Tape Lines

[Bill Davidson]

note: photo used from KC's extreme enough thread



I have to question the dangers of tape lines, I see them over and over again to show before/after shots. I've never heard anybody mention issues, but I have had my own so I'd like to share them with you.

If you look in the photo above, when a person goes to remove the remaining area, one must be careful not to remove the area surrounding it. If you do this you never end up with even paint. Even though the remaining oxidation in the example photo will all be gone you can end up with lines in the clearcoat if the paint levels don't end up even in the end. This can be very challenging, especially if you don't have 4" or smaller pads.

I suggest that if you are going to leave a tape line make sure that the test section is only on one side of the tape. Don't make racing stripes. What you might have to do to get rid of them is tape over the repaired sections and work the strip down to an even nearly even level, then remove the tape and even out the entire section.

Any feedback on bad experiences with tape and tape lines is appreciated.

[Murr1525]

Re: Tape Lines

In theory, you would not work on the entire car using tape lines mid panel, just for test spots. The tape would be over trim you wanted to avoid, and while working, just break the panel down in your mind into overlapping, workable sections.

If you do use a few test spots with tape, you will certainly want to come back over them to even everything out with your cleaner, or cleaner/polish.