Each year as a college class is about to graduate, we invite technicians from local shops to judge our graduates on their ability to paint a project. One of the most difficult areas to judge is the masking. Ask any painter's helpers: it takes a while to learn exactly how any given painter wants a helper to mask a car. And though there are hundreds of techniques that will get the job done correctly, it is a task that continually needs refining.
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Over the years, the industry has seen changes to materials and techniques for masking vehicles. Masking tape now comes in a staggering array of types and sizes. There's lift tape, aperture tape, fine line, plastic masking film for "bagging" and more. It seems as though every few months something new comes out that's available for painters or painters' helpers to try.
As with many other tasks in the paint shop, the faster one can complete a job increases the opportunity for profit. Masking with bagging (plastic film) has become very popular and is done in most shops. Unfortunately, unless care is taken, overspray can find its way under the masking film and cause a great deal of extra cleanup on the vehicle.
Shops also seem to be looking for the magic bullet that will eliminate dirt in the paint booth. Although there is no such thing as a perfectly clean paint job, we must continually look for ways of reducing dirt to as little as possible.
Also, we would like to find ways to reduce the amount of time it takes to detail a car and prepare it for delivery. If we can leave the masking paper on while we detail, cleanup is much faster; but driving a car out of the booth that still has masking paper or even plastic masking film on reduces the visibility; therefore, many painters remove it before moving the vehicle. This results in exposing glass and other areas of the car, which can become dirty from polishing compound.
Masking a vehicle can take as much as 20 percent of the paint time. If the vehicle is masked and bagged for priming, the masking is then removed to wash the vehicle, and finally re-masked for paint ' a process often done to reduce the amount of dirt in the final paint. This procedure does reduce the amount of time necessary for cleanup and in the long run will pay for itself because of the decreased amount of dirt. Yet, it is still quite time consuming and costly.
Even with the best masking, overspray often finds its way under the paper and masking to areas where it should not be, causing more cleanup. Also, in vehicle areas that are very difficult to both clean and mask (such as wheel openings), dirt often finds its way from these areas to the paint job.
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Liquid spray mask (Fig 2), which can be applied easily with even an old siphon feed spray gun, can help eliminate or at least reduce many of the problems mentioned above. Liquid mask has been around for some time, and despite its advantages, many shops have not used this product. It can protect vehicles while in the shop as an overspray masking, which can be left on during cleanup. It can be sprayed in areas such as wheel wells, which can be easily washed off while the vehicle is being cleaned for delivery. Overspraying, compound contaminants and even just typical shop dirt that can fall onto the vehicle during the repair process can be washed off with a hose and water.
Masking tape is a staple in most offices and toolboxes. It's great for labeling and organizing projects, but why stop there? This jack-of-all-trades is sometimes overlooked in everyday applications but boasts so many unique uses that can make your life easier and keep you organized. Here are a few of our favorite masking tape life hacks:
Have a last-minute gift and realize you're out of wrapping supplies? No problem. Use common household materials such as newspaper, butcher's paper, or old book pages to create unique, rustic wrapping surfaces. We recommend the comics section. Use masking tape to enhance the creative look and feel, or roll the tape into rings for invisible adhesion. Not only can masking tape add a cute, kitschy edge to your gift, but light-duty tape like the 3M Value Masking Tape keeps the opening process simple and easy so your recipient can get to the goods inside.
Use 3M General Use Masking Tape to bring your garden to life. The medium hold and adhesive versatility will allow you to prop up plant stalks, support trellises, label herb gardens or dormant bulb beds, and encourage climbing vines and shrubs to go where you want them most. Because the masking tape is easy to remove, you don't have to worry about damaging plants and can update your garden as the seasons change with ease. This tape also adapts to irregular surfaces, so you'll have everything you need if you want to give your window boxes a fresh coat of paint or trim your deck.
Admit it. You've been putting off organizing, labeling, and separating those cords behind your television. Between the internet router, the TV, your x-box, your DVD player, the cable box, and two or three mysterious electronics that you haven't quite identified yet ' the nest of cords behind your media console looks like a cross between a fire hazard and your worst nightmare. Enter 3M High-Performance Green Masking Tape. This tape is made for rubber and plastic applications, so it will help you bundle cords and label plugs with ease. The bright green color is easy to see and label, but the adhesive tape is easy to move and doesn't leave a residue for easy reorganization when the next Apple TV is released.
Whether you're upgrading your apartment, sending your kids off to college, or buying your first home, moving can be exciting... and stressful. We know you'll want to stock up on moving boxes, packing tape, markers, and bubble wrap. But don't forget the 3M General Use Masking Tape. This medium-duty tape will help you bundle and organize loose objects such as pens and silverware or secure your bubble wrap so your breakables stay intact. Use it for easy labeling, holding lids in place, and reinforcing boxes.
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