Prevent maskingtape from pulling paint with it?

[PierreR89]

How do you prevent the maskingtape from pulling away the paint that is under it when removing the tape?
I always have this problem any time i need to use maskingtape to protect the paint and it is really starting to irritate me by now.

I have tried several different brands of tape, roughed up the plastic before painting it, used primer and let it sit for a few days and then let it sit for a few more days after i am done painting it.
But almost always there will be a section of paint that will lift of when i am removing the tape.
When i am removing the tape i am being carefull and doing it slowly instead of just ripping it off.
The tape i used last is not that sticky so i thought it would not be a problem again but it still is...
What am i doing wrong?

[Michael jones]

Are you removing the paint or the paint and the primer? If it is the paint and primer try Tamiya primer, its expensive but very good stuff.

[vintagerpm]

All I can do, is tell you what I use. First, I follow the painting schedule you already do. For tape, I use either Tamiya tape or 3M blue painters tape. I remove the tape as soon as possible after painting. (This last step is mostly because some tape glues react with some paints if left on too long, and cause discoloration.)

[Jantrix]

Pull tape slowly at 90 degrees of the tape line.

[dmthamade]

Prep before any paint goes on is important. Surfaces have to be CLEAN of oils, grease. Any gloss surface gets a scuffing with 600 wet/dry. Primer choice depends on color coat choice, lately it's been Tamiya spraybomb primer for everything, though will try Duplicolors in future. It's not the tape you use, it's prep and primer/paint choices that are the issue. What paints are you using?

Don

[martinfan5]

2 hours ago, PierreR89 said:

But almost always there will be a section of paint that will lift of when i am removing the tape.
 

More than likely the reason the paint is the lifting is because of the paint itself, which paint are you using that gets lifted?

 

[PierreR89]

Sometimes its both the primer and the paint that comes off with the tape.
I try to remove it as soon as possible to prevent it sticking itself to hard and ruining everything.
The paints that usually gets lifted like that are those from a spraycan, sometimes its regular brushpaint acrylic or enamel does not make that much difference.
Only thing i have noticed is that they seem to be able to stick better and dont lift that easy and if they do its just a small part that can be fixed quick.

Might have to try tamiyas primer on one to see if i have better luck with painting.

[dmthamade]

8 minutes ago, PierreR89 said:

Might have to try tamiyas primer on one to see if i have better luck with painting.

Once you try Tamiya primer, you'll never go back. There is an argument that it's expensive, but so is redoing a paint job or even dumping a kit full of resin(more an aircraft thing)aftermarket because the paint went sideways. So, paint once with good materials, or do a redo because of sketchy materials.....your choice.

 

Don

[SfanGoch]

Try low-tack frisket film.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I use masking paper for the majority of the body and Tamiya tape for the borders between colors.

There is absolutely no reason why the entire body needs to be covered with tape.

 

If I need to use a little bit of blue painters tape, I will, but on a very limited basis.

I never, under any circumstance, let garden variety masking tape touch my paint jobs!

There are too many things that can go wrong.

 

 

Steve

Edited September 16, 2019 by StevenGuthmiller

[Deuces]

Whatever happened to good ol' Glad "press n seal"?????.......

I still have 2 rolls off that stuff that I plan on using .....

Edited September 17, 2019 by Deuces

[Bucky]

I used white masking tape on a two-tone paint job once........ONCE! It pulled about half the paint off that I had already applied.  So, I had to re-prep for that color, mask the second color, and re-spray the first color!  The next time, I used blue painter's tape, with no ill effects. I know some builders use Bare Metal Foil for masking, but it seems that could become expensive.

[dmthamade]

Like steve, i use paper to cover big areas after masking borders, or i just exercise airbrush control. As far as tape goes, i use Tamiya, Aizu, Jammy dog, post-it notes and green painters tape. I have had issues with pulling paint with tape, though it never happens anymore. Last time it was with Vallejo primer, never again. I have to say, i haven't done a lot of gloss schemes, warplanes are a flat finish. Something to keep in mind as i use different sheens of paint.

