Wheel Arch Moldings

[Mooneyzs]

This is an Awesome Tip! I am going to have to try this some time. I never would have thought to do that. I have always done it free hand. Steven, Thank you for sharing this with us.

[tbill]

Wow, great tip, I will be using this on my next build!

[ewetwo]

Great tip Steve.

[redneckrigger]

I've never tried that molding trick, but I sure will now! But, when I need a tape to mask or tape around contours such as this, I use 3M FineLine blue tape. It is a very flexible tape, specifically made for contours in the full size bodyshop trade. It is VERY effective for curves, and gives a very tight edge for painting, and I am sure it would work very well for what Steve is suggesting. I use it for all two tone paint jobs, or where I want a fine and crisp edge for paint, and it will bend around any radius. then  use the blue painters tape, or the green frog tape to do the bigger, less contoured areas.  As a former bodyshop owner, I have found that vast majority of the supplies I used on 1:1 cars and trucks work perfectly in 1/25 scale as well. Gotta try it!

Edited February 14, 2019 by redneckrigger

[StevenGuthmiller]

3 hours ago, redneckrigger said:

I've never tried that molding trick, but I sure will now! But, when I need a tape to mask or tape around contours such as this, I use 3M FineLine blue tape. It is a very flexible tape, specifically made for contours in the full size bodyshop trade. It is VERY effective for curves, and gives a very tight edge for painting, and I am sure it would work very well for what Steve is suggesting. I use it for all two tone paint jobs, or where I want a fine and crisp edge for paint, and it will bend around any radius. then  use the blue painters tape, or the green frog tape to do the bigger, less contoured areas.  As a former bodyshop owner, I have found that vast majority of the supplies I used on 1:1 cars and trucks work perfectly in 1/25 scale as well. Gotta try it!

I have not tried the 3M stuff, but it might be worth a try for the wheel wells.

The thickness of the tape is key in this circumstance.

I have no idea how thick the 3M tape is, but the idea is to have something for the blade to ride up against while cutting.

My guess is that blue painters tape is cheaper than the fine line tape, so for straighter sections of trim, it would likely be more economical.

That plus the fact that you don't need a tight seal in this instance, so cheap painters tape is good enough to do the job.

That being said, a more flexible tape would absolutely make sharper radiuses easier.

 

Steve

[sbk]

Great tip, I'll definitely have to try it. Have you ever had your knife cut into the tape guide when you're going into a tighter radius?

 

Thanks, 

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, sbk said:

 Have you ever had your knife cut into the tape guide when you're going into a tighter radius?

Occasionally.

This is not a silver bullet, but it does make things easier.

 

 

Steve