when to pull the tape

AtTheBrink · Post by **AtTheBrink** » Wed May 28, 2014 6:33 pm

Should I be pulling the tape after each coat of paint? Or can it tape stay till the final coat?

tech_support · Post by **tech_support** » Thu May 29, 2014 9:05 am

For the thinner LPU's I normally wait until I'm done, it should break free if you pull at a high angle. For thick paint (kiwigrip counts too) you need to pull quickly before it skins over.

AtTheBrink · Post by **AtTheBrink** » Thu May 29, 2014 1:06 pm

Thanks Joel.

willg · Post by **willg** » Thu May 29, 2014 10:03 pm

I'll add also that I recently painted my hull with 3 coats of Sterling and pulled the tape the day after the third coat was on. The tape came off easily and here was no lifting of the paint. My coats were fairly thin.

remedy32 · Post by **remedy32** » Fri May 30, 2014 7:18 pm

it should break free if you pull at a high angle

Have to agree with Joel on the how part. All LPU paints form a continuous cross-linked film which can be very prone to problems when you remove tape. They can behave a lot like latex trim paint does when people try to tape home window panes and wait too long. When spraying, where you can do 2-3 coats in an hour or two, we pull the tape as soon as the last coat flashes off the solvent and is sort of dry to the touch. Pulling the tape almost over itself and away from the finished edge is best. Whatever you do don't pull the up and toward the finished area, that's begging for a problem.

Bill

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