Painter's tape

[sean]

I've never used painter's tape, but will use it on my next detailing job. When you remove the tape, does it leave a sticky residue? Also is there a certain brand preferred over others?
Thanks,
Sean

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Sean,

I almost always go to a PBE store for painters tape and instead of looking for a brand I look for a width, or different widths.

I never leave my tape on overnight and I've never had a problem with sticky residue as long as I'm using fresh painters tape.

Alway remember to pull back on the tape when removing and not up and away from the paint.
(Don't ask me how I know )

Here some pictures which show you what to look for.









Here's what you want to do with it,

Sunroof,

[sean]

Thanks Mike,
As always, very helpful.

[rusty bumper]

Mike, forgive my off the wall question. But I noticed in some of those pictures where you taped off the window trim, that you overlapped the tape onto the paint.

Wouldn't it be better to try and tape near the edge where the paint meets the trim?

I mean, it looks like your going to have to do some hand buffing on the edges after you pull the tape off.

Or did you overlap the areas on purpose?

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,

I prefer to use 3M Safe Release Blue Painter's tape. I have never had a problem with using it.

RB,

I can not answer for Mike, but in my case, I tape the same way. When using a rotary buffer, you should tape the edges as this is where the paint is the thinnest. Further, by taping slightly on to the paint from the moldings, this prevents the compound from being "pushed" into the molding and into cracks/crevices that are extremely difficult to get product out of later. After removing the tape, yes, you do have some hand buffing to do in those areas.

Tim

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Rusty,

Tim covered my thoughts on tape placement. It's kind of a darned if you do, darned if you don't situation and I like to hedge my bets on the safe side. Besides that, edges are high points and they are usually shiny to start with and you're still going to do some final wiping and perhaps polishing by hand, if not now then in the future and this will tend to even things out just in case anyone ever inspects your finish that up close!

[rusty bumper]

Thanks to the both of you for bringing that out.

I've been placing the edge of my tape between the rubber/plastic trim and the paint........The way a painter would do if he were preparing for a paint job.

The bad thing about placing it near the edge though, is that sometimes the PC can lift the tape and get adhesive onto the buffing pad. As well as getting product onto the exposed trim.

Maybe I need to adopt your way of placing it, as it looks a little easier to apply that way anyhow.

I hope I made sense here.