Will masking tape lift up cured acrylic paint? I am thinking of painting my wheels from the Tamiya GMC 6x6 in NATO black Once they are cured up,then mack off the rubber protions and paint the rims in OD
Thanks in advance

Hey if you want a quick tip try using silly putty it will be alot easier to mask with this and it has never damaged my paint . Of couse masking tape shouldn't damage "cured" acrylics.

Rick

Other then masking the wheels,
use one of those plastic artist templets that are made for making circles....
Find the right size to only cover your tire and not the rim,then airbrush the rim... when done, lift the templet and all is done NO MASKING REQUIRED....

Thomas
How good are those templates? Are they basically precut into different sizes? Also,how flat do they lay? I guess I am worried about paint seepage

I think you ought to reverse your order of painting. It's a lot easier to mask the inside rather than the outside. Use low tack tape and spray head on and lightly. Should prevent bleedover and if you have any, it'll work into your weathering

Lord chaddy, I knee I knee.

1st. Masking tape will not lifting acrylic paints if the paint is dried

2nd. them template, they can't lay flat enough, I have a set at home, and only used once. the result is medicore at best.

hi..
to answer your first question,

masking tape wont lift the fully cured acrylic paint if the subject is made of plastic....to play safe not buff to hard when applying the tape to the surface...

to mask wheels, i always use Parafilm from testor..they're flexible and easy to comform with any surface type....

I have had masking tape lift paint off that did not adhere to the coat underneath. Why it did not adhere is a mystery. Normally, I have no problem with tape.
capnjock

I've been using the circle templates for a few years and have had no problems with them very good tool for the money they come with a load of different sizes on one plate and once you get the hang of using them you can fly through doing wheels

Whether it is dried or not, make sure you use low tack tape (ie blue painters masking tape) and don't ever leave it on longer than needed.

When I paint wheels, I always use a circle template. The sizes are close enough to match any wheel/tire combo I've used. If you're airbrushing, you can control the angle well enough to avoid excessive or even any overspray.
Consider, if the wheel was repainted, the tire would not have been removed. Friends who were involved in Desert Storm told me how the painters would just spray over a vehicle with no regard to glazing or lights, let alone tires, no masking appied, and give the driver a razor blade.
On top of that, if you're going to do any weathering,. you'll be blending the wheels and tires pretty much with dust or mud.

The circle templets come in metric and SAE.
I have both just in case........ My answer to the mild problem of some paint bleed over is... If your going to some weathering, washes, or pastels.... that area between the rim and tire will fill up with you media of choise...... so bleed over will be covered up....