A while back, I had to do a pretty heavy-duty mask job on a car.
I decided to polish the already installed stainless-steel trim.
The paint job was top-notch, so I had to be sure to protect it!
Of course, you know I had to use M105 Ultra Cut Compound!
I applied it via my little Metabo SXE400 and some slightly modified Meguiar's pads.
There are several options when it comes to tape, but for me, these are three of the best:
The
14 day painters tape is durable and thick. It takes a pretty good whack yet remains in tip-top shape. Plus, water doesn't soften the backing as it does on regular masking tapes.
The
60-day safe release tape is quite a bit thinner, so it's not as durable, but it contours nicely. I use it a lot (for other things). Two layers of this tape works as well as one layer of the others. Iif you need to mask something to paint a straight line (like baseboard or a doorjamb), it's the best I've ever used. You can easily identify it because it has the orange print on the cardboard donut.
The
green 233+ tape is very popular in body shops, as it was really designed for their harsh environment: It can handle 250 degree heat, stick like crazy, and removes super-clean.
Overall, the trim was in pretty good shape. However, I was dealing with a lot of scratches.
My goal was not perfection: That would require sanding and then polishing. A job for another day.
Rather, I wanted to remove as many defects as possible, while leaving the trim intact. I wanted that super-shine that only stainless can deliver!
The goal was to go from this:
To this:
More scratches:
Lots of tape protects paint & glass:
Work area:
I kick the Metabo into high gear and push HARD! A spritz of water helped things along.
I didn't get great shots, but you can see the difference where I pulled the masking:
Much better reflection and clarity.
I used a soap & warm water mix to soften the tape adhesion prior to removal:
A done deal!
