hi to all i,m having trouble with the tamiya masking tape i,m using to mask off gloss area,s on a lifeboat model i,m building for a friend for xmas i,m an experienced modeller ten years plus and have never had problems with tamiya tape before but then i,ve always used matt paints on tanks and aircraft i,ve built this is first model to require gloss paints . i,m using tamiya acrylics thinned with tamiya thinners and sprayed with aztec air brush , when i removed the tape an impression of the tape is left in the paint it had 2days drying time before i added the tape , this time i,ve flattend the paint with sandpaper resprayed left to dry 2days coated with 3 coats future/klear left for 24 hours masked off sprayed again 48 hours drying removed tape got same problem. any onwe got any ideas or suggestions

Hello,

I use both Tamiya and paint-store masking tape. To reduce the adhesiveness of the tape I put the masking tape first on my t-shirt or trousers and pull off, I do this 2-3 times. After this the tape is less tacky and will not lift paint so easily nor leave adhesive traces but still tacky enough to give a good masking performance. Your problem probably comes from the glue on the tape reacting with the paint, above method may also help this.

Additionally, even though you have nicely basecoated the surface and left it dry you may not have degreased the area properly - you can see this if the basecoat comes off too. It is also possible that you leave the masking tape on the surface too long or the drying time is not enough.

Hope it helps!

cheers mate i,ll try what u suggest i,m not pulling the paint off as such just leaving marks in it and its not glue as it wont wipe off thanks again for your reply

I do the same thing to remove some glue from the tape even better use a piece of glass. ACESES5

I believe it is because gloss paint is a thicker product and that is what is making you aware of the demarcation line. If it really is that much of a problem then use matt paint and a clear gloss coat applied after.

2 days is not enough drying time for gloss Tamiya acrylic (though this is dependent on the thickness of the coat applied). While it's ample time for flat Tamiya paints, the gloss paints take much, much longer to dry and cure. I can guarantee that the paint is still soft after 2 days. It doesn't matter what tape you use, whether it be Tamiya, Scotch brand blue masking tape or and other generic masking tape, the underlying paint will take on the impression of the texture of the tape.

After experiencing this problem in the past, I wouldn't mask over gloss Tamiya acrylic without at least a week to 10 days drying time, the longer the better. Leave the tape on for the shortest possible time, remove it as soon as possible after applying the second colour.

Applying Future over the base coat will not help - it wil lonly further extend the drying/curing time by sealing the paint inside an impermeable (well less permeable) barrier.

many thanks for your reply i wasn,t aware that the gloss paint would take so much longer to dry , your exactly right in what you say about the impression of the tape being left not a glue residue as such but imprints into the surface i,ll respray it this week but may have to go down the matt paint then a gloss finish if my freind wants the model by xmas many thanks to all that replied excellent

Another trick I've learned (the hard way) with Tamiya masking tape is to remove it as soon as possible. Get it off the model as soon as the new paint has set up. If left even over night, it can effect the paint underneath. (At least I've seen this when using it on Tamiya's own acrylic lacquer.) Not sure if it is a chemical reaction of just glue residue. In my case, clear gloss over the finished paint fixed the problem.

Even though a gloss paint maybe dry to the touch, it does not mean it is fully cured. Therefore is remains soft and imprints the weave of the masking tape when you apply it. As Phil pointed out 2 days isn't enough "Curing Time", and like him, I'd suggest at least a week, depending on the number of coats of gloss paint you used.

hi
i am having the same problem but i used mr surfacer 1000 as a base coat on my model base surround and painted it in in x18 semi gloss black then a coat of clear.
still tacky after 3 days don't know what to do , i very tempted to take it off and start again or would i be wasting my time.
paint it Humbrol Matt 33 black then use tamiya clear on top ?
or should bases be matt black.

ADVICE PLEASE,