The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop What is the correct tape to use for taping off

I tried some of the Blue tape to tape off my fenders while touching up the black under the hood on the fender skirts.

When I got done I took the tape off the blue exterior fender and the tape took lots of blue paint off. The paint is like 23 years old so it has been flaking some and blistering so I am not that sur prised but..... dang that did not help.

So what is the best tape to use to taping off? Should I go back to regular tan masking tape or is the blue stuff normally better?

ALso, when painting multiple colors, like blue on the top of thedash and white on the face of the dash, how long do you have to let the one paint dry before taping it off for the next color?

Please assume that I am doing this without a paint booth and no heat lamps or anything just air dry in the garage and using spray can single stage paints.

The tape isn't the problem with the paint being pulled off, it's the paint.

Probably poor surface prep resulting in a weak bond. One trick you might try is to stick the tape to your pants before putting it on the truck. the tiny fibers and such will reduce the strength on the adhesive.

I much prefer the blue tape because it doesn't leave a residue even after extended periods and it's easier to work around curves. The tech sheet for you paint should tell you how long it has to dry before you can safely tape over it. Personally, I like to play it safe and use the sniff test; if you can still smell the paint it's still gassing off solvents so I like to wait a couple days. Of course you can always paint a test piece and see for yourself.

Regular masking tape is fine if you don't leave it on for more than a day to be on the safe side especially if sunlight hits it.

3M's blue tape is the best for most masking needs. Regular masking tape is more sticky and less effective than the blue tape.

For two-tone, 3M makes a green vinyl "fineline" tape that you can get from Autopaint suppliers and can safely go on very fresh paint.

I have heard of people using oil (or maybe it was wax?) on painted and chrome surfaces lieu of masking tape - but I have no experience with that - it might work with your fragile paint?...

If the paint is failing to adhere with a bond stronger than standard masking tape, you arent refinishing a large enough area.

Here's the low down on tape: All tapes use acid in the glue that makes it stick accd. to an article I read in Popular Mechanics a few years back. So it's NOT a good idea to leave tape on a surface for extended time periodes.
I like the tape you can get at the auto paint suppliers. It STICKS till you want it to come off and when you pull it off it ALL comes off, it leaves no glue behind. Some brands like Sureape won't stick when you need it to and won't come off when the job is done.
Try to use 1 piece of tape when you mask, it cuts down on waste and iot makes taking it off way easier.
Buy the good stuff, remember when you buy cheap you buy twice!

We always use 3M "233" GREEN TAPE. It was designed for auto body paint systems. The BLUE painters tape will come apart when removing it, making it very hard to remove all at once.

We also double tape around windows and trim, so that we can remove the paper masking and renew it after base coat. We don't have to be so meticulous on the re-taping around the glass or trim when we re-paper. The dirty paper catches a lot of dirt and over spray that can end up in your clear coat, so we re-paper before the clear coat or two tone paint jobs.

3M makes two types of fine line. The green is for straight lines, and the blue is for curves.

Frank Cox
Cox Custom Cars

I found some "Scotch-Blue Painter's Tape for Delicate Surfaces" which is suppose to come off easier or not peal paint as easy. I will try that next.

My real issue us the old paint is old and the primer below it is blistering up from rust or moisture or both so when you put tape on it, it just pops the paint right off.

The whole truck needs stripping and re-painting but that is not on the adgenda right now. So I am just trying to kep what paint I got on it on there while I am doing other work.

Thanks for all the responses.