beantownJPL
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What are some "best practices" surrounding masking and stenciling when using rattle-can enamels on more complex paint jobs?
I'm aware of the trick of overcoating the mask with a light coat of the base color to seal the edges. However, I have a few questions regarding other issues surrounding multi-color paint jobs.
My questions:
1. What type of tape do you prefer for "bulk" masking?
2. How long do you allow the base coat to dry before applying tape or stencil masks?
3. How long do you wait for the top coat to dry before removing your masks?
What I've been doing:
1. Generally I've had good luck with blue painter's tape. However, I have had it lift the undercoat on a few occasions, or leave a texture from the adhesive on the undercoat. Lifting is a major bummer, but the texturing is usually not visible once clear coated. If it looks really bad I'll lightly wet sand with 800 grit and that takes care of it. Of course some of this may be related to #2. I've also recently picked up a roll of the purple low-tack tape ... seems promising, and I may switch to that.
2. Usually, I'll let the under coat dry for 30 minutes or so (until the paint is dry to the touch and can be handled gently) until I start masking for the second color. Generally this has been working fairly well for me with the exception of the issues mentioned above, and it typically keeps me within the recoat window of the under-coat.
3. I usually try to remove my masks as soon as the paint is no longer tacky. Of course, this is tricky, as you have to be VERY careful not to mar the new paint. In "bulk" masking situations, this generally has worked well for me, but it's a pain. However, finer details such as closely spaced stripes or lettering, I've definitely had issues where the top coat got pulled off in the tight sections. I've been doing it this way out of fear that a) the longer the tape sits, the more likely it is to damage the base coat, and b) I worry that if the topcoat is allowed to dry too much, it'll get stuck to the tape and peel or chip as it's removed. I've had some success scoring the tape lines with a sharp hobby knife before pulling the tape to deal with the detail issues, but it can be tedious, and also risks more "touching" if the top coat is still somewhat soft.
The bottom line:
I've very interested in what you more experienced modelers are doing. Slowly trying to up my painting game, but it's often difficult to find good advice on some of these details, and much of it is conflicting.
I'm aware of the trick of overcoating the mask with a light coat of the base color to seal the edges. However, I have a few questions regarding other issues surrounding multi-color paint jobs.
My questions:
1. What type of tape do you prefer for "bulk" masking?
2. How long do you allow the base coat to dry before applying tape or stencil masks?
3. How long do you wait for the top coat to dry before removing your masks?
What I've been doing:
1. Generally I've had good luck with blue painter's tape. However, I have had it lift the undercoat on a few occasions, or leave a texture from the adhesive on the undercoat. Lifting is a major bummer, but the texturing is usually not visible once clear coated. If it looks really bad I'll lightly wet sand with 800 grit and that takes care of it. Of course some of this may be related to #2. I've also recently picked up a roll of the purple low-tack tape ... seems promising, and I may switch to that.
2. Usually, I'll let the under coat dry for 30 minutes or so (until the paint is dry to the touch and can be handled gently) until I start masking for the second color. Generally this has been working fairly well for me with the exception of the issues mentioned above, and it typically keeps me within the recoat window of the under-coat.
3. I usually try to remove my masks as soon as the paint is no longer tacky. Of course, this is tricky, as you have to be VERY careful not to mar the new paint. In "bulk" masking situations, this generally has worked well for me, but it's a pain. However, finer details such as closely spaced stripes or lettering, I've definitely had issues where the top coat got pulled off in the tight sections. I've been doing it this way out of fear that a) the longer the tape sits, the more likely it is to damage the base coat, and b) I worry that if the topcoat is allowed to dry too much, it'll get stuck to the tape and peel or chip as it's removed. I've had some success scoring the tape lines with a sharp hobby knife before pulling the tape to deal with the detail issues, but it can be tedious, and also risks more "touching" if the top coat is still somewhat soft.
The bottom line:
I've very interested in what you more experienced modelers are doing. Slowly trying to up my painting game, but it's often difficult to find good advice on some of these details, and much of it is conflicting.