Paint bleed under masking.

[MagyarMatt]

Hi all, has anyone got any good tips or tricks for stopping paint bleed under masking tape?

I'm using Tamiya masking tape for curves and airbrushing. I'm careful not to flood any areas with paint and most of my edges are usually nice and crisp. But there's always one piece that when i remove the tape i find the paint has managed to bleed under!

[rayprit]

Don't quote me on this cos I never tried it............but I hear that once your masking tape is down, run a bead of kleer along the edge of the masking tape, it seals any gaps you may have missed or distortions in tape, somebody maybe along to confirm this or better it

[MagyarMatt]

Interesting idea but I don't have any kleer. Wonder if using my Humbrol clear varnish would achieve the same effect?

[rayprit]

Kleer is a liquid floor polish, I am sure that you can find similar (a small bottle)and experiment on some old plasti-card or plastic packaging..........I wouldn't add varnish

[Mark]

Just place the masking down where you need it and then burnish the edge down (I use the blunt end of a paint brush handle normally) then spray over the edge of the tape in the colour that you are masking. That way a.) you seal the edge of the tape and b.) any bleed will be in the original colour. Failing that, any varnish will do as that essentially does the same thing. Just remember to give the model a final varnish coat of your choice to achieve a uniform sheen.

[Black Knight]

I used to run clear varnish or Klear/Future along the edge of the masking tape.

Just be aware that it will join to the masking tape and when you pull that off it may well pull the paint off too.To prevent that, run a very sharp scalpel blade along the masking tape edge to cut through the clear coating.

[MagyarMatt]

Thanks all. Some interesting ideas to try out!