spray paint ripping off with tape

[juntari]

Hi, This is the 3rd project I've done and the paint is giving me a lot of problems. I'm using a dark and light silver spray paint, and want to do a 2-tone job. I put a primer, then a coat of light silver, then mask an area, spray a coat of dark. When I take the paint off the tape peels it all off. I'm taking every step I can think of. The primer and paints are all the same brand (duplicolor perfect match). I leave the primer and base coat plenty of time to dry in between (left one over a week and it sill peeled off). I'm using the gentlest tape I can find and still no luck. Humidity is low when I do it, I do many small coats. For some reason I'm just getting really bad results. Is it a problem with metallic paints? I've done some red/beige 2 tone jobs and they work fine. Is it the duplicolor brand that is poor? I figured it was automotive paint so it should be able to stick to anything.
I'd also like to note that the primer is not ripping off, It is the base coat not sticking to the primer. I've also tried adding a matte black over the primer, then silver over the black. The silver peels off the black. Should I do a clear coat over each layer to protect it from the tape?

I'd love some suggestions, its a bit disappointing trying to do all the right steps and still having it not work out. Thanks!

added an image of what the tape is taking off, maybe it will help.

 

[tim]

Have you tried using the blue painter's tape? Other tapes are too sticky and can pull of paint.

How long are you waiting between coats? I often apply the basecoat before the primer is fully dry (say, after 10-20 minutes when using Krylon fast-dry paints) and have had good results as far as durability was concerned.

 

[robstyle]

spray paint is inherently weak for starters so there isnt much that can be done but, have you tried "de-masking" the tape before masking the part? Simply pull your tape strip from the roll as needed, apply it to your short or pants, rub it on, pull it off then apply it to your part for masking. This will eat up a good portion of the sticky yet leave enough to get the job done.

Clear coat is an option but try the de-masking method first. Its not a sure fire method but it may just work.

 

[murphy]

You could try 3M or Scotch easy release tape. Its blue with an orange inner core and costs around 10$ a roll. Or try to remove the tape from your project as soon as your done spraying if possible.

 

[hdtheater]

I have had similar issues with rattle cans and have just about given up on them for quality work. I worked in a body shop during my college years and we could lay tape on paint for two tone within hours of putting the base down.

I just painted some Vader shins last week and before I did, I ended up stripping them down to gel coat because of the rattle can layer below kept reacting to the primer.

Not the same issue, but speaks to the quality of rattle cans.

These days I use rattle cans strictly for single color work.

-Eric

 

[noble]

I suggest only sanding to 400 grit on the primer.

De-tack the tape by placing on your shirt a few times.

 

[Robiwon]

I also suggest using a different type of tape. I love Tamiya yellow masking tape, lowest tack I have found. You might also want to consider using something like Parafilm.
Parafilm M
It's like a cling wrap and is super low tack and stretchy.

Another thing to consider is if your making a large area don't use tape for the whole area. Use a combo of tape at the edge of aluminum foil to cover the rest of the area. Or, you could use Post It notes for some of the masking.

I used Duplicolor auto colors for my Cricket phaser and had no peel up issues using the Tamiya tape.

Be careful of sticking tape to clothing to reduce its tackiness. You could pick up fibers from your clothes that could lead to bleeding under the tape edge. I would suggest laying the tape on the underside of your arm (less hair there) and then place on your project.

 

[Valor]

All good suggestions on masking. But your trouble is that it's silver, or rather metallic. Metallics are notorious for adhering weaker to what you have sprayed them on. It's more fragile. It's near impossible to mask over they top of most metallics, without clearcoating between coats. In my experience at least.

 

[xdmray]

is that frog tape? if so, that stuff is supposed to bond with paint. it makes it so paint doesnt bleed when painting walls.

i'm gonna go with the crowd and say to detack the tape first. and do not press it into the piece hard.

 

[MooMooEgg]

I was looking into getting frog tape for a kit job as well, but when reading the instructions, it said you have to let the paint cure for AT LEAST 3 days. I wasn't willing to wait that long and wasn't going to risk peeling off my first layer of paint, so I went with a regular 3M tape.

 

[juntari]

Thanks for all the replies, I'll try them all. One person said to take off the tape as soon as the paint is on. Isn't that bad? I thought that the chemicals in the rattlecans softened the paint a bit, so wouldn't it weaken it if I try to take it off before it is dry? (I'm talking about pulling it off when the paint is tacky, not wet)

And I was using scotch 233+, green with yellow core.

 

[zorg]

if you really need it to come off without lifting the paint then i suggest using tamiya masking tape (yellow stuff)

i use it a lot for intricate stuff and have never had it lift paint on me. it is a lot lower tack than even the blue scotch tape.

The Spraygun Company Ltd Masking Tapes

-z

 

[Volksfrei]

Feather coats. Apply about 10 counts of extremely light misting (it will take about 10 coats to achieve complete coverage). When applying the paint like this, you're actually spreading tiny particles of paint instead of large, thick applications that will also be solid across the tape. If you remove the tape from the thicker coats, you will force those coats to break where they are applied to the tape.

Tear the tape from a 45 degree angle (folding over onto itself), and you will have clean, crisp masks.