Don

[StevenGuthmiller]

43 minutes ago, Bucky said:

 I know some builders use Bare Metal Foil for masking, but it seems that could become expensive.

I use foil occasionally, but only for small curved areas, etc.

It really doesn't require a lot of foil if you are selective about where you use it.

It comes in exceedingly handy for things like the Ford stamping on this Ford truck.

 

 

Steve

 

[peteski]

5 hours ago, Deuces said:

Whatever happened to good ol' Glad "press n seal"?????.......

I still have 2 rolls off that stuff that I plan on using .....

Someone mentioned this "helpful" hint some years back.  I tried and never again!!!  When peeling the stuff off your model, it leaves tiny pieces of adhesive behind. 

Edited September 17, 2019 by peteski

[Jantrix]

12 hours ago, Deuces said:

Whatever happened to good ol' Glad "press n seal"?????.......

I still have 2 rolls off that stuff that I plan on using .....

 

7 hours ago, peteski said:

Someone mentioned this "helpful" hint some years back.  I tried and never again!!!  When peeling the stuff off your model, it leaves tiny pieces of adhesive behind. 

I quite agree. It leaves a mess behind.

[Deuces]

Did you guys use enamel paints????.... Just curious....

[peteski]

3 hours ago, Deuces said:

Did you guys use enamel paints????.... Just curious....

To be honest, I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure it was not an automotive lacquer or enamel.  So that leaves either some flavor of solvent-based Testors model paint, or possibly Accu-paint (model railroad paint).  Does it matter?  If it leaves a mess on my model (regardless of what paint I use), I will not use the product.

[Deuces]

Ok.... Guess I'll be careful when I give it a go.... Thanks!...

[Plowboy]

On 9/16/2019 at 12:39 PM, PierreR89 said:

How do you prevent the maskingtape from pulling away the paint that is under it when removing the tape?
I always have this problem any time i need to use maskingtape to protect the paint and it is really starting to irritate me by now.

I have tried several different brands of tape, roughed up the plastic before painting it, used primer and let it sit for a few days and then let it sit for a few more days after i am done painting it.
But almost always there will be a section of paint that will lift of when i am removing the tape.
When i am removing the tape i am being carefull and doing it slowly instead of just ripping it off.
The tape i used last is not that sticky so i thought it would not be a problem again but it still is...
What am i doing wrong?

Are you sanding the entire body and sanding the primer before paint? It kinda sounds like you're having an adhesion issue. Also, pull the tape as soon as you can. As in minutes after you've sprayed the second color.

Edited September 18, 2019 by Plowboy

[Bucky]

I used Tamiya tape for the edge of this two-tone job, both on the primer, and on the first color:

After allowing one day drying time, I put the Tamiya tape down along the chrome trim between the two colors, then carefully added blue painter's tape to the edge of the Tamiya tape.

Each time I sprayed a color, I pulled the tape off as soon as I could. Both colors are Tamiya colors. I had no problems at all with paint lift using this method.

 

[El Roberto]

You can also try detacking the tape a little.  Stick the tape to your hand or pants, pull it off and apply.  Just make sure you don't have any hairs stuck in the tape.

[stitchdup]

I used to have this problem and got to the point I was using 600 grit to prep the body. I then found duplicolour clear plastic primer (tamiya safe, not sure about other brands) and find a couple of light coats of it, left to get tacky then given normal primer seemed to work for me. Also when  removing the tape I warm it slightly with a hairdryer to soften the glue, and pull it back along, almost bent flat back over itself (almost flat back) rather than away from the body so theres only tension between the tape and paint at the end. If you pull it away at 90 degrees it will put more strain on the paints adhesion. think of it like pulling on something thats been clingfilmed, if you pull it the whole lot moves and this is similar to what happens when pulling tape at too steep an angle.