BIG X Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Is anyone using plasticine for masking - if so - how does it compare to blu-tack in the stickiness and shaping departments - any constructive comments would be welcomed as usual. Thanks in advance - Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Not good from my experience with plasticine. It's also more likely to leak oily residue (and in addition, dye) quicker than Blu-Tak. Best bet is white-tak, as it doesn't seem to have the residue at all. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 Cheers Mike - don't like the sound of that oily residue... I bought a job lot of white-tak from Hobbycraft in Stockport - a quid a pack - but it actually seems to get stickier the more I use it - which seems odd - I would have expected the opposite. I am trying to keep the undercarriage bay on a hurricane masked off whilst I apply sky to the underside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Try leaving a piece of plasticine, a piece of blu-tak and a piece of white-tak on a piece of white paper overnight, and see what's left. Unless they've changed the formulation of it recently, plasticine will leave a mucky mess. Blu-tak is fine unless you leave it too long, and white-tak (which I haven't tried very often) isn't supposed to leave any. When you say "stickier the more I use it", do you mean after spraying paint over it? That might be the cause of the stickiness? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 Here is another thought - does anyone know how to make blu / white tack less sticky - google has a million ways to make it stickier - but nothing about how to make it less sticky - confused Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Talc? Microballoons? A blow torch? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 The packet I have of White tack has warnings of residue on porous surfaces. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 9 minutes ago, Mike said: Talc? Microballoons? A blow torch? Talc might be an idea - what on earth are microballoons though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 They're tiny-weeny little (I think?) hollow glass beads... they look like talc, and weigh almost nothing. I think they use them to thicken and strengthen epoxy resins and the like in engineering. Just don't sneeze while you've got the bottle open. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Microbaloons are used to make resin lighter - they do not add strength. I have used BluTac for masking and it did a good job in my opinion. No issues but I never left it on the masked parts for more than a couple of days. Never tried white tac and would never try plasticine for masking for the above reasons and because I think it is in general a lot messier to shape it than BluTac. René 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorby Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Kneading/rip apart Blu-tac makes it tackier, but it may be the fact that it warms up that results in the added tackiness. Perhaps putting it in the fridge my reduce the tackiness – not tried it so only guessing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 29 minutes ago, Gorbygould said: Kneading/rip apart Blu-tac makes it tackier, but it may be the fact that it warms up that results in the added tackiness. Perhaps putting it in the fridge my reduce the tackiness – not tried it so only guessing. I do tend to rip it when its covered in paint - stretching it and folding in the paint until it has all vanished - this could be the cause. If it is though I can see myself going through a lot more of it - good job I got those 10 packs of whitetac - maybe time to try a new batch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 It's good practice to toss it out when it gets a bit grubby looking anyway - you never know what it might do to the underlying paint after it's filthy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 59 minutes ago, Mike said: It's good practice to toss it out when it gets a bit grubby looking anyway - you never know what it might do to the underlying paint after it's filthy Wise words O Great One - I guess I'm being a cheapskate. I think I'll hang on to them though - just for sticking cocktail stick impaled parts on whilst their paint dries. I have 2 lumps of blutac the size of tennis balls - they weigh a ton too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 UPDATE - My new stash of Hobbycraft whitetac has worked a treat - stuck well - but peeled off clean with no residue - I guess I was just being a skinflint with the old stuff. Thanks Mike / Gorby - et al - plenty of team hugs gong on today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 We often learn by our experiences, and can sometimes be reticent to chuck stuff away just to squeeze "one more job" out of it. Been there, done that It's the old adage of the right tools for the job though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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