Help with plastidip, trouble getting good lines from masking

[Muzdaman]

Ive got a couple of aftermarket gauges in my NA and I'm tired of the silver rings around the gauge face and have been meaning to spray them with black plasti dip for a while.

I did one today and I'm having a lot of difficulty getting a good edge between the bezel and the clear plastic front of the gauge.

It seems there is not enough of a transition between the clear plastic face and the plastic ring for it to peel away cleanly in 2 separate pieces. its certainly not as easy as the youtube videos with the blacked out badges make it look.

I also tried masking of the lens but again it all wants to peel of in 1 piece.

anyone done something similar or found a good way to get a clean edge with tape or something else on plasti dip??
Thanks

[CQYD]

How many coats are you applying?

Have you tried scoring tha break line with like a credit card edge or similar plastic tool to encourage it to break where you want?

[Apu]

If the layer is thick and you let it dry, you will have that problem.

The other way is to do a thin coat, remove tape, reapply tape, apply thin coat, repeat.

[22Silver]

Buy a guitar pick and use the pointy end like a paint-safe razor to score.
Worked for me.

[droo]

plastidip and edge lines are tricky for fine detail.
The trick is to remove the mask well before the plastidip has dried.

Spray two/three coats, and about 10-20 seconds after the final coat's application, peel off the mask.
The plastidip won't drip over the masked edge.
It won't be perfect but it's about the best you can do.
Razor scoring doesn't always work neatly either.


The fresh spray of the coats has the plastidip's thinners (or equivalent) which will allow the plastidip to be soft during application.
Once that has evaporated it's too late to remove the mask.

The benefit of this: you can re-mask the area, respray OVER existing plastidip and make your second attempt. The plastidip's thinners(?) will soften the pre-existing plastidip beneath it too.
This is handy for touching up previously damanged/roughed edges.

[Muzdaman]

Thanks all. I'll give it another shot on the weekend and report back.