Flexible Masking Tape 3 mm (18 m)

Flexible masking tape 3 mm, 18 m (Mirage Hobby)

This is a masking material, not a paint. The flexible masking tape from the Polish maker Mirage Hobby is 3 mm wide and 18 m long. It differs from ordinary masking tape in that it can be pulled into an arc: the carrier stretches, so bending it does not create the folds that let paint creep underneath. That is the difference which decides everywhere the color boundary is not a straight line.

Use

• masking curved boundaries of camouflage patterns on fuselages and wings
• running around rounded shapes, cutouts and covers
• creating a soft edge to the pattern if you lift the tape slightly
• masking cockpit sills and the rounded edges of clear parts

Who it is for

For anyone who sprays more than one color and needs a clean edge on a curved surface as well. Ordinary paper tape wrinkles when bent and paint creeps into the folds; this tape replaces it there. Before you buy, allow for the fact that the 3 mm width is meant for running around the boundary itself; the area behind it has to be covered with wider tape or with film so that the spray does not carry farther. The second thing that is often forgotten: after sticking the tape down, always press it along its whole length with a spatula or a toothpick, because an unburnished edge is precisely where paint creeps under, even with a tape made for arcs.

Apply the tape to perfectly dry and degreased paint, otherwise it will damage the layer beneath when pulled off. Pull it off slowly, at a shallow angle and preferably within a few hours of spraying. Keep out of the reach of children.