TOPIC:

Hi,

This is the first time that I am attempting to paint a tamiya body kit.

I started to paint the bear hawk using tamiya TS-30 (Silver Leaf) for the back end bars and front windshield bars.

My question is what type of painting tape should I use to cover the silver painted areas up?

I used the blue masking tape from Home Depot just to cover the entire body except for the bars. I painted the bars and left it to dry for 4 days.

Now I am ready to paint the entire body. So I used a little blue masking tape and taped up the front windshield bars but when I remove the tape some of the silver leaf paint comes off thus I have to repaint the it.

Please advise on what tape is safe to use.

Thanks

bigwig wrote:

Hi,

This is the first time that I am attempting to paint a tamiya body kit.

I started to paint the bear hawk using tamiya TS-30 (Silver Leaf) for the back end bars and front windshield bars.

My question is what type of painting tape should I use to cover the silver painted areas up?

I used the blue masking tape from Home Depot just to cover the entire body except for the bars. I painted the bars and left it to dry for 4 days.

Now I am ready to paint the entire body. So I used a little blue masking tape and taped up the front windshield bars but when I remove the tape some of the silver leaf paint comes off thus I have to repaint the it.

Please advise on what tape is safe to use.

Thanks

Tamiya masking tape is a lot finer quality & a lot less agressive than regular decorating masking tapes, these are the part #s:

part # tape
87030 6mm tape in dispenser
87031 10mm tape in dispenser
87032 18mm tape in dispenser
87033 6mm refill
87034 10mm refill
87035 18mm refill
87063 40mm tape

TBH I suspect you've got more issues than just the tape - if the paint is bonded well & the masking tape isn't left on too long, the paint shouldn't come off like that. What sort of preparation did you do to the shell before painting? The barest minimum you can get away with is to wash an ABS shell in washing up detergent & warm water to remove the mould release agent, even then paint isn't going to grip well.

I'd suggest that at the same time "keying" the surface with a fine wet & dry paper - 800, 1000 or 1200 grit. You know when you've done enough when clean water is no longer shunned into beads & just sort of sit there, flat.

You're also spraying things in an unusual order - convention (because it's less work masking fiddly bits) would mean doing the main body colour first, waiting for that to cure, then masking off the bits you don't want to spray the detail colour.

Jonny is right. You painted details before main color. The preparation is very important. After the cleaning in warm soapy water you can apply 1 or 2 layers of surface primer. the white is thinner than the grey. But a classic automotive primer is good too and often cheaper than the tamiya one. Another advice that I didn't respect on my last body (a monster beetle rere) Leave the primer dry 2 days minimum in a ventilated area not too cold.

Thanks.

I washed the shell with warm water and Dawn detergent. I did not use the surface primer, I just spray paint the shell afterwards. Maybe this is the problem here. I should use the white surface primer.

I will use the surface primer for the remaining main area that I need to paint.

Thanks again for the advice.

I had the same matter than you. Paint directly on the bodyshell, this one must be really ungreased and manipuled with gloves if you have wet hands. The best is to paint short time after cleaning. I sprayed at home in exterior with medium results and in an opened paint cabin at work with ~20°C the result is largely better. But I am a poor painter compared to Jonny Retro and his advices are really precious.
perso I prefer the airbrush for the lexan and I have to try on hard plastic.