Reducing the lip from tape lines

[woodjames]

I've laid and sprayed graphics with 1/8'' green fineline tape. The graphics have layers, so I'm always past the window where I should have pulled the tape. I've tried cutting with an exacto along the tape line to try to cut through it, but it doesn't help. I've read to lay a razor flat and slice through the line, but I'm scared, I've got a lot of time in the already. I can rub perpendicular to the line with my finger, and the lip breaks up, cleanly, but it doesn't always break off. I can't just lay the paint down thinner, because it's got fades, and I had to spray white down before the silver - either way, there's a lot on it - there has to be a lot on it. Anyone want to share the best way to deal with it

The second picture is rather blurry, but shows the lip problem well. Tracking the line back - where it trails off the picture, that's an area where I got it to break up. You can see how the light really grabs it though, mainly because it's a metallic, and the clear coat does not make it go away.

-Jimmy.

[CarWiz]

You need to pull the tape right after shooting. Use a high-temp reducer to gain some time. When you pull tape on dried paint, it can chip the edge and/or leave a "flag" of paint. But being too late already you might try wet sanding over the tape with 600-1000 until the tape is revealed and cleaned. Use a hard rubber backer for your sand paper. I use a 2x3 3M squeegee. This will still leave a step but there's less chance of chipping the edge and eliminates the flagging. If you've already pulled the tape and have flagging, try laying a strip of line tape about 1/4" away from the edge and use a nibber to cut it. The tape acts to level the cutting so you don't cut the edge at an angle or scratch nearby paint.

[woodjames]

Thanks Ken,
The background is HOK, but the graphics are waterbased, I use a heat gun to heat set the paint, and re-taping these lines after each round would take way to long, and it'd be hard to get them to look good each time with soo many curves. It doesn't seem to be a problem with plain paint, just metallics, must be the way it catches the light.

I'll give sanding a try, but some areas are soo contoured I'll have to get a little creative there.

I'll track down a nibber. After I've laid the tape 1/4'' away, actually first - 1/4'' away on the background side of the fresh paint side? The background will have intercoat or uro clear, depending where I'm at in the process if that makes a difference at all. How clean does that cut?

All fails, I just have it pinstriped...

-Jimmy

You need to pull the tape right after shooting. Use a high-temp reducer to gain some time. When you pull tape on dried paint, it can chip the edge and/or leave a "flag" of paint. But being too late already you might try wet sanding over the tape with 600-1000 until the tape is revealed and cleaned. Use a hard rubber backer for your sand paper. I use a 2x3 3M squeegee. This will still leave a step but there's less chance of chipping the edge and eliminates the flagging. If you've already pulled the tape and have flagging, try laying a strip of line tape about 1/4" away from the edge and use a nibber to cut it. The tape acts to level the cutting so you don't cut the edge at an angle or scratch nearby paint.

[FigureLLC]

the graphics are waterbased,

are you using auto air?

[woodjames]

Yeah but just for the graphics. Base is all HOK with Nason clear.

are you using auto air?

[woodjames]

WAS!!! using auto air. wet sanded around to remove the over spray, and the little drips of water dissolved the paint. Soo much for that...

[FigureLLC]

i'm not an experienced liquid painter, but i've been playing with different stuff, and AA is difficult on a lot of levels. i've tried a little bit of the Kustom Shop, and i like it a lot. shake it up and pour it in the airbrush. shoots nice, lays nice, sticks nice... it destroys AA in every respect except for clean up. and fumes if you're worried about that. small sacrifices, though.

[woodjames]

I'm glad that you mentioned Kustom shop, I just came across that for the first time this last weekend, good to hear you like it. I had a few airbrush sized bottles of HOK kicking around, so after the water experience I re-shot the graphics, and the results of the tape line were much better. I still had the same build up at the edge of the tape, but being harder and more ''brittle'' than the AA it broke right off. Obviously I still feel the thickness of the paint, but the lip at the edge, or flag; is now gone. I could tell the difference when I pulled the tape. The AA stayed flexible, whereas the HOK almost shattered when I pulled it up over itself.
I was using the AA for a couple reasons, mainly just to become familiar with it, as I'm sure the day will come when it's all waterbased. All in all it's ok, but they've got to go a bit further to be a product I'd enjoy using.

pic's of it redone...notice how the light doesn't catch the edges of each different color anymore.

i'm not an experienced liquid painter, but i've been playing with different stuff, and AA is difficult on a lot of levels. i've tried a little bit of the Kustom Shop, and i like it a lot. shake it up and pour it in the airbrush. shoots nice, lays nice, sticks nice... it destroys AA in every respect except for clean up. and fumes if you're worried about that. small sacrifices, though.

[FigureLLC]

pic's of it redone...notice how the light doesn't catch the edges of each different color anymore.

MUCH better! looks nice! i came across kustom shop when looking for airbrushing videos on youtube. ed hubbs has lots of great ones on there, and he always plugs kustom shop.