Vent: I was taping off panels wrong for years and didn't know it

Last week, a guy I work with in the shop pointed out my tape line on a quarter panel was off by maybe an eighth of an inch. I always just eyeballed it, thinking close was good enough. He showed me how he uses the body line as a hard guide, running his finger along it first to feel for any high spots before laying the tape. I tried it on the next job, a 2018 Silverado bed side, and the paint line came out perfectly straight for the first time. How many of you actually measure or mark your tape lines, or is it all by feel?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark_hernandez123mo ago

Man, I feel that. I used to just freehand it too until I burned myself on a hood repaint. The clear line was wavy as heck. Now I take two minutes and use a soft pencil to trace the actual edge of the panel before I tape. It leaves a light guide you can see, and you just tape right on top of it. Makes a huge difference on long, flat surfaces.

allen.drew3mo ago

That finger trick along the body line is a game changer.

wade_hall1mo ago

Wait, are you saying you run your finger along the body line BEFORE you tape it, like to feel for any bumps or edges? @allen.drew I gotta know, do you do it with dry tape or wet tape? Ive tried the finger trick but only on dry surfaces and half the time my finger just slips off the line if theres any wax or dirt left. Maybe I'm not pressing hard enough. I always end up taping it straight and then peeling it back a little to adjust by eye. But that leaves sticky residue everywhere. I really want to nail this method because my last truck job had a slight dip in the middle that I totally missed with the tape.