Guide to taping off a car

[SeaJay's]

I honestly think that practice makes perfect. The first couple of times I taped off a car it wasn't very good. The first car I did I taped too much. As I wanted to be extra careful. Now that I've done a few cars I've learned how to tape rather well and what to tape. I also have sped up my taping.

[Cman8]

Hey DLB Send me a pm with the info too, I also wouldnt mind learning some good techniques.

[wildjyoung]

I would like to be included as well. I can always learn and get better!

[Joz132]

I would like to be included as well. I can always learn and get better!

Me too.

Thanks in advance

[bigdaddybama]

Guess I'll ask for the pm too! If get a chance.

[bokchoiboi]

Add me to the list too? =D

[tuscarora dave]

Spend a little time in the show & shine forum section. Look at the pictures before during and after. There will be some good examples of proper taping in there. Forum Member Superior Shine has some great pictures in his show & shine threads as he's usually wet sanding and then cutting with a rotary and wool pads. He is incredibly efficient as well with 3 decades of experience.

[DLB]

I don't have the time to watch this and reply to everyone's request for a PM.

I will just say that Todd Helme did a guide, and it is on a competitor's forum, so I cannot post it.

DLB

[Mike Phillips]

Here's a how-to I did on MOL back in 2005... I've seen people talk about the tinfoil tip ever since then but now days I tend to use the Beach Towel Tip.

How to tape-off a car

Photos Courtesy of MeguiarsOnline






During the process



Afterwards on display

Here are some examples of what I cover before doing what I call a "Complete". When I used to detail cars full time, if I had to start with the compounding process, then I would call the job a "Complete", because I had to start with the hardest and most time consuming process, (removing serious defect with a rotary buffer and a compound), and work my way through multiple steps until I had achieved a show car finish, in other words, I had to completely go over the car finish with all the steps required for a show car finish.

In order to prevent splatter on wheels and tires, you can purchase wheel covers and any good PBE store or just use what you already have, newspaper and tape



After covering the wheels and tires, start taping-off everything you don't' want to detail later, (Here the word detail means, get the wax out of the cracks, or anything you don't want to get excess product, (splatter), into, such as under grills where the area under the grill is not readily accessible, or you don't want to run the buffer over, like high points, edges and body seams, or even known thin areas.





Tape off small trim areas



Sometimes I cut pieces with scissors to make for a neater taping




Window gaskets and trim around side mirror taped-off



Windshield wash water squirter taped-off



This particular car was being prepped for the 2002 Bimmerfest, it was a side-by-side, before & after demonstration. This is why you'll see the car taped-off down the middle.

The first time we taped off one half,



After the show the car was brought back and we taped-off the finished side so we wouldn't splatter it with product while buffing out the un-buffed side.







Here you can see we have taped-off the gasket and trim around the window and also a sticker in the lower right hand corner to protect it from splatter that would later need to be removed. (Just an extra safety precaution)





Normal kitchen tin foil can come in handy for wrapping around some items like windshield wiper arms because you can shape it and it will keep its hold.







Here's a picture of the felt surrounding the sun roof to prevent it from product splatter. It's very difficult to clean this type of material so it's always better to tape it off.





Before

(Kind of hurts your eyes to look at)



Feather Sanding







After Drivers side only







Meguiar's Booth at the 2002 Bimmerfest in Santa Barbara, California


You can't see it because it's cloudy out at the time of this picture, but as you see the hood open, only one side of the swirls have been removed.

IMG]http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2BimmerFestBooth1a.jpg[/IMG]


Back for the other side after the show...




Completely Finished









Taping-off is an important part of the process and the overall quality of the end results.

Then down the road a few years this dramatic before and after was used on the label when SwirlX was introduced...

[cutter]

That is a question I have thought about too...Good question...What's the best tape to use...Painter's tape???