Dealing with sealer creep
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Need some tips on dealing with sealer creep. Been using norton foam tape in my jambs, but most times it leaves that sealer line. Tried some of the 3m transition tape, and it’s hit and miss if it works for me, we also have a ezedger but haven’t really messed with it.
Thanks
Chuck
The Norton foam tape is fine. Prep a little deeper into the jamb and move the foam in a little more (give it a little more room to fade out).
Once the paint is cooled down after baking (or air dried long enough) I will unmask the vehicle right away. If there is a little bit of a lip in the jamb, I can usually knock it down with my finger nail and/or a tiny bit of thinner on a rag (obviously being very careful). Also, rubbing a little rubbing compound in there once the clear is set up enough can sometimes help too.
I also avoid sealing if possible, the jambs always come out nicer that way
The lip from the paintline if I get one is easy enough to deal with, a little compound on a rag and its good to go, but the problem I run into is that the sealer always seems to get past where my base or my clear is going in the jambs. And not sealing is not really a option most of the time, I need all the insurance I can get with some of the stuff that gets sent to me.I think that the transition tape will work once I figure out exactly how to use it, I am still on my first roll of the stuff. I just got to get the stuff figured out so I can get the other guys in the paint shop on the same page.
Chuck
I think the idea with the transition tape for jambs is to make sure it is really flush with the panel edge so there’s minimum blow-in of the sealer. Once sealed, remove the tape so that the base & clear can blow in that little bit further to your soft edge / foam tape.
Sealer is heavier than color or clear. It will always travel further. I don’t like any kind of foam tape out there. The EZEdger is probably your best bet. Keep it close to the edge of the outside panel.
You can duplicate the EZ Edger by feeding the roll of tape over your leg. It’s easy, there’s a video on it here somewhere. To eliminate sealer exposure I sometimes double tape. Seal, then pull the tape revealing the tape further back and shoot color. Depends on the job.
Although not a solution, if you can use a sealer that is similar in colour (or value shade if you have black and white) it can make it almost unnoticeable in many instances
A couple things i have used with great success are the following.
If using foam tape I like the newer 3M blue and white. If I am painting a quarter I will put the adhesive side of the foam on the rear door. When I shut the door there will be some foam in the gap you have to push back to make it flush. Leave it sticking out some. Once the car is sealed use a spreader to push the foam back some so the base will cover your sealer. Works very well like this.
If using folded tape like the ez edger, once the jamb is taped put a piece of fine line 1/8 of an inch past where the tape edge is and leave some of the fine line on the outside of the panel so it can be peeled off after sealer. Now your base will cover the sealer and the line from the fine line will be easily covered.
With all that said if you are doing a car like some Mercedes out there where the jamb is very flat and there are no easy ares to tape, try and avoid sealer there and use the folded tape real close to the edge.
[quote=”ryan999″ post=28655]A couple things i have used with great success are the following.
If using foam tape I like the newer 3M blue and white. If I am painting a quarter I will put the adhesive side of the foam on the rear door. When I shut the door there will be some foam in the gap you have to push back to make it flush. Leave it sticking out some. Once the car is sealed use a spreader to push the foam back some so the base will cover your sealer. Works very well like this.
If using folded tape like the ez edger, once the jamb is taped put a piece of fine line 1/8 of an inch past where the tape edge is and leave some of the fine line on the outside of the panel so it can be peeled off after sealer. Now your base will cover the sealer and the line from the fine line will be easily covered.
With all that said if you are doing a car like some Mercedes out there where the jamb is very flat and there are no easy ares to tape, try and avoid sealer there and use the folded tape real close to the edge.[/quote]
I had never thought of using the foam tape on the back of the door instead of the jamb itself,I think that would work pretty good, that would keep me from having to buy so much transistion tape. I think I will try this out tomorrow and see how it works.
[quote=”ryan999″ post=28655]A couple things i have used with great success are the following.
If using foam tape I like the newer 3M blue and white. If I am painting a quarter I will put the adhesive side of the foam on the rear door. When I shut the door there will be some foam in the gap you have to push back to make it flush. Leave it sticking out some. Once the car is sealed use a spreader to push the foam back some so the base will cover your sealer. Works very well like this.
If using folded tape like the ez edger, once the jamb is taped put a piece of fine line 1/8 of an inch past where the tape edge is and leave some of the fine line on the outside of the panel so it can be peeled off after sealer. Now your base will cover the sealer and the line from the fine line will be easily covered.
With all that said if you are doing a car like some Mercedes out there where the jamb is very flat and there are no easy ares to tape, try and avoid sealer there and use the folded tape real close to the edge.[/quote]
That’s some excellent advice Ryan!
here’s a few things i’ve done to take care of the same problem.
1…make sure to color the jamb area first going up and down, let flash and paint like normal,two….take some wide tape and tape like your going to back tape, useing the foam tape on top of that so i have a extra body panel, roll the tape back over that, shut door good seal, and the tape won’t let the sealer get in as far as the foam will.
3…say fudge it, and get the 101 excuse’s book.
4….blame the guy who taped it and tell him to fix it.
5…. :nothingtoad :clappy
[quote=”Idunnit” post=28668]
I had never thought of using the foam tape on the back of the door instead of the jamb itself,I think that would work pretty good, that would keep me from having to buy so much transistion tape. I think I will try this out tomorrow and see how it works.[/quote]
Not sure if you guys get different packaging but here in the UK instructions on using it that way are printed on the box. I find it works much better that way with absolutely no chance of a hard edge if you get too near to the glue. And as Ryan mentions it’s easy to control the depth and adjust it “on the fly” if required 🙂
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