Good tape is the start to a quality job, but there are some other things you will need. X-acto knife with #11 and #16 blades used for trimming tape down and slicing excess off. Rubber Squeegee- Used to burnish the tape so it has good contact. Carbon paper or tracing paper used to transfer designs or images to the tape. 12″ or 6″ metal ruler used for cutting tape down to thinner widths. wooden toothpicks used to burnish tape down in tight areas and inside corners. The last thing is a clean flat area to work. Do not mask parts in the same place you just finished chopping out a blow hole with your Dremel.
Care and Feeding
Tape must be cared for if it is going to perform. The most common mistake I see is where the tape is stored. The sides of a roll of masking tape are sticky. If you lay the roll of tape down on a towel or a dirty table top all the crud will now have a new home on the edges of your tape.
When you pull off a piece and lay it down on your work the edge will be contaminated with lint, dirt and god knows what else. This will cause major flaws in the paint edge where the tape is peeled off. Thus a clean lint/dirt free table area must be used when masking.
The tape should be stored on a rod or wire hanger or a tape dispenser if you can afford it. The edges must be kept clean or the tape will be useless. A roll of tape should also never be left in direct sunlight for extended periods. The sun and heat will cause the adhesive to release and make the tape useless. Abuse your tape and it will abuse you.
