Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

Should I be pulling the tape after each coat of paint? Or can it tape stay till the final coat?

For the thinner LPU's I normally wait until I'm done, it should break free if you pull at a high angle. For thick paint (kiwigrip counts too) you need to pull quickly before it skins over.

Thanks Joel.

I'll add also that I recently painted my hull with 3 coats of Sterling and pulled the tape the day after the third coat was on. The tape came off easily and here was no lifting of the paint. My coats were fairly thin.

it should break free if you pull at a high angle

Have to agree with Joel on the how part. All LPU paints form a continuous cross-linked film which can be very prone to problems when you remove tape. They can behave a lot like latex trim paint does when people try to tape home window panes and wait too long. When spraying, where you can do 2-3 coats in an hour or two, we pull the tape as soon as the last coat flashes off the solvent and is sort of dry to the touch. Pulling the tape almost over itself and away from the finished edge is best. Whatever you do don't pull the up and toward the finished area, that's begging for a problem.

Bill