-
Win a Free Custom Engraved Brass Coin!!!
As a way to introduce our brass coins to the community, we will raffle off a free coin during the month of August. Follow link ABOVE for instructions for entering.
If this is for what masking tape is used for, why the masking tape from a Dollar store would not be used. It is cheap.
The one at the nearest store.
Seriously, there is garbage quality tape and high quality tape. Are you using this to create a clean line for painting on the model or something else? Tamiya gets great reviews but so does painter's tape from Scotch (3M) , Frog, and some others. Allan
Tamyia tape is great. However I often cover large surfaces by putting a strip of Tamiya tape along the edge I want painted and using 3M painters tape to cover the rest of the surface.
Rob
Rob
I use the Frog tape for delicate surfaces.
3M blue tape used by painters gives excellent results
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2025
- Messages
- 56
- Points
- 58
I agree 100% Rob. Painters masking tape if left on too long will peel off some primer and surface paints, in order to eliminate this I use a lacquer based top coat, especially where I will be using painters tape, I also use colored stick on tape (1/16", 1/8", 1/4") for window and under hull rub rails, trim lines, and waterlines. Once Testers dull clear coat is sprayed on the stick line tape will not pull off, Tamyia tape can cover it if need be temporally. Darryl
No matter the brand you use, there is the potential for bleed through under the edge. Unless the surface is as smooth as glass, literally, any imperfection will create a chance for bleeding under the tape. Narrow tape is better for following a sheer line then the balance can be covered with wider tape. Once it is all taped up, apply a clear coat with spray or brush to seal the edge. Once dry, paint with brush or spray. The clear will help prevent bleeding of the paint under the tape. Learned the hard way......
If I have to make a very narrow stripe, pinstriping tape is a great choice instead of paint. The pics below shows both.
Allan
Last edited:
My cousins are third-generation painters and decorators and have long operated a family business doing large scale commercial painting and decorating work. I've learned a lot from them about finishing and about masking tape. Not all masking tape is created equal. There are many different tapes for many different purposes. Here's a quick primer as it applies to model ship finishing:
1. Masking tape should be stored in air-tight zip-lock plastic bags at all times, especially if you are going to work from a roll over a protracted period of time. A roll should never be laid down on its side on any surface, but rather always kept in its plastic bag when not directly in use. The reason a roll should never be laid on its side is because if it is, it will pick up bits of dust and dirt that will contaminate the entire edge of the roll, thereby preventing a good seal along the edge and promoting the coating's seeping under the tape edge due to capillary action. Keeping tape in a closed container after opening the initial packaging also prevents its adhesive's drying out, which can render the tape less than effective, if not entirely useless, and the adhesive's hardening, rendering the tape impossible to remove from the rolls.
2. Most commonly seen "painter's tapes" are not intended to be left on the workpiece for more than a day or three, especially if the tape is exposed to direct sunlight that will "bake it on" and require a tremendous amount of work to scrape the tape off and clean the residue using highly volatile solvents such as straight acetone. There are, however, specialized masking tapes designed for long term application, which, at no surprise, can be purchased for a premium price. The longer you leave masking tape on a painted or varnished surface, the greater the likelihood of it pulling the coating beneath it off!
3. The four main masking tapes modelers will require are:
A. Ordinary painter's masking tapes. There are several to choose from. As painful as it may be, buy the good stuff. There is a big difference. Buy the top name-brand tape. In the U.S. those are basically the products made by 3M. The "white (cream colored) tape" is bottom of the line junk. Don't waste your money on it. The "blue tape" is professional grade painter's tape for general purposes masking. It's fine for covering "wide open spaces" on a model or in conjunction with "fine line tape" for achieving razor sharp paint separation lines. "Blue tape" isn't much good for masking razor sharp separation lines on models. You can use it to get something that looks like a sharp line at fifty feet on a house painting job, but not on a model from a foot away.
B. Lacquer-proof tapes. The 3M version is bright lime green colored. This tape has specially formulated adhesive that is impervious to aggressive solvents such as acetone, lacquer thinner, and such. It must be used for any masking when using "hot solvents," lacquers, and polyester and epoxy resins. It is a little better at producing a sharp line than the "blue tape," but not really suitable for the job on a model where the edge must be absolutely perfect.
