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If you're using Tamiya sprays, be careful and follow the steps properly, so that the clear doesn't crack. Tamiya clear needs to be sprayed immediately (less than one hour) after the color, or you'll be waiting a month for it to dry before applying clear. It's because of the different drying rates of their clear vs. their colors.
Complicates things, but it's easy to get around. Spray your basecoat. If it went on smooth, go ahead and apply a couple light/fast coats of clear. You don't have to make it glass-smooth, just cover the basecoat. Then you can mask the stripes. If you can airbrush a thin coat of clear to seal the edges, it's a good idea, even Tamiya tape can bleed tiny amounts of color, and it only takes a tiny amount to ruin the mask. Otherwise a light coat of clear, followed by the silver, followed by a light coat of the clear (to seal the silver)-all in one session. Remove the masking tape after the paint has begun to set, but don't wait until it's dry, around 30 mins. to an hour should do. Then you can dress the painted edges carefully w/very fine sandpaper or sanding cloths, and perhaps do some careful sanding of the clear that's on there, and then reapply more clear anytime. Once the color is sealed in clear, there's no more time restrictions other than letting it dry properly before handling.
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