When is it safe to tape off?

I wouldn't worry about the paint coming off after 3 coats of clearcoat. You can remove the tape now.

I am sorry I wasn't clear.  I am looking to tape off and spray my  Baltic camo stripes on my Bismarck.

I'd give it 24 hrs at least.

I have never found pulling tape off too early led to lifting. If it lifts, it will lift later as well.  However, I find pulling tape too early, if it is not pretty well dried, will risk smudging and some of the paint bleeding over into the masked area.

I should have said when is it safe to mask off again.  Thanks guys.

I normally leave my paint 2 days before masking just to be safe, but that with enamels. But I have had issues with Tamiya acrylics when been left for a day, so I leave that for 2 as well.

Sounds like solid advice.  I will exercise patients here and wait until at least tomorrow evening to mask again.  I must say that this Model Master clear/flat acrylic does seem to dry fast.  It was not even tacky after 20 minutes.

Paul

I generally tape as soon as I can get my ab cleaned out and ready for the next color. I use acrylics mostly thinned with alcohol ( although I am beginning to use Gunze Mr. Leveling Thinner )with an enamel primer coat and haven't had any trouble with paint lifting. I do believe that it is really dependent on surface prep as Don stated earlier.

You can tell when paint is fully cured by smelling the model, up close.  If you cannot smell the paint, it's done.

Thanks for the great tips guys.  You input is greatly appreciated.  This is the first model I am painting with an airbrush (Anthem 155) and I am learning as I go.

Paul

how do you like the model master clear/flat acrylic? I have used it before and got basically no results, it was supposed to make it overall flat but didn't do a thing! Did you just use straight from the bottle?

Hey sqatch I use that product on a few projects strait from bottle. And I had the same thoughts. But later the models looked great. They didn't look like there was a clear cote. Just flat and dull.

Speaking of model master paints. I posted this earlier on the fw-190 gb is it safe to mix mm primer in with there paints. I'm using there acryl line of paint.

Sry my phone dosent let me start a new post I can only inter one that is started.  :)

I only use MM Acryl flat and love it. One thing I have found is that it has to be mixed extremely well. And I mean with a mixer and not just shaking it. I use a battery powered Dremel tool with a piece of sprue shaped like a 'T' as a mixer.

I love the MM semi-gloss clear.  Dries to not tacky in <20 minutes and I am getting a lot better looking coat than I was with Future.  Highly recommend it.   I am thinning a bit with a couple drops of ISO alcohol (70%.)

Paul

Paul,

when I go to tape, I 'detack' the tape before applying.  I'm using Tamiya's yellow masking tape, and to de tack I stick it to myself (wrists, heel of the palm of the hand, forehead) and lift away several times.  I do this about 8 to 12 times.  This removes a lot of the 'sticky' but leaves the tape where it will stay in place.  Now I apply the tape, paint one very thin layer of the color underneath the tape, and then paint with the new color.  The very thin layer seals the tape edge and prevents bleeding.  Then, when I'm done, I try to peel my tape back at a 45 degree angle, somehow this prevents lifting paint.

I use enamels, and found gloss enamels do take two days or so. I built a drying box, and love it.  Four to six hours does it now.  My box runs just over 100 degrees F. It is surprising how much even that slight amount of heat speeds drying.

Patience, grasshopper.

I always say when in doubt, wait longer.

Someone brought up Tamiya acrylics and I'll add that I hate them. Way to many times I've had Tamiya acrylics lift and it's always a gamble. I avoid them if at all possible if I'm going to have to do a lot of masking.