Tape pulling paint up

I'm truly sorry for this, as I've had it happen too and it can ruin your day.

Fixing it from here usually requires a strip and repaint.

Sort of in order, my thoughts. Primer and paint are two different things. Using multiple coats of the same thing ensures that the two will bond together really well, in this case better than to plastic. Of course exposing primer with tape isn't so great either. I've gone to always using lacquer or enamel primers, regardless of the color coats. For those I tend to use enamels too but it's usually Tamiya primer with Humbrol or Testors or WEM over it. Other spray can primers are ok, but controlling the thickness of the coat can get dicey.

Did you wash the parts well?

I let my paint coats dry a minimum five days, to a week.

What tape did you use? I find that Tamiya or the blue stuff with the orange paper core.

I hope she does ok at the ship hospital!

I certainly agree with everything that GMorrison said, but will add a couple of things.

I use enamels, so drying time is important. I built a drying box that heats the air going into a chamber where the model (or part) sits.  This helps speed drying time.  Temp shouldn't go TOO high for plastics- mine runs just a shade over 100F.  For acrylics or lacquer, drying time is much shorter so a dryer is not ordinarily needed.

Most styrene kit mfgs have eliminated bad mold release oils that require washing, but some still do. I typically do not wash styrene parts these days unless I do have adhesion problems, which happens rarely.  But then, I do use a pretty aggressive primer. I use Krylon primer.  But, I always wash resin parts.

Bob,

Other than "slowly and carefully" you gave no more description of HOW you pulled the tape off.

I have found that pulling masking tape off works best when you peel the tape off perpendicular

to the run of the tape.  the operative word is still "slowly and carefully", though.

All the best

Ray

Thank you all for the information!! It is appreciated.  As for pulling the tape, I try to pull it perpendicular from the surface.  Given your suggestions, I think I just didn't wait long enough for everything to cure, but also, I think this particular model may be in need of some washing.  Thanks again!!