clean tape pulls

[H Steve]

I've been a fan of your work for a long time. Recently I started doing some of my own, nothing to compete with you but I bought some sheet metal on e bay, and started playing around with HOK paint. I have access to all the gear including fresh air for the isocycnate.

My problem is clean edegs on graphics. I've used grip mak, gerber mask and 1/8 3M tape and generally pull it like they say, against the work away from the work but I don't get a perfectly clean edge. It is pretty close but it certainly wouldn't stand up to close inspection. I've even gone so far as using wet sandpaper on the mask before I pull. I don't know if I'm waiting too long, not long enough. The graphic is bc25 black with a coat of SG100 intercoat over sg101 yellow with sg100 intercoat clear. I waited about an hour to pull tape.

If you have any suggestions, I'd sure appreciate it.

 

[Bigdan1928]

Personaly I like to pull it while the paint is tacked off but still soft.If its to wet it will smudge and too dry can break off some chips from the tape or finish.Also, if you dont get a good bite the paint will break off the graphic.Try it at different times on the same pannel.Maby one at 10 min one at 20 and so on.I also like to press down my 1-8 tape with a spreader before I tape between.Cheap insurance.

 

[shaunboy]

IF THE PAINT FILM IS TOO HIGH THIS MAY ALSO CAUSE THIS PROBLEM
REMEMBER ONCE COLOR IS COVERED IT IS COVERED

 

[Grashopr]

Steve...jagged edges are caused by one or all of several problems: Adhesion problems, paint thickness, edge thickness (not the same as paint thickness), elasticity of the paint.

Adhesion problems are what plague me the most...I'm a sloppy sander sometimes (4am!) and sometimes I sand with 800 grit when I should be sanding with 600. Make sure you PRE-CLEANO all your surfaces after sanding them, AND before you start spraying again to make sure that sanding dust isn't left that will affect adhesion. Maybe also going to 1-size more aggressive sandpaper in your prep-sanding.

Your paint thickness really isn't a problem until you start spraying things like heavy kandies, or light colors over dark (trying to spray bright yellow over black). I have sprayed 6-coat HOK kandies PLUS 3 coats of intercoat clear and still had the blue-fineline tape pull clean edges.

Your EDGE thickness may be thicker than your overall paint thickness....if you are spraying very wet (a whole ton of reducer), sometimes the paint will 'pool' inside your taped area and the edges actually 'cup up' and will dry with a lip over the top of your tape. This is similar to measuring something liquid in a glass...you don't measure by the side of the glass, you look to the center of the glass where the liquid is at it's lowest spot.

Some paints are just crap. If you are spraying Nason's process-black paint with generic reducer and lay it on super-thick....it's not going to be as elastic as a Spies-Hecker Viper-Black with S-H reducer and sprayed in 2 coats. Also, some metallics seem more brittle than regular basecoats without metallic...

The 'hopper

 

[H Steve]

Thanks to all who replied. I'll try the suggestions. I hadn't considered using the spreader to force it down and using my finger may just be transfering contaiminents to the work. I've actually been sanding with P500 (wet) and reducing exactly as outlined in the tech sheets so I think I'm OK there.