Wheelmang Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Not quite an antique but it is my wife's so please grant a little forgiveness for the question on the antique site. In the process of peeling the masking off, some of the mirror finish came off with the tape. I am using good quality 3M tape, in a 40% humidity, temp controlled garage. The tape has not been wet. It has however been on the car for about a week and half. This only happened on the mirrors however it was on both sides of the car. Did I leave the tape on too long or is something else going on. (I see the spot back left that still needs some sanding.) There is a similar finish on some of the grill and it did not happen there. I need to re mask before base and clear and do not want to risk any more damage or work repainting. As always thanks for the excellent info! Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlier Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Just wondering exactly what type of tape you actually used. 3M makes dozens and dozens of tapes. Some are perfect for tasks like this and others will do what happened to you since they are not quite right for what you are trying to do. When painting etc, I use the 3M Blue Painter's Tape (it comes in other colors as well). I have left this stuff applied for weeks or longer and not had problems when I removed it. Charlie 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheelmang Posted March 30, 2018 Author Share Posted March 30, 2018 Not sure exactly which part number but was one of the best from a auto body supply and is green. I will see if there is a more detailed info in the wrapper. Thanks for the response. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_Higgins Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Regardless of if it was left on for a week or a year, the green or yellow 3M tape sold at an auto body supply shouldn't pull your finish. There was something not right about your prep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_Higgins Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 As a follow-up to that, I realized I made an assumption that you were masking something that you had already painted. If the tape pulled the clear off the base of something previously painted, it is just an indication that the finish was failing anyway. Let me guess, it happened only on the horizontal surfaces most exposed to the sun but not necessarily on the sides or underneath? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlier Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 22 minutes ago, Wheelmang said: Not sure exactly which part number but was one of the best from a auto body supply and is green. I will see if there is a more detailed info in the wrapper. Thanks for the response. Paul This is some of the 3M Tapes I have used without a problem.. Did you use the tape on a freshly painted area or did you use it on an area that was not freshly painted that you were trying to protect from over spray? I have used the above tapes in both situations and not had a problem. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily rag Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Looks like the classic case of the clear coat breaking down. Did it happen in areas where the clear could have been applied on the thin side ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Walling Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, charlier said: This is some of the 3M Tapes I have used without a problem.. Did you use the tape on a freshly painted area or did you use it on an area that was not freshly painted that you were trying to protect from over spray? I have used the above tapes in both situations and not had a problem. Quote Quote Edited March 30, 2018 by Roger Walling (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Walling Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 The blue tape that is used in auto body painting is not the same as above. It is called fineline tape by 3M. It is used when applying a second color right over the first for two toning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickelroadster Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 I would agree that this is just the clear giving up. How old is the vehicle? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playswithbrass Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Never leave masking on longer than required.That being said O.e.m. has some tricks to speed up production which in turn bites us in the butt.Your mirrors were not prepped in the way we would do it I.e. sanding to give on good mechanical bond,they would spray on a adhesion promoter and clear which should last the warranty time period.You did nothing wrong! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheelmang Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 Thanks for all the input. This a 2000 Jag. The tape was on the mirrors to protect from what was being sprayed on the rest of the car and did only happen on the top surface of both mirrors. Guess I will now do some mirror touch up. The job grows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalowed Bill Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Warning, don't get caught in the trap of just trying to blend clear over the area of exposed color and existing clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheelmang Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 Well I finally got to the sealer, base and clear and am happy with the results. Don't know how I managed it but sealer, three coats of base and three coats of clear and only one run. In spite of making a 12 X 20 PVC frame with plastic tent I still got some dust in the clear. Absolute zero smell made it to the house upstairs though, so happy wife and cats. The current plan is to go with 3M 1500 to 2000 to 3000 all wet by hand. ( I am a little hesitant to do this with a DA) So the questions are - - What is the best way to take out the one run? - Is that the best plan to get the dust nibs out? - What are some recommendations for compound to final finish products? I will post pictures once compete. Thanks again for the expert advise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_Higgins Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Cut the top of the run with 800g and let it breath for a week, then put a skim coat of kombi over it and the surrounding area, block wet with 800, and then proceed with the rest of your fine sanding. Polishing is like talking religion, but I like the 3M trio of Perfect-It compounds and corresponding foam pads. I also like to start with wool on the first step of cutting heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheelmang Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 2 hours ago, W_Higgins said: skim coat of kombi Kombi? Base and clear mix? First time painting in a very long time. Not up to speed on all the slang. Thanks Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_Higgins Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 Sorry about that. Kombi has become a standard manufacturer's term that is short for "combination". There are a number of brands on the market, but my favorite is made by Sikkens. It is an air-dry spot putty that is a notch above Nitrostan, if you're familiar with that, typically comes in a toothpaste tube. Below are photos of a simple run I fixed on one of my cars recently. The skim coat of kombi helps to keep you from sanding through the surrounding area while blocking out the run and helps to support the work so you don't still have the shadow of a run once buffed even though it looks to be blocked down. There are YouTube videos of the technique if you need a better visual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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