"I think I've heard that

I usually remove it as soon as possible too.I think the longer the tape stays in place the more chance it will pull up the paint when one removes it.....DaveB

I agree

I too remove the tape quickly, it is usually within a half hour or when ever I finish cleaning the airbursh.

AndyH

I'm no pro

when it comes to models, but I did spend 40 plus years finishing furniture in both custom and production circumstances and your reasoning is spot on...it doesn't need to be immediately at its wettest but definitely while it is still soft to prevent jagged edges. To prevent "bleeding" run a fine brush with clear acrylic along the taped edges and let it dry. It will bleed and seal off, preventing your paint from doing the same.

David Stewart

Thanks, David

What a great idea!  Simple, easy to do, and effective.  I will definitely be using this one!

Something helpful you may not have seen

As I said a few times I am re-entering MRR after 30+ years, however, I do have many other hobbies and art forms that I have been involved with for may of those 30+ years.  The nice thing about this hobby is that most of what I do in other hobbies is not only applicable to MRR-ing, but sometimes very helpful.  I would like to offer some materials from custom air brush art in automotive and high-end modeling that may make your custom art work on your rolling stock or structures much more controllable, less messy and maybe, let you experiment with paint schemes you would normally not attempt.

The world of customized automotive art work has brought some amazing advances in the graphics masking and stencil material developments.  The masking tape composites are very flexible, bleed-through and seepage is almost unheard of now, the selection of tapes includes micro-foams that allow us to even mask over protuberances such as applied rivets & surface scales (3D snakes, dragons etc on the tank or hood) and still maintain a masking seal.

Something else to note is that these new materials run the size gamut from 1/16" wide to 2-ft+ wide.  Many manufacturers also make their automotive specialty products in hobbyist sizes as the custom art models are now a big business.

Anyhow, I was happy to actually have something to share that may help some of you Gents, who have been and continue to be so helpful to me as I enter this hobby.  Below is a link to a supplier of all things custom art and specifically to the tape and masking page.  This will at least give you a look at what is available.  There are also videos on this site to introduce you many product lines.

http://www.coastairbrush.com/products.asp?cat=244

Same Color

Another trick is to give the tape edges at the color you are masking off a quick shot of that color.  It will seal the tape and any bleed under will be the same color as what you have masked off.  Then just shoot the next color of choice and viola...

Jeff Youst

Ive been doing the sme as

Ive been doing the sme as Jeff and it seems to work pretty well.  I also take the masking off rather quickly also, not when the model is still 'wet' but more 'tacky'.  Otherwise I've noticed that the hardened paint seems to peel more along the masked edge.

i painted cars for ten plus

i painted cars for ten plus years the best way is to make sure everything was prepped correctly from the get go. most people dont clean what they are going to spray( i use wax & grease on 95% of what i spray, the other 5% i just dont care) but if you are worried about colors bleeding thru try using clear coat thinned down. spray the next color then wait, wait ,if you pull it off to quickly, you just pulled the new color over your org color. if you wait to long, you just tore the new color.   most paint mfrs have a time when to spray the next color & when to scuff & paint. most paints are set for ideal temp to be 70 degrees the colder it gets the more open time you have the hotter it gets the less time you have humidity comes into play,& get the water out of your air line

Painting semi professional for 10 years

I have been doing custom painting for some 10 years on a semi professional basis and don't use any of the masking tapes that you pick up in hardware stores.   Even the so called low tack blue painters tape will take the paint of a model if you are not extremely careful in how you use it.   For me if you do model work then you should use a tape that has been designed for it.   I use Tamiya tape for every masking job that I have to do, it is made in a number of widths and comes in its own dispenser.   The tape has a low tack and does release pretty easily but I find that laying it down on a sheet of glass before putting it on the model help with the removal later.   I haven't done any scientific experiments to explain why it just works.

