This masking off paint lines is driving me insane! On these models I sand to baby's bum smooth, spray two coats on varnish, sand with 400grit,then mask and spray some parts with black paint. I bought some eye wateringly expensive detailing tape as advised in posts above but am still getting a degree of undercutting. And what do you do about corners where one line of tape overlaps another? There is always a paint dribble there. The attached pic shows the aircraft canopy in black AFTER an hour of delicate clean up of the paint line with a scalpel, and it's still not all that good. There's got to be an easier way. And I realize that this query has nothing to do with boating except that if I can keep selling these things then we can afford to keep canal boating starting April. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 000 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 This masking off paint lines is driving me insane! On these models I sand to baby's bum smooth, spray two coats on varnish, sand with 400grit,then mask and spray some parts with black paint. I bought some eye wateringly expensive detailing tape as advised in posts above but am still getting a degree of undercutting. And what do you do about corners where one line of tape overlaps another? There is always a paint dribble there. The attached pic shows the aircraft canopy in black AFTER an hour of delicate clean up of the paint line with a scalpel, and it's still not all that good. There's got to be an easier way. And I realize that this query has nothing to do with boating except that if I can keep selling these things then we can afford to keep canal boating starting April. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 000 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 This masking off paint lines is driving me insane! On these models I sand to baby's bum smooth, spray two coats on varnish, sand with 400grit,then mask and spray some parts with black paint. I bought some eye wateringly expensive detailing tape as advised in posts above but am still getting a degree of undercutting. And what do you do about corners where one line of tape overlaps another? There is always a paint dribble there. The attached pic shows the aircraft canopy in black AFTER an hour of delicate clean up of the paint line with a scalpel, and it's still not all that good. There's got to be an easier way. And I realize that this query has nothing to do with boating except that if I can keep selling these things then we can afford to keep canal boating starting April. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 000 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Cool.... pushed submit once, got three posts.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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