masking tape stained clear coat!

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!

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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



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

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! :cool:

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.

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! :cool:

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

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.

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...

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.

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'?

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 (http://www.shurtape.com/Default.aspx?TabId=79&ProductID=153&DisplayType=1)

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.

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.

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.

That's odd, the Shurtape I have has much better adhesive than the blue painter's tape that I use for more general use (like inside the body to mask inside the glass to keep overspray at a minimum). Mine has the same kind of adhesion as Tamiya tape. Not to mention the tape is far smoother than regular painters or masking tape.

Once I have an edge sealed, I then use Glad Press 'n Seal as a general mask for large coverage. It's great, it has just enough stick to work as a perfect general mask w/o having any real adhesive to mess up paint. It'll only screw up paint underneath if the paint isn't cured completely (same for any masking materials).

Hmm, wonder if maybe I got a bad roll or something.

The couple times Ive tried using it, it just never stuck very well, either to itself or to the painted plastic it was applied to.

Hmm, wonder if maybe I got a bad roll or something.

The couple times Ive tried using it, it just never stuck very well, either to itself or to the painted plastic it was applied to.

Are you using the Shurtape Gold, or just one of their more standard tapes? It's the Gold line that's just like Tamiya. They sell other more mainstream painters & masking tapes. Lowes carries Shurtape products, but not the Shurtape Gold. The Gold is sold to people doing intricate masking for detail painting around the house, for the same reasons it works for us on models.

Just to reiterate;
chances are, the reaction you experienced isn't because of the type or brand of tape you used.
It is more likely due to paint that has not cured properly being sealed in by the tape.

Tamiya tape does not leave residue. But it will react with paint or clear coat that's not cured, so I generally let paint cure at least three days before I put masking tape on it.

Not all blue tape is the same. I've gotten excellent results - similar to Tamiya - from 3M Scotch tape for Delicate Surfaces. It's got good adhesion but doesn't lift the paint.

I love Press n' Seal, by the way. It's a great time and labor saver.

Ddms

Tamiya tape does not leave residue. But it will react with paint or clear coat that's not cured, so I generally let paint cure at least three days before I put masking tape on it.

Not all blue tape is the same. I've gotten excellent results - similar to Tamiya - from 3M Scotch tape for Delicate Surfaces. It's got good adhesion but doesn't lift the paint.

I love Press n' Seal, by the way. It's a great time and labor saver.

Ddms

Ok I will be fine then, I always leave my paint to cure for about 4-5 days.

To be clear; it isn't a reaction between tape and paint.
It is an effect caused by solvents in un-cured paint being trapped and unable to escape evenly and/or properly so yes, leaving paint to cure will prevent it occuring.

Thanks for the inputs guys!

Was rushing the coat thats why it got crazy now im sure of it, thanks!

Did anybody already use the Frog Tape (http://www.frogtape.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1)?

More clarification: With regard to curing time, I was referring to synthetic lacquers like Tamiya TS-Series. Enamels need quite a bit more; I dunno about acrylics.

I do know that surface prep is especially crucial with enamels. Donn Yost is the "go-to-guy" on that subject.

Ddms

Did anybody already use the Frog Tape (http://www.frogtape.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1)?

According to their website, Frog Tape's new "PaintBlock" technology works just with latex paint chemistry. Doesn't sound like it would be applicable to the kinds of paints we use.

Great idea, though! (There are other ways to prevent seepage, but that's a subject for another thread.)