masking tape stained clear coat!

[potatochief]

Guys

My shiny clear coat finish is crazied by my masking tape!

It created a texture that i cannot remove! help! how can I clean this up? thanks!

[tuned.by.twenty]

Any pictures to show? Is it an actual texture, or just a stain? If your clear wasn't fully cured I could see the tape leaving a texture behind.

[klutz_100]

and what masking tape did you use? i guess not tamiya?

and how long did you leave the tape on the model?

[AAlmeida]

It happened to me once, in my case the problem was the hardener, everything looks perfect but the varnish wasn't hard enough. Even Tamiya tape left this texture you commented. I varnish the texture with Tamiya Compound and polish the body car. Just buy a new hardener and clear coat again.
You can try wet 2000 sandpaper to clear the texture. Good luck!

[TurboGuru]

hmmmm so even the legendary Tamiya tape isn't immune to this crap residue?

It happened to me once, I masked the rear window of a hardtop and after leaving it on there for 3 days it left the glue residue on the clear window, I never managed to get it off.... thats why I got Tamiya tape.... i've yet to try it over a clear window but it was definitely better than standard masking tape.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by TurboGuru

hmmmm so even the legendary Tamiya tape isn't immune to this crap residue?

Tamiya tape doesn't leave residue like other tapes will.

[TurboGuru]

Originally Posted by ZoomZoomMX-5

Tamiya tape doesn't leave residue like other tapes will.

Is it perfect though? AAlmeida mentions it still left texture on one of his cars?

Its certainly a better masking tape and all praises about it should be believed. Good to know that it will be ok on clear parts!

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Your clearcoat might be saved if you can buff it out; wetsand w/1500 wet or dry or 3600 & up micromesh sheets & polish with compound. If that doesn't fix it, wetsand the model as smooth as possible & reshoot the clear, let it cure completely before doing any masking. The upside if you have to re-clear is that it will likely be a better finish from the extra effort. I use a food dehydrator to force cure paint, so I can mask off in hours/overnight. I have no idea how long it will take for paint to cure otherwise...it's trial & error, based on your conditions.

Tamiya tape doesn't leave residue like other tapes will. Many times people will claim it's residue, but it's a chemical reaction between the tape & the paint underneath which has not cured completely...the tape is preventing the masked paint to naturally cure, and traps the fumes under the tape, therefore etching a pattern on the surface. Other tapes may very well leave residue or damage from adhesive that's not compatible w/the paint or plastic, but I've never had a case of Tamiya tape leaving residue, but plenty of times when I've been rushing a paint job that I've had to repair the visible damage from the tape. 95% of the time I've been able to scuff/buff the etched-in texture smooth.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by TurboGuru

Is it perfect though? AAlmeida mentions it still left texture on one of his cars?

Its certainly a better masking tape and all praises about it should be believed. Good to know that it will be ok on clear parts!

Read my long reply above. No tape will be perfect if the paint being masked isn't cured completely.

[AAlmeida]

Originally Posted by ZoomZoomMX-5

Read my long reply above. No tape will be perfect if the paint being masked isn't cured completely.

your are right, in my case the problem was the hardener out of date, I did buy a new one and clear coated again, no problem at all.

[potatochief]

Hi guys

I did use tamiya tape on the edges of the door trims and used regular masking tape on the rest of the car body. both tapes did leave marks on the body!
I guess the clear coat was still soft when I applied tape thats why that happened!

I sanded it out with 1000 grit paper and it was smooth but dull once again.

Anyway, I applied a new clear coat that is clearer that the first one I used, but now I have "pitting"? issues, where there are some areas that have tiny little sinking dots! argh!

Ill post a pic in a bit...

[Adam Baker]

Dont use masking tape. The adhesive is way too strong, and has a bad habit of leaving residue when you remove it.

If your masking something broad, use 3M Blue or Purple painters tape. Its much lower tack and wont leave an adhesive residue when you remove it.

[TurboGuru]

Originally Posted by Adam Baker

Dont use masking tape. The adhesive is way too strong, and has a bad habit of leaving residue when you remove it.

If your masking something broad, use 3M Blue or Purple painters tape. Its much lower tack and wont leave an adhesive residue when you remove it.

So does tamiya tape also fit into this category or are 3m much more 'safer'?

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by TurboGuru

So does tamiya tape also fit into this category or are 3m much more 'safer'?

If he's talking about the commercial painters tapes (for home use, not automotive), I would say no. Tamiya tape is low tack vs. commercial home-use masking tapes (that have much more adhesive than the painters tapes).

The problem w/the home-use painters tapes is thickness combined w/low tack adhesive. You won't get a good separation line, you cannot tell when it's properly burnished (Tamiya tape is easy to tell because it's so thin you get a color change).

You can essentially get the same thing as Tamiya tape in home-use sizes; it's made by Shurtape. It's called "Shurtape Gold". It's excellent stuff, so much more economical than Tamiya, and you get lots more.

Shurtape Gold

Use this stuff & you won't bother with 3M stuff, unless it's the 3M fineline tape for automotive use...but it's best when making curves...Tamiya tape is easier to use in general. US buyers can easily find this stuff at Sherwin Williams (home) paint stores.

[Adam Baker]

I have the Shurtape, and dont really like it. Its definitely thin which is great, but Ive had a lot of trouble w/ tack level being so low, it wont stick in place.

My suggestion for painters tape is for large coverage. If you need a fine edge, put the Tamiya tape down, and then backfill behind it w/ the Painters Tape. That way you arent wasting the Tamiya tape.