Masking outside curve with compound angle (ships bow)

Sounds like you need narrower tape - 1/4" or 1/8".  Tamiya masking tape is excellent; I don't remember what the thinnest width is, but it's somewhere in that neighborhood - and quite flexible.  Or you can lay the stuff you have down on a piece of glass and slit it.

The real narrow pieces, of course only need to go right next to the line.  You can lay full-width strips of 1/2" (or wider) tape alongside it to cover the rest of the necessary area.

Hope that helps.  Good luck.

ChartPak and other companies make tapes down to 1/64" in width that are very useful for establishing a waterline.  Automotive pin striping tape works well, too, although you should run the adhesive side between two fingers to lessen the grip of the adhesive a bit.  I normally use 1/16" or 1/8" widths to set the waterline, then mask over that tape with the normal blue or green painter's tape and paper.

Al Ross 

3M makes some flexible vinyl tape in the 1/8 range.   It is sold at auto paint suppliers (check the yellow pages).  The tape is used by custom car painters (1:1 scale) to outline areas for painting including scallops and flames.  It is not finish pinstripe tape.

Lay down the vinyl tape as the edge then mask the field with another tape such as Frog or 3M Blue painters tape.

I do use just that method with 1/8 Pactra tape (putting down on glass and cutting it to thinner size) it still tends to "Buckle" somewhat however even at that thin size. Tha Tamiya seems to be a waxier tape which I have not tried to slice thin. I may try that on a scrap piece.

I use both the Pactra and Tamiya....both have their strong points.

Thanks

I'll agree with the professor & Wilbur; I cut tamiya tape into thin strips on a glass cutting board and then use that to do my line, then put thicker pieces "outboard" of that.

Testors makes a 1/16 masking tape.  Model Expo sells an unknown brand that has 1/32 and even 0.010 tape. I always try to keep a roll of the very thin stuff.  If I am out of that I always keep some of the Tamiya 3/8 stuff and I will slit that to a narrower width.

Micro Mark has these for sale, thin flexible tape: http://www.micromark.com/MASKING-TAPE-1and8-WIDE-36-YARDS-LONG,7189.html

Hi,WILBUR. I have not used tape for a long time ,until I have the lines clearly marked.I use the tried and true method of establishing those lines with a pencil rig that I use to establish the necessary lines.Then I use CHARTPAK striping tape and then DRAFTING masking tape(it has a lower sticky factor) to cover that and allow shields to be taped on for everything else.The method of establishing the waterline with the pencil rig goes way back.      tankerbuilder

jtilley

Sounds like you need narrower tape - 1/4" or 1/8".  Tamiya masking tape is excellent; I don't remember what the thinnest width is, but it's somewhere in that neighborhood - and quite flexible.  Or you can lay the stuff you have down on a piece of glass and slit it.

The real narrow pieces, of course only need to go right next to the line.  You can lay full-width strips of 1/2" (or wider) tape alongside it to cover the rest of the necessary area.

Hope that helps.  Good luck.

The narrowest Tamiya tape is about a quarter inch- just a little narrower than that.  However, sometimes it is nice to have an even narrower tape. Pactra makes a masking tape in 1/16. It is expensive and not as good as the Tamiya, but I keep some on hand just to mask curved lines. I do then follow up with wider Tamiya tape and then some regular 3M masking tape.  But I seal the edge with clear  because the Pactra isn't as bleed-under proof as Tamiya.