Tape Residue

[Jim B]

So, I am on my THIRD body for painting my 1949 Mercury Club Coupe.  I just want a black car with white doors.  How freaking hard can this be!  Anyway, paint disasters aside, I now have a new issue: masking tape residue on the black paint!  What is the best way to get this off without removing the paint?  I used Tamiya Gloss Black & Pure White on this build.

Thanks in advance.

[Pete J.]

Assuming you used rattle cans a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water will do the job.  Just wet a rag and rub lightly. 

[Tom Geiger]

Then think about what tape you are using to avoid repeats! Tamiya tape is best, More expensive Than cheap masking tape but cheaper than multiple paint jobs and bodies

[Jim B]

Thanks for the advice, guys.  I'll try the 50/50 alcohol & water mix.

The tape I used was a mix of Tamiya & blue painter's tape. Never had an issue with it before.  Maybe I left it on too long?

[vintagerpm]

Next time you mask, remove the tape almost immediately after painting. (Let it set up, though. Probably one hour max.) I've noticed that the longer Tamiya tape sits on a model, the more likely it is to mess up the paint underneath. I'm sure other tapes will also react the same way.

 

[Tom Geiger]

2 hours ago, Jim B said:

The tape I used was a mix of Tamiya & blue painter's tape. Never had an issue with it before.  Maybe I left it on too long?

That’s my MO too.. Tamiya for important edges, blue for the rest. Mike is right. I take tape off as soon as possible.

[Jim B]

That was probably part of the problem: just too long on the model.  I'll clean it off & paint the black so hopefully I can get this one off the Shelf of Shame & into the display cabinet.  It's either that, or I crush it in ultimate frustration.  I'll keep you posted either way.

[bbowser]

I find that the best way to remove residue is to use the same type tape and stick/unstick until the residue is gone.  It likes to stick to itself better than the paint surface.

[Matt Bacon]

Squeeze some lemon juice onto a handkerchief and try that...

best,

M.

[Jim B]

Then tape idea might work, and the lemon juice will sure make the workshop smell nice.  Worth a try.

[El Roberto]

Also, try detacking the tape before applying. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

I get grief from some folks about this all of the time, but I use WD-40 to remove tape and foil residues.

Yeah, I know........but before I get the usual gasps of horror from some of you, I do it all of the time and then just follow it up with a thorough washing with a good grease cutting dish detergent.

Never have any issues with it and it works like a dream and won't damage the paint.

At least not the paint that I use.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[935k3]

56 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I get grief from some folks about this all of the time, but I use WD-40 to remove tape and foil residues.

Yeah, I know........but before I get the usual gasps of horror from some of you, I do it all of the time and then just follow it up with a thorough washing with a good grease cutting dish detergent.

Never have any issues with it and it works like a dream and won't damage the paint.

At least not the paint that I use.

 

 

 

 

Steve

WD40 is  great at  removing all tape and label adhesive residue.

[935k3]

10 hours ago, Jim B said:

Thanks for the advice, guys.  I'll try the 50/50 alcohol & water mix.

The tape I used was a mix of Tamiya & blue painter's tape. Never had an issue with it before.  Maybe I left it on too long?

Watch the alcohol, it will remove Tamiya paints.

[slusher]

1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I get grief from some folks about this all of the time, but I use WD-40 to remove tape and foil residues.

Yeah, I know........but before I get the usual gasps of horror from some of you, I do it all of the time and then just follow it up with a thorough washing with a good grease cutting dish detergent.

Never have any issues with it and it works like a dream and won't damage the paint.

At least not the paint that I use.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Great stuff!

[Jim B]

Alcohol removing the Tamiya paint!  That's all I need right now.  I've heard of using WD40 for things like this, but I thought it was "urban legend".  I might just have to give it a try.

[TarheelRick]

10 hours ago, 935k3 said:

WD40 is  great at  removing all tape and label adhesive residue.

Except Gorilla Tape residue, the only thing that removes that residue is "Goo-be-Gone" and even then it requires quite a bit of elbow grease.

[StevenGuthmiller]

3 hours ago, Jim B said:

I've heard of using WD40 for things like this, but I thought it was "urban legend".

Absolutely not!!

A good portion of WD-40's formulation is mineral oil which works great for removing things like stickers and tape residue.

Been using it for things like that for years!

 

Just be aware that yes, it is a petroleum oil based product and you don't want to try painting, foiling or decals over it without thoroughly washing the item clean of the oils after using.

Some folk's concern, and in my opinion the real "urban legend" is that somehow, this is some really insidious stuff that cannot be removed once applied and floats through the air like some plastic seeking virus looking for a model paint job to destroy.

Personally, I think that's a lot of hooey.

I've been using it for many many years without a single poor reaction that I can think of.

It's just another product that needs to be respected for what it is and handled as such.

 

 

 

Steve

[peteski]

Jim,  You never mentioned specifically which Tamiya paint you used, but alcohol might affect both the acrylics in the glass jars, and the TS spray lacquers.

Are you sure that some of the tape's adhesive was leftover on the paint?  Usually Tamiya and Scotch Blue Painter's tapes don't shed adhesive like that.  Maybe what you are seeing is the tape leaving impression in the slightly soft paint?

Naphtha (VM&P Naphtha from hardware store, or Ronsonol Lighter Fluid) which is a petroleum distillate is good for removing tape adhesive.  But since it is a solvent, it might affect the paint.

WD40 works because it contains petroleum distillates.

[Michael jones]

As posted above, its probably the tape eating/marking the paint. This is quite common with Tamiya tape. Unlikely to be residue. I have cleared over this before, and you wouldn't even know it was there even though it looks terrible before the clear coat.

[Spottedlaurel]

Good tip there about WD-40 removing foil residue. I had an issue with that recently, more so than I have done before - I don't know if the foil adhesive has changed over the years?

[Jim B]

Peter,

I used Tamiya Pure White TS-26 and Tamiya Gloss Black TS-14.

It sure looks like adhesive left behind by the tape.  It's only in the area where I used the blue painter's tape, not the Tamiya tape.  I'm going the try to "clean" it off this weekend, so we'll see.

[Pete J.]

37 minutes ago, Jim B said:

Peter,

I used Tamiya Pure White TS-26 and Tamiya Gloss Black TS-14.

It sure looks like adhesive left behind by the tape.  It's only in the area where I used the blue painter's tape, not the Tamiya tape.  I'm going the try to "clean" it off this weekend, so we'll see.

Jim, 

Use and old T-shirt or well used cotton wash cloth.  If it is only a small area a Q-tip will also do the job.  Be sure to dilute the alcohol 50/50 with water.  Pure alcohol will take dissolve Tamiya Lacquer.   I use 91% to strip rattle can Tamiya, but in this case the dilution should not effect it.  Last, if you do get a little dulling, you can buff that out with a little polish.  Good luck!

[Jim B]

Thanks, Pete.  I'll let you guys know how it goes.  With the way this build has gone, I'm expecting the 50/50 of isopropyl alcohol & water to completely dissolve the plastic! 

[peteski]

Before using any sort of solvents try this trick I sometimes use:  Take some regular tan-colored masking tape and use it to pick up the blue-tape adhesive residue stuck to the paint.  The regular masking tape's residue is more aggressive tan the blue tape's so it might be able to lift it from the paint surface.  You might have to dab and lift the tan tape several times to get all the adhesive lifted.