How to tape a curve?

This may be a dumb question, but I’m trying to paint a boarder around a board and I’m wondering what methods people use to tape a curve. I’m just taping along the edge and using an exacto to cut and round the straight edge of the tape to mirror the outline of the board. Does anyone else use another method?

masking tape bends…especially in shorter widths. hold the roll of tape in your right hand while pressing down the tape along your line or curve with your fingers on your left hand. if you’re left-handed, flip-flop that. give it a shot…you’ll be amazed.

Going fast gives you a straighter line while going slow gives you wobbles all over the place.

wuts the best method to get the original line though?..oversized flexible/french curve?

One way to get the original curve is to use a marking gauge. It’s a very simple tool that you can either buy or make yourself. Basically, it’s a flat piece of wood approx. 2" by 5" and about 1/2" thick. Sticking through it at a 90 degree angle is another piece of wood about 5" long by 1/2" by 1/2". This piece should slide back and forth, but have some tension on it. Drill a hole in the end and stick a pencil in it (it should be snug). Now you have an adjustable marking gauge. Hold the piece with the pencil horizontally and rest the other 2x5 piece, which is how vertical, up against the rail. Slide the thing along, holding it steady, making a light pencil mark on the foam or hotcoat, whichever. Tape at the line so the pencil line will be inside the future pinline, that way you’ll cover up the pencil line when you paint the pinline.

You can make fancy variations using wingnuts to hold things, but simple works just fine.

Also when you tape, if you stretch the tape by pulling as you go, you can get more bend out of it. Doug

Taping Freehand (using markers)- Try and lay down the tape in one continous fluid motion avoiding stops and starts which can cause “kinks” in your curves. Sometime you’ll have to just pull up and start over. Avoid this if you’re taping on an unsealed paint job.

Also, as you lay down the tape view it from a low angle looking along your tape edge. This will help you see if you are beginning to kink the curve. It does take some practice to be able to lay down a consistant curve.

Thanks all! I’ll try the marking guage and bending tape method.

2 more suggestions:

  1. if using on the blank use masking tape on the edge/sides of the guage that makes contact with the foam. this will reduce marking on the bank and help the guage glide smoother over the blank.

  2. after applying the tape use a flat blade (wood ideally) to press the edge of the tape down firmly to help reduce the bleed under affect that can happen if the tape is not firmly stuck down (don’t push so hard as to score the foam though)

good luck

Ive been thinking lately that a final "check o curve uniformity with a razor guage which results in burrying the final edge of the tape down in the foam[for pigment on foam] will terminally check under tape bleed of color…I will continue fooling with this methodology in my color applications for increased effects…ambrose… mmmmbleed what could it bring to alternative color aps juxtaposed with the crisp no bleed