Besides I like to put a clean edge on the tape with a hobby knife before I use it and putting it down on the glass to cut it does both jobs at once.   As for removal in the article that is in this months magazine I explained what I do, personally I like to remove the tape as soon as I have finished painting the model with the colour it is masked for.   I know that if I have to mask over this colour later then I will be using more tape to cover both but I think it is worth it in the long run.   I have never had a major bleed under with Tamiya tape and that includes numerous paint jobs on resin and plastic cars representing wooden sides, ends and roofs, no bleeding in the wood groves at all.   I have had some very minor bleed under from time to time because I didn't seal the tape properly when putting it on.  But that was my fault not the tapes and it is easy to remove with a small brush dipped in thinner or a Q tip dipped in the same stuff.   You can see the technique I use in the article in this months mag about finishing a resin car.

Just my observations but that is what works best for me.

Rob McLear

Australia.

I'd like to do some masking

I'd like to do some masking to paint the side rails and roofs of some of my TOFC Trailers silver.  Is there a masking tape I could pick up at a local store that would work well, so I don't have to mail order it?

Secondly, is there an acrylic color anyone would recommend for those 45' TOFC Trailers roofs and side rails?

Thanks, Jim

tape and such

I also remove tape soon after spraying the second color. I use common Scotch Tape for the mask. The edge is always straight and seals the bottom color well. Scotch has way too much tack, so I always stick/unstick the piece on some surface a few times before I apply the mask. I've never had any previous color come up with it (the first color may have been drying several days before I mask anything...). I get a sharp edge to the color line every time with no bleeding.

I remove the tape as soon as

I remove the tape as soon as possible. Most of the time when I'm masking to paint I use 3M tapes.

Painting Trailer roofs

Jim.

You asked if there was anything local that you could use to paint the roof of trailers. I have been in H.O. scale for almost 50 years and have been weathering my Models for all most Half of the time. I have used many different things finding different results.  I have used the Blue painters tape but not the cheapest in the blue tape isle. To me 3 M is the best and I havent had any trouble with their tape. I have also worked for 8 plus years in a Paint shop of a Big Auto Manufacturer. Talking to our venders that supplied our products. The Paint Techs that came to check our products in House, also said to stick with 3 M for little trouble.  Just my .02 cents.    Thank for the ramble,  Kevin

Masking tape

I totally agree with Rod McLear's comments. I have seen his work and it is spot on. I have been using the  thinest masking  I can find for years and I also precut the edge with a very sharp blade on glass before laying it on the model using a tooth pick to get into corners. I generally wait for a minute or two after painting and then I peel off the tape. I have had very good results but seeing some of Rod's  work using the Tamiya tape and the line edging is virtually invisable.. If you leave the tape on when the paint driers you are more likely to have peel of. I use only Floquil paints never acrylic. I have not tried the new model railroad paints that are not on the market but have been told they are supurb. With painting take the time to seal the tape on the job, do not rush and I use very thin layers of paint until I get the desired effect and I use auto paint thinners to clean up and  acetone through the air brush for the final clean.

Cheers Bob

Also from Brisbane Au.

Works best for me too

I just finished my best airbrush job ever and one of the things that worked the best on this project was using a new find on masking tape.  I tried 3M Scotch-Blue Delicate Surface Painters Tape # 2080el for the first time and it worked great.  The combination of Tru Color Paint and the 3M masking tape gave me the best results I have ever done with my airbrush.  I ended up with only 3 to 4 hours between colors using the Tru Color paint.  Removing the tape 2 to 3 minutes after applying the paint work very good for me.

I did a post on my blog about my E7 paint project, it turned out great.

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/2014/11/november-9-2014-airbrushing-my-cary-e7a.html

Mel Perry

Bakersfield California

TruColor masking material

I ordered some TruColor paint last year, and went ahead and ordered a pack of their paint masking material too. It comes in sheets, so you have to carefully cut the lines and angles with a clean blade and square.

But, I was VERY HAPPY with the TruColor masking material.  Beats the heck out of the "more expensive" and "less in a box" roll type specialty painters masking tapes.......

It does a great job....I do spray a lite coat of the color that I am masking over along the edges of the tape, and it takes care of the bleed thru problem.  

tape Bleed.

3M it is... I'll try to find

3M it is... I'll try to find some after all the hoo ha of the holidays is over!

Cheers, Jim