I have seen commercials on TV for this new masking tape with new technology that is suppose to stop paint from bleeding under it. Has anyone tried it and if so how did it work? I used it on a 1 to 1 scale tractor and liked it, but its just not the same as 1-160 scale.
I googled "bull frog" masking tape, and what I got was "Frogtape". The first thing I thought of when reading this posting was "does it have anything to do with Bullfrog Snot"? If it does, it is not apparent. Frogtape is apparently a masking tape with some sort of evaporated liquid masking tape (for lack of a better way to phrase it) adhered to the underside, instead of an adhesive. Masking applied as a liquid, when dry, does not allow paint to bleed under it. The trouble with liquid maskers is that it is tedious work to shape the mask when removing the excess because it is translucent in many cases. Applying masking tape still requires careful work but it is much easier that carving a liquid mask. Well, that's my guess, anyhow. I could be wrong.
Having painted model trains for 35 years and using everything from regular masking tape to Scotch "magic tape" to blue painters tape, I'll tell you my switch to Tamiya masking tape a few years ago has been success. It burnishes down around details like nothing I've ever used before and bleed thru has been practically nil. I still use the blue stuff for larger areas but for color separation lines do yourself a favor and try the Tamiya stuff. Bob
Couldn't agree with you more Bob. I have had the exact same experiences and could have written your post word for word. Plus 1 for sure !
Just drop in to your local NAPA or favorite automotive parts supplier. Get a roll of Scotch/3M Fine Line Tape. Comes in various widths. I have used the #218, (1/4 inch width), for many years.
Just recently used the above quoted product and found it much better than any of the other stuff I have used. So ditto to what they both said.
+another,I use tamiya too.Most commercial masking tapes are meant for house & other paint projects,just not intended for the level of work you look for on a train,the edge simply isn't sharp enough,and it's too thick.Some really high end automotive stuff works pretty well,also..
I've used the gimmicky Frog Tape. It was mostly for general painting applications (ie benchwork). Let's just say I'm not a fan. The adhesive is too weak -especially if even minor amounts of sawdust, are present. Not to mention, it costs more than regular 3M Blue Painter's tape. 3M did come out with a competitor to Frog Tape, that was supposed to 'seal' very well to the edge of the tape. It does have better adhesive than the Frog Tape. But meh, whatever. IMHO, it's just not that necessary, and not worth the extra money. Unless perhaps you were painting white & colored stripes on nursery walls?
I looked up Tamiya masking tape on Walthers.com and saw several sizes. 6mm Walthers Part # 865-87030, $5.25 10mm Walthers Part # 865-87031 $5.75, 18mm Walthers Part # 865-87032, $7.50, Apparently these come with some sort of dispenser, and then there are "refills." 18mm REFILL Walthers Part # 865-87035, $4.60, Any thoughts on what size would work with what job? Pros and cons of getting it on dispenser. I have usually just gotten masking tape on rolls. I want to do the Texas Mexican Express someday.
I use the 6mm tape and YES get the dispeser - it keeps the edges of your tape roll from dust/lint/crud/cat hair/whatever else laying around that will adhere to it, increasing the chances of fuzzy or unsharp lines on your paint finish. Also handy to dispense the tape without having to rip or cut with scissors. What your 6 mm doesn't cover, fill with generic painters tape. The stuff is dirt cheap on ebay too, and one supplier ships the stuff to your door in 1-2 days.
Like Jerry says, the 6 mm is plenty big for N scale. I usually lay some out on a piece of plate glass and cut thinner strips. The only use of the wider tape for N that I could envision is cutting a stencil for something like a Great Northern Sky Blue loco. And the dispenser is handy, plus you buy it once and then can go with refills. Tamiya stuff is marketed more to the car/ military modelers so it's carried in more "generic" hobby shops, not just train stores. Bob
I use the 10mm and 18mm size, it just depends on how wide an area I want to cover. Get the dispensors to start and buy the refills to reload when you run out.
