Masking Bare Metal

[Mickly]

I’m trying to mask off the Trophy cylinder head in preparation for painting, I have cleaned the bare faces with contact cleaner but still can’t get masking tape to stick !!

I’ve tried ordinary indoor masking tape, specialist external masking tape, double sided carpet tape, gaffer tape, green frog tape, some plastic blue tape I’d got knocking around & insulation tape all to no avail.

Any one got any advice on this?

Edited December 13, 2020 by Mickly

[Stu]

Try warming everything up a little 

[Mickly]

Just now, Stu said:

Try warming everything up a little 

Ah, yes, forgot to say that I’d done that as well. I might try warming the head a little with a hot air gun, rather than it just sitting on a panel heater with the tape.

[Stu]

I have found that masking tape is crap to be honest but getting some heat in the tape and whether you are masking helps then its a bastard to get off  

[dynax]

Maybe try using a different cleaner, acetone may be your best option, if none to hand nail polish remover is a good substitute

[raesewell]

It needs to be grease free, some cleaners can leave a residue, you could do worse than after the cleaner a wipe over with soapy water and thoroughly dry it.

[Mickly]

So, it would seem that the combined localised heating of the head & use of nail polish remover ( which I always have in my shed ... obviously ) & heating the tape has done the job, although I don’t know how wise it is using acetone in the neighbourhood of the hot air paint stripper

Thanks for the advice

[fastbob]

On the ER5 I simply put the old gasket back on and put a weight on it . Any overspray comes off easily enough with a Scotchpad before it's fully cured . 

[fastbob]

57 minutes ago, raesewell said:

It needs to be grease free, some cleaners can leave a residue, you could do worse than after the cleaner a wipe over with soapy water and thoroughly dry it.

Cheap Brake Cleaner is the perfect panel wipe . 

[Mickly]

Top of the head masked off, the rest will have to wait as dinner beckons.

wonder if will have all peeled off in the morning?

[linuxrob]

Fastbob's method of using the old gasket is the one i use. Use blue low tack tape with acetone cleaned surface on other bits, bit of heat is a must in the winter and make sure the humidity id below 60% ish

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

37 minutes ago, linuxrob said:

Fastbob's method of using the old gasket is the one i use. Use blue low tack tape with acetone cleaned surface on other bits, bit of heat is a must in the winter and make sure the humidity id below 60% ish

Is the sad face because the humidity is 50% ?

I thought 50% humidity was ok. I tend to aim for about 45% Have I got that wrong?

[Ian Frog]

I tend to agree.

50% isn`t too bad for spraying this time of year, maybe the sad face is for other applications?

Cheers

Ian

 

 

[linuxrob]

8 hours ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Is the sad face because the humidity is 50% ?

I thought 50% humidity was ok. I tend to aim for about 45% Have I got that wrong?

Never understood that simile face thing only goes to good at around 33%, OK for Taxas perhaps??

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

36 minutes ago, linuxrob said:

Never understood that simile face thing only goes to good at around 33%, OK for Taxas perhaps??

I thought 40-50% was the best compromise between rusting metal and desiccating rubber. Maybe one of our resident pervs can help out or maybe it’s a classic car question!  

Edited December 26, 2020 by Slowlycatchymonkey

[husoi]

Spraying requires as dry air as possible. Ideally around 20%, 38-40% is the minimum advised by manufacturers but if you can have it lower then you should.

[Ian Frog]

Just so difficult to get down to those kind of ratios particularly in winter/spring in the kind of garages/sheds we traditionally us as amateurs.

I am sure professional spray shops can achieve those great figures.

I think we just have to be careful and take as many precautions like warming and prep as we can.

Cheers

Ian