how do I keep a clean line with two-tones?

I'm having a problem keeping my lines nice and clean between colors on two-tone colored cars.

I use the thin Tamiya tape to seperate the colors and burnish it down, nice and tight before masking the car to spray my first color.

It seems I always get a jagged line.

I take the tape off shortly after I spray the car and wondered if that may be the reason this is happening to me because the pressure of the tape being pulled is causing the ragged edges?

How long should I wait to remove tape after the first color is sprayed?

Thanks

I remove it pretty quickly after painting - it helps prevent splitting the paint IMO

You can try 2 things:

a) Peel off the tape into the fresher color (if you know whet I mean :lol))

b) Use BMF as a masking material. It's seriously thinner and better than even Tamiya tape for clean masking. To economise, you can just use a thinnish strip of BMF at the join and use Tamiya tape for the bulk of the area.

HTH

It can also depend on the paint type that you are using.If you use gloss colours then you tend to need to apply the paint a little heavier to get the gloss (wet coats) this in itself makes the paint layers a little thicker and when you pull the tape it can create the jagged effect you describe.I have more or less switched to basecoat colours almost exclusively now.No need for wet coats and they dry very fast, the paint layers are thinner so less of an edge.Then you can apply clear coat to get the gloss you require after all the colours are done and dry.It works well for me.

two very good suggestions, I'm gonna try it out and see where i get.
it's a constant area of concern for me when spraying two tones!
Thanks again

I use tamiya masng tape and burnish it down with a qtip. Then once the paint is somewhat dry so I can handle the body I slowly peel the tape off . Heres are a couple examples of my two tone and the results. Its Tamya light gun metal and gloss black

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/6411/dscf0005smallan1.jpg

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/7276/dscf0006smalljq0.jpg

3m Fine Line Tape Blue (used in the autobranch) is a way to do it.

After you put down the tape, shoot a thin layer of clear before you shoot the next color.

If there is any bleed, it is clear and you dont see it!

thanks for the tip Andy, I'm gonna try that for sure~

I cut the paint film of the 2nd color along the boundary line with a fresh hobby knife before I remove the masking tape.

right on Hirofkd, almost like when doing laminate floors and you get to the seam section, this way it comes out clean and straight! :grinyes: great tip!