Removal Of Masking

[Jabo]

So I'm at a point where I'm starting to remove the masking from my North Africa Beaufighter but I've just removed a bit from the landing light and it's pulled some of the paint off as well (grrrr) What am I doing wrong?

[FoolTrottel]

Just an idea, not out of experience: use a small sharp knife to cut the paint? Along the tape's edges?

[Jabo]

Was wondering that myself FT. Will try it when I remove another piece

[Sid]

Wonder why the paint hasn't stayed put? Try what FT said

[Kira]

Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious here.

 

1.  Mask it, paint it, and remove the tape *immediately*, while the paint's still wet and before the tape has a chance to really stick, as that will minimize glue being left behind when the tape is removed.

 

2. I find that it helps to pull the tape back along itself, kinda back on top of itself, yet also at around a 45 degree angle towards the paint. 

 

Keep in mind that the painting I do is not scale model, but rather full scale.

 

Good luck!

[Jabo]

I hear what you're saying Kira and I agree as I've always understood that was the way to do it. Unfortunately the current paints are very thin (enamel or acrylic) and therefore require several coats to get proper coverage which has to 'go off' before the next coat can be applied. It's all very awkward.

[DD_Fenrir]

Have you rinsed/washed the sprued components to eliminate traces of the releasing agent before construction Nick? That might be why your base layer coat doesn't want to fasten fully.

[Jabo]

I thought so Tom. Maybe I didn't sufficiently!

[delta7]

I only use tamiya masking tape, others either allow runs or damage paint when taking off.

I also prime the plastic with halfords grey primer prior to painting. This shows areas that need finishing properly,sanding or filling and gives the paint a dece t surface to adhere to.

If you have damaged the paint then touch in by drybrushing to fill as needed.

Good luck

[Painless]

All of the above !

I know the canopy mask may be on for a coat of inner cockpit colour, outer cockpit colour/s, gloss varnish then finally Matt/silk varnish. That's a lot of coats so a very very sharp scalpel will be needed.

Fun fun fun !

P.

[Jabo]

In this case, I've been using one of the Eduard precut masks which looks to be ok and worked really well on the seafire so I was expecting much the same this time around. I forgot to prime the surface which I suspect may be part of the problem. I shall break out a fresh scalpel blade for the rest of the masks.

[Kira]

I just remembered and was going to mention thinning.  Remembering back to my days of futile attempts at modeling, I didn't get the whole thinning idea, and attempted to put the paint on full thickness right out of the bottle with a brush (young and not experienced at-all!  Especially in the process of "patience, it's the process that's half the fun").  Hate to mention it, knowing that masking at that level can be a cast iron bitch, but maybe the whole "remask for each application" still stands?  I would think that the thinner the paint, the less likely it would be to lift.  That's how it is with the stuff I do anyway, it's the thick sectors that like to lift with the mask.

[Jabo]

Not with precut masks, the whole thing would be prohibitively expensive not too mention very difficult to do it the same each time over half a dozen coats or more. As far as thinning is concerned, I don't generally bother for brushing as the paint is pretty thin anyway, but I do thin it down for spraying.