Vol. 64, No. 3 Autumn 2019 282


Masking tapes By Kurt Van Dahm


Masking tape might not seem worthy of being a topic of discussion, let alone an article regardless of how brief. However, I have found that are many things that should go into the selection of which masking tape to use and how to use it.


Here are some tips to remember about the use of masking tapes in general, regardless of the brand:


1. Never leave tape on the surface of a model any longer than necessary.


2. Burnish down the edge of the tape to make a tight seal against the surface. T is is very important, and most issues of paint bleed can be traced back to skipping this step.


3. When painting a second color over a base color, or adjacent to the masked edge, spray a light coat of the original color over the masked edge at 90 degrees to the surface.


a. T e light coat of paint will seal the edge preventing bleed at the edge. If any paint does seep under the edge of the tape, it will be the same color as the base color and will be invisible.


b. Be careful not build up any paint at the edge of the tape which will produce a raised line.


4. Never set the tape down on your bench as the adhesive is exposed at the edge and will pick up whatever is on your bench. T e next time you use the tape the crud picked up on the edge of the tape might make the edge rough which might prevent a good seal so paint can bleed under.


a. If you have picked up crud on the edge of the tape, lay the tape out on a clean glass surface and recut a straight edge using a sharp blade.


5. When removing tape, pull it back over itself to reduce the stress on the underlying paint. T is method is the least likely to liſt a previous coat of paint.


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