Masking and avoiding bleed through

[Rpmtech1]

A guy emailed me the other day about how I paint my V-2 rockets without the paint bleeding through the masking tape. This model is black and white, so ANY bleed through of the black onto the white looks horrible. Plus the surface is not mirror smooth.

I mask off the model and spray a few generous coats of clear lacquer on the masking line. This will seal the tape so the color coat cant bleed through. I always do this when I need a nice fine line and never rely on tape alone.

I like the "Deft" brand spray lacquer available in most hardware stores. It comes in satin, semi gloss and gloss and comes with a nice fan spray pattern tip. It will not attack enamels, but just be sure the first few coats are light mists. Obviously you can also use Testors and like clear coats too.

[Slats]

Thanks Rick,
a timely tip, later in this year I'll be putting together a Saturrn V in 1/48 scale for my daughter's school. Was thinking of painting and techniques. Thanks indeed.
J

[greenman407]

Some people like to use the blue masking tape because they are afraid that regular masking tape will pull off some of the recently painted areas. I dont trust the blue masking tape as it has almost no stick and that right there I believe will cause bleed thru more than anything else. Just as you said, use the clear paints as a sealer and use good quality regular masking tape that after you do the taping, rub down that critical sealing edge with a tool like a eraser or the blunt end of a small screwdriver handle. Also use light mist coats.

[Rpmtech1]

They do sell tapes in different grade "tacks" I buy the cheapest tape I can find. Usually anyway. You can De-tack it by running the strip through your hands getting minute amounts of skin oil on it to make it so its not such a tenacious stick and pulling fresh paint off.

Vinyl electrical tape is actually better than any masking tape in terms of a clean line all by itself IMO, but its next to impossible to get a long straight line out of. Unmatched for curves though!

[greenman407]

You know, that electrical tape idea seems really good. However I have seen the cheaper stuff leave behind a lot of sticky residue. Itll probably clean up with denatured alchohol. Another thing to watch for is pulling the tape off too soon. Itll leave a bad line.

[spankey]

I have been having my car painted, and this topic came up when I was talking to my painter. Use the 3M green tape. This tape can be bent around curves, and it sticks much better than the blue stuff, which I cant use anymore. Try the green 3M stuff, it should do you good.

[greenman407]

Never seen it. Where can you get it?

[spankey]

go to your autobody painting shop, should be able to find it there. This is what it looks like....

http://www.automotivetouchup.com/store/accessories/tape.aspx

[llangston1]

So after masking off your model how do you dry or wet sand between coats of paint and not disturb your mask lines? If you disturb them you will never get them in the same place.

[alad61]

Any sanding between coats should only be overall a light buff sanding with only a heavier hand on an area that is needed to remove say a strand of hair or similar that blew on the wet film. The idea of sanding between coats is not to cut away the paint film but rather cut away enough shine to provide a keyed surface for the next layer of paint to work on as well as remove any dust etc that may have settled on the wet film.

As for paint bleeding through tapes, any high or low quality paper tape will bleed if it's not placed down properly and by properly I mean on a clean, smooth surface and the edge burnished or rubbed over. But most importantly apply a couple of light mist coats on the edge rather than one solid or over applied first coat, wether it be a solvent or water base paint. That also eliminates any need to apply clear sealing coats to 'seal' the tapes edge which then helps eliminates an over build of film.

:biggrin:

[greenman407]

Alec, I have found that your suggestion about the mist coats is true. When using an airbrush there is much less tendency to bleed because you are laying down much less paint than if you were using a spray can.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Mask, then hit the edges of the tape with a clear coat (which fills the little gaps that otherwise would permit the color coat to 'bleed' through), then hit the work with your color coat. No apparent bleed-through of color under the masking tape edge.

M

[greenman407]

Man oh Man, I just got some good tips from a professional auto painter of 35 years. Im sure HWSNBN knows this frontwards and backwards but he told me to eliminate "Orange Peel" on the auto body paint, use more thinner and more air pressure and use the larger tip in my airbrush and practise practise. Hey.......wait a minute.........I think thats what Dave has already told me. Huh....I guess I just needed verification. Anyway, he has offered to provide the paint, match colors and mix and for free. Wow! Sound too good to be true? Not really, He wants to keep our account. Besides I wont be using much paint to paint a model sub.