C. "Fine line" tapes: These tapes, sometimes called "auto body and fender tape," are for masking to achieve perfectly razor-sharp edged paint separation. "Fine line" tape is not made of a sort of crepe paper like the other masking tapes. It's made of flexible polypropylene plastic so it can be stretched over irregular surfaces and still lay flat. It's also a lot more expensive than your garden variety masking tapes. Tamiya markets a version, colored yellow, that is packaged for modelers and over-priced accordingly. It's colored yellow and works just fine. I prefer to use the 3M "218" version, colored a light dull green, available online or at auto body and fender paint supply houses and finer art supply stores. The 3M version comes in a variety of widths from an eighth of an inch to an inch or more. I use the 3M "218" Fine Line Premium quarter inch because it costs less and is as often as not the size I need for modeling. (See: https://www.amazon.com/3M-TALC-218-...a4-8a2a-c34289fa7244&pd_rd_i=B0065GVEZ8&psc=1) I use the "fine line" tape to define the separation line and then apply regular "blue tape" on top of it to mask the rest of the area if I'm airbrushing. If just brushing, a quarter inch is plenty to be sure I "stay between the lines." 3M now also offers an "indigo blue" "471+" vinyl Fine Line tape which is about half the price of their "218" Fine Line tape. I'm not familiar with this version and have no idea why it costs so much less. The jury's still out on that one. (See: https://www.amazon.com/3M-Masking-S...d7a-a36e-5ed352959abc&pd_rd_i=B0082LHX3G&th=1)
D. Frisket film and fluid: Which isn't a tape but rather is sold in the form of flexible sheets of material basically the same as "fine line" tape, or as a masking fluid coating that can be applied with a brush and allowed to dry and then can be peeled off after use. Frisket film and masking fluid is sold in art supply stores and online. Either version is kind of pricy, but it is very effective if you need it. This material is designed for airbrushing. The transparent Frisket sheet is applied after being cut to shape, or it can be applied cut oversized and the desired masked edge "traced" with an X-acto knife, and the excess peeled off to yield a very highly detailed masked edge. The masking fluid is brushed on like paint. After drying, it can be trimmed in the same manner as Frisket film, or not, if you are a steady "fist" with a paintbrush.
As most ship modelers know, applying an absolutely perfect paint finish is probably the most important skill required to build a good model. Topsides that are not perfectly smooth with a finish like a Steinway piano, appear glaringly out-of-scale and destroy any hope of a "compelling impression of reality in miniature." There are a lot of tricks to obtaining a fine finish. (And, believe it or not, one doesn't have to use an airbrush, but an airbrush does make it a lot easier.) Most all full-hull models require at least a single line of paint color separation at the waterline. Don't even bother trying to get a proper razor-sharp line on a paint job without using "fine line" tape, Frisket film, or masking fluid. You might come "close" trying that on occasion, but "close" only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
1. Masking tape should be stored in air-tight zip-lock plastic bags at all times, especially if you are going to work from a roll over a protracted period of time. A roll should never be laid down on its side on any surface, but rather always kept in its plastic bag when not directly in use. The reason a roll should never be laid on its side is because if it is, it will pick up bits of dust and dirt that will contaminate the entire edge of the roll, thereby preventing a good seal along the edge and promoting the coating's seeping under the tape edge due to capillary action. Keeping tape in a closed container after opening the initial packaging also prevents its adhesive's drying out, which can render the tape less than effective, if not entirely useless, and the adhesive's hardening, rendering the tape impossible to remove from the rolls.
2. Most commonly seen "painter's tapes" are not intended to be left on the workpiece for more than a day or three, especially if the tape is exposed to direct sunlight that will "bake it on" and require a tremendous amount of work to scrape the tape off and clean the residue using highly volatile solvents such as straight acetone. There are, however, specialized masking tapes designed for long term application, which, at no surprise, can be purchased for a premium price. The longer you leave masking tape on a painted or varnished surface, the greater the likelihood of it pulling the coating beneath it off!
