So, I am prepping my car for painting in the next week or so, and have planned a color scheme that involves a stripe with an arc. I've been doing some tests in taping off an arc, and wondering how to best do this. I can force 3/4 inch tape into a rough arc, but it is not particularly smooth and the back edge of the tape bunches up every inch or so.
It seems like it might work better to cut wedges out of the back edge of the tape every inch or so, but that seems fairly labor intensive, and I haven't had a chance to test that theory yet. I will try it though, if I don't find any better alternatives.
Anybody with experience in painting know how to best accomplish this?
Thanks,
-Chris
Get some skinnier tape. 1/4" or even 1/8".
mndsm
SuperDork
7/29/11 3:02 p.m.
^ What he said. I've done it with 1/2" tape before and the lines are NOT pretty. run the base line with pinstriping tape and cover the part you don't want painted with wider stuff.
ddavidv
SuperDork
7/29/11 3:46 p.m.
I did the edges on my race car with actual pinstripe tape, than laid/bunched the masking tape over that.
In reply to ddavidv:
I painted flames on my air compressor doing that. Painted compressor to practice. 
1/4" flexes for nice smooth arcs. 1/8" if you're doing some tighter curves. Voice of experience sez if it's complicated, think vinyl (note avatar and masking hell).
Thanks guys, skinnier tape makes sense; I'll get some and give that a try. I'm only going for a smooth 90 degree arc, so it shouldn't be too complicated.
-Chris
In reply to oldtin:
Yep I used vinyl skinny pin stripe tape 1/8" I think. I got it at O'reilly's, they didn't have it out with the painting/sanding supplies in the isles, they had to get it from behind the counter.
Get real tape from a painting shop. I used plastic "fine line" tape when doing the Martini stripes, and it worked beautifully. Use this for the edges, then go to masking tape and paper.
