Masking woes...
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 296
Likes: 0
From: Vilonia Arkansas
Masking woes...
Ok, I've stripped the paint off of the fender side vents on my '72 and started masking the tiny chrome edges to get ready for paint. I don't know how I'm going to get this masked properly since the chrome is in such small strips. Although I stripped the paint, the factory black primer did not come off. Is there an easy way to remove the black primer w/o sanding it? Lacquer thinner won't touch it.
I'm thinking that if I can remove the black primer, it'll make for much easier masking as I could leave a little more chrome showing and not worry so much about the exact lines of the chrome.
Anyone have any suggestions or ideas?
dw
I'm thinking that if I can remove the black primer, it'll make for much easier masking as I could leave a little more chrome showing and not worry so much about the exact lines of the chrome.
Anyone have any suggestions or ideas?
dw
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I repainted the center console plate. Painted the whole thing and then carefully used a razor blade to gently scrape the paint off the chrome. Worked great..
Safety Car
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,730
Likes: 707
From: Shelton, Connecticut
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
I used two methods
When I did my 72, I used pinstriping tape on one grill. That was a pain. The second one, I had painted and then used lacquer thinner and a dense pad to strip the paint off the chrome edges. that was a real thrill.
The pinstripe worked best when I used the pad and lacquer thinner to clean it up.
I did consider buying a cheap, plastic edging strip (like for a door edge guard) and cutting it up to cover the chrome, but, it seemed to be even more labor intensive. If I had to do it again, I would consider something like the clear vinyl film they sell to protect paint. It is very pliable with soapy water and can be removed after painting. Got that idea from the film they use on glass doors. Good luck.
The pinstripe worked best when I used the pad and lacquer thinner to clean it up.
I did consider buying a cheap, plastic edging strip (like for a door edge guard) and cutting it up to cover the chrome, but, it seemed to be even more labor intensive. If I had to do it again, I would consider something like the clear vinyl film they sell to protect paint. It is very pliable with soapy water and can be removed after painting. Got that idea from the film they use on glass doors. Good luck.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 296
Likes: 0
From: Vilonia Arkansas
When I did my 72, I used pinstriping tape on one grill. That was a pain. The second one, I had painted and then used lacquer thinner and a dense pad to strip the paint off the chrome edges. that was a real thrill.
The pinstripe worked best when I used the pad and lacquer thinner to clean it up.
I did consider buying a cheap, plastic edging strip (like for a door edge guard) and cutting it up to cover the chrome, but, it seemed to be even more labor intensive. If I had to do it again, I would consider something like the clear vinyl film they sell to protect paint. It is very pliable with soapy water and can be removed after painting. Got that idea from the film they use on glass doors. Good luck.
The pinstripe worked best when I used the pad and lacquer thinner to clean it up.
I did consider buying a cheap, plastic edging strip (like for a door edge guard) and cutting it up to cover the chrome, but, it seemed to be even more labor intensive. If I had to do it again, I would consider something like the clear vinyl film they sell to protect paint. It is very pliable with soapy water and can be removed after painting. Got that idea from the film they use on glass doors. Good luck.
Wouldn't that clear vinal you're speaking of be too thick to work? That might just be the thing I need to do. Where would i get it?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,160
Likes: 4,241
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi,
I think slicing the fresh paint off the chrome surface with a sharp x-acto blade is a good way to do it.
I found that when I tried tape I was left with too thick an edge of paint once the tape was removed.
Regards,
Alan
I think slicing the fresh paint off the chrome surface with a sharp x-acto blade is a good way to do it.
I found that when I tried tape I was left with too thick an edge of paint once the tape was removed.
Regards,
Alan
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,709
Likes: 3
From: Savannah GA
If it is plated metal, chem strip it. Won't hurt the chrome and if you mess it up simply re-strip and try again. If it is plastic, be very careful as you mask... 3M makes "fineline" masking tape... it is blue in color... in various widths. HTH!
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
Yep. Use chemical stripper to get rid of the old paint. Prime it with self-etching primer...like zinc chromate. Use X-acto to peel off from the chrome edges, but don't let the paint harden; just let it set up. Then final paint and use X-acto again by the same process. If you let the paint harden, it will chip at the edges when you try to peel it off.
Oh. And don't try to wipe the 'cuttings' off until the paint hardens up some, or you might make a real mess. They'll brush off later.
Oh. And don't try to wipe the 'cuttings' off until the paint hardens up some, or you might make a real mess. They'll brush off later.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
