Help with masking

[Katsura]

Hi, I just can't seem to get masking right. Can I have some advice from the masking masters?

I was painting a 2 tone body (JGTC Xanavi 350Z): I primed with Valejo's grey then Tamiya's white primer, left to dry for a week, then wet sanded, left to dry for 2 days.

I then masked the silver panels, then air brushed the red panels using decanted TS-8 + Mr Hobby levelling thinner.

After the wetcoat dried for a couple of hours I lifted the masking tape (tamiya 40mm ones), shock horrow, there were red paints seeping under the masking tape. Worse, parts of the white primer layer has been erroded (by the thinner?) and have lifted off with the tape, so now I got a flawed primer layer on the panels that was masked off .

what am I doing wrong? Please advice.

I plan on sanding the primer layer where the white primer has chipped, then re-mask the red panels and repair the white primer layer. But now I'm scared of masking!

[cyberkid]

Hey,
If the tape isn't pulling up and silver paint then your cure time is enough.
As for the seeping... a lot of people use a light clear coat over the area where the tape meets the paint to help stop seeping. Also make sure you burnish ( spelling corrected ) before you paint. (Meaning press the tape down against the model firmly so that there isn't leakage)
As for the thinner part I think you thinned it too much and sprayed too heavily. I use Tamiya's Laquer thinner for TS paints and it works great. I personally don't use Leveling thinners with 2-tones so I'm not sure in this area.
The errosion of the primer is most likely due to the fact that the primer was 'stuck' under the mask thus making its vapors take a lot more time to evaporate.

[Katsura]

Thanks cyber, I didn't make myself clear, the silver panels have not been painted yet - they are currently just in white primer.

I masked off the panels that's 'going to be' painted in silver - and painted the red first, because I think the silver have better coverage than red? So I decide to paint that last.

So now I'm having the red panels painted , and the rest is still in primer. which got erroded.

I'm going to try your method of using clear to seal the mask tape - on that thought, can I not also use the first colour (ie, red) to seal the tape?

Cheers.

[cyberkid]

Have a look here Ping & Pong present: Two VERY Red Ferraris They didn't mask at all when painting the first color at all.. which is red same as you.

[slightfan]

Paint whole body silver,then mask making sure edge of tape is firmly down in area to be masked then spray the red.
+ why thin down TS paints? isn't it already pre thinned ? this why it is a spray can afterall
Shayne

[Gamerxz]

Originally Posted by slightfan

Paint whole body silver,then mask making sure edge of tape is firmly down in area to be masked then spray the red.
+ why thin down TS paints? isn't it already pre thinned ? this why it is a spray can afterall
Shayne

Dont spray the red over the silver... your red tone will be totally different compared to your decals... The decals fit perfectly on italian red over white primer... im building a xanavi Z , the link is below.. basically i sprayed red then the gloss aluminium.. silver doesnt fit the decals.. oh yes... i had to coat the car with silver leaf first then spray gloss aluminium to get the correct colour

[Katsura]

Cheers all for the tips!

Fromt eh info I gatehred - I should have
- painted the first colour all over, then mask for second colour
- not thinning the TS so much (I like to work with lower pressures from AB)
- press down the masking tape
- seal between the colours using a clear coat

[cyberkid]

OKee.. here we go..

Originally Posted by slightfan

+ why thin down TS paints? isn't it already pre thinned ? this why it is a spray can afterall
Shayne

When you spray the TS straight from the can.. then its thinned perfectly.. but when using an AB the paint most likely will not be thinned to your preference. The spray cans give off maybe 20~30 psi (even more when heated), which needs the paint to be thicker in order not to run, but when I AB I use 10~15 psi, thus the paint needs to be thinned more. Another thing is that when you decant paint.. some solvent evaporates, making the paint thicker. Normally I thin from (thinner:decanted paint)1:4 all the way to 1:1. Depends on what effect I'm looking for. I also listen to the paint being sprayed from my AB... if there is a spluttering sound... then the texture will for sure will be VERY rough.

Originally Posted by Gamerxz

Dont spray the red over the silver... your red tone will be totally different compared to your decals... The decals fit perfectly on italian red over white primer... im building a xanavi Z , the link is below.. basically i sprayed red then the gloss aluminium.. silver doesnt fit the decals.. oh yes... i had to coat the car with silver leaf first then spray gloss aluminium to get the correct colour

As Gamerxz said, don't do red over silver.. transperant colors will be transperant... you'll get a metalicy red if you do red over silver...rule of thumb for me is.. white under anything that is transperant..(red, blue, yellow)

Originally Posted by Katsura

Cheers all for the tips!

From the info I gathered - I should have
- painted the first colour all over, then mask for second colour
- not thinning the TS so much (I like to work with lower pressures from AB)
- press down the masking tape
- seal between the colours using a clear coat

If you like working with low air pressures then thin away, you can never get too thin IMO, just takes more coats. Just be sure to leave a little time between coats. I would suggest you change thinners though. I strongly recomend Tamiya's Lacquer Thinners for their TS paints.
As for the clear coat, you only need to mist coat the area where the masking tape meets the paint... just give it some time to air off... 10~15 minutes will do just fine.