I always seem to have trouble getting 1/8-inch fine line tape to stick when laying out a design. I always use a tack rag to remove any dust or overspray particles before I lay the tape down, but it always seems to pop up. Also, I try not to stretch the tape as much as possible. Is there something I’m missing? A trick? Or maybe a certain temperature works better?
Asked by Andy Sheldon, Bill’s Auto Body, Galesburg, Ill.
I’ve also had my 1/8-inch inch tape pop up on a design line. But there has to be a reason for what’s happening. Maybe you’re overlooking something, which all of us do from time to time.
Let’s go down a checklist:
1. Always make sure your tape is new. Tape that sits around for more than a year loses its ability to stick, turn, etc.
2. Make sure the surface you’re taping on is free of wax and grease. Use a mild wax and grease remover to make sure your surface has no contaminants on it.
3. Tape doesn’t stick well at 30 degrees. I tried it on an airplane in freezing weather one time and it fell off. Make sure the temperature is 60 to 90 degrees, which are the ideal ends of the spectrum for sticking. I did, however, lay out graphics inside my aircraft paint hangar when it was 117 degrees once and had no problems.
4. Make sure that the surface you’re taping on is smooth as possible. If you’re trying to lay down tape on rough basecoat, you really need to use a rubber squeegee to press it down.
5. If you’re making a really tight radius switch to 1/16-inch plastic tape for tight curves and you can only stretch it very little, you want the least amount of stretching as possible since the tape wants to go back straight when it and the paint heat up.
6. You said you use a tack rag, and that’s good, but never press down as some tack cloths leave a waxy residue. You should just barely whisk over the surface. Also, I always press firmly with the nail on my first finger over all the fine line tape I put down.
Seek out some videos on YouTube and Google and study your situation. I don’t have all the answers, but I can tell you I’ve had problems in the past due to old tape, temperature, rough surfaces, inferior tape, unclean surfaces and not pressing down fully on the tape. Plastic fine line tape will not stick to some surfaces, like sprayed-on bedliners and some plastics that are too oily, so in those cases I use paper-backed tape.