3. The four main masking tapes modelers will require are:
A. Ordinary painter's masking tapes. There are several to choose from. As painful as it may be, buy the good stuff. There is a big difference. Buy the top name-brand tape. In the U.S. those are basically the products made by 3M. The "white (cream colored) tape" is bottom of the line junk. Don't waste your money on it. The "blue tape" is professional grade painter's tape for general purposes masking. It's fine for covering "wide open spaces" on a model or in conjunction with "fine line tape" for achieving razor sharp paint separation lines. "Blue tape" isn't much good for masking razor sharp separation lines on models. You can use it to get something that looks like a sharp line at fifty feet on a house painting job, but not on a model from a foot away.
B. Lacquer-proof tapes. The 3M version is bright lime green colored. This tape has specially formulated adhesive that is impervious to aggressive solvents such as acetone, lacquer thinner, and such. It must be used for any masking when using "hot solvents," lacquers, and polyester and epoxy resins. It is a little better at producing a sharp line than the "blue tape," but not really suitable for the job on a model where the edge must be absolutely perfect.
C. "Fine line" tapes: These tapes, sometimes called "auto body and fender tape," are for masking to achieve perfectly razor-sharp edged paint separation. "Fine line" tape is not made of a sort of crepe paper like the other masking tapes. It's made of flexible polypropylene plastic so it can be stretched over irregular surfaces and still lay flat. It's also a lot more expensive than your garden variety masking tapes. Tamiya markets a version, colored yellow, that is packaged for modelers and over-priced accordingly. It's colored yellow and works just fine. I prefer to use the 3M "218" version, colored a light dull green, available online or at auto body and fender paint supply houses and finer art supply stores. The 3M version comes in a variety of widths from an eighth of an inch to an inch or more. I use the 3M "218" Fine Line Premium quarter inch because it costs less and is as often as not the size I need for modeling. (See: https://www.amazon.com/3M-TALC-218-...a4-8a2a-c34289fa7244&pd_rd_i=B0065GVEZ8&psc=1) I use the "fine line" tape to define the separation line and then apply regular "blue tape" on top of it to mask the rest of the area if I'm airbrushing. If just brushing, a quarter inch is plenty to be sure I "stay between the lines." 3M now also offers an "indigo blue" "471+" vinyl Fine Line tape which is about half the price of their "218" Fine Line tape. I'm not familiar with this version and have no idea why it costs so much less. The jury's still out on that one. (See: https://www.amazon.com/3M-Masking-S...d7a-a36e-5ed352959abc&pd_rd_i=B0082LHX3G&th=1)
D. Frisket film and fluid: Which isn't a tape but rather is sold in the form of flexible sheets of material basically the same as "fine line" tape, or as a masking fluid coating that can be applied with a brush and allowed to dry and then can be peeled off after use. Frisket film and masking fluid is sold in art supply stores and online. Either version is kind of pricy, but it is very effective if you need it. This material is designed for airbrushing. The transparent Frisket sheet is applied after being cut to shape, or it can be applied cut oversized and the desired masked edge "traced" with an X-acto knife, and the excess peeled off to yield a very highly detailed masked edge. The masking fluid is brushed on like paint. After drying, it can be trimmed in the same manner as Frisket film, or not, if you are a steady "fist" with a paintbrush.
As most ship modelers know, applying an absolutely perfect paint finish is probably the most important skill required to build a good model. Topsides that are not perfectly smooth with a finish like a Steinway piano, appear glaringly out-of-scale and destroy any hope of a "compelling impression of reality in miniature." There are a lot of tricks to obtaining a fine finish. (And, believe it or not, one doesn't have to use an airbrush, but an airbrush does make it a lot easier.) Most all full-hull models require at least a single line of paint color separation at the waterline. Don't even bother trying to get a proper razor-sharp line on a paint job without using "fine line" tape, Frisket film, or masking fluid. You might come "close" trying that on occasion, but "close" only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Last edited:
I often wondered how the artisans managed to build their models in the 17th and 18th century without an airbrush, or ELECTRICITY!
I love modern conveniences, but as you say, no fancy tools are absolutely required.Great post on the types of tape Bob! The fine line tape you are referring to sounds like the pin striping tape I find to be a great way to go.
Allan
Frog tape here as well. Not the stickiest, but leaves no residue.