best way to mask off glass in table top before spraying?

[Jesse Tutterrow]

A neighbor asked me to spray her outside furniture. I am using Rustoleum (thinned) and my HVLP sprayer.

One of the pieces is a table with metal edging and a frosted glass top. She does not want the glass painted.

I thought of taking my roll of brown (kraft) paper and cutting it into a round and then using blue painter's tape to secure it. I would use a razor knife to cut the tape against the metal edge banding.

I was wondering how well the tape would keep the paint from getting under it. I have experienced paint bleeding under blue tape when brushing.

Also, it looks like I would be using a lot of small lengths of 2" blue tape and then cutting away half it it. Any better ideas?

I tried removing the glass, but it is held in by several plastic (old hard rubber) clips and they don't seem to want to come out.

--Jesse

[Neal Clayton]

that's pretty much it, paper and blue tape. just gotta make sure the edges of the tape are pressed down clean. pull the tape while it's wet, so the paint can flow to a clean edge.

any mistakes after the fact clean with a razor scraper.

[Jerome Hanby]

Maybe a dumb question, but are you sure the glass won't just pop out. I had some tacky black lacquer tables with mirror tops (give me a break, they were on sale and I was a bachelor, what did I know) and they were held in place with gravity...

[Jesse Tutterrow]

There are 6 plastic / rubber clips. I tried prying one out and it would not come. I didn't want to apply large amounts of force to make sure I don't break the glass.

[John TenEyck]

There's blue tape and then there's blue tape. 3M makes a blue tape that is creped - you don't want that one. The also make one that is smooth and thin, maybe "for delicate surfaces", - that's the one you want. Rub it down well and then trim with your razor blade. Paint will not get under it, especially on a clean glass substrate.

[Scott Holmes]

I would suggest the stickier green "frog tape" costs a little more; but will keep the paint out from under it better than the blue tape...

[Sam Hamory]

I would use the green tape and also the widest possible in order to use less pieces.

[Jason Roehl]

There's blue tape and then there's blue tape. 3M makes a blue tape that is creped - you don't want that one. The also make one that is smooth and thin, maybe "for delicate surfaces", - that's the one you want. Rub it down well and then trim with your razor blade. Paint will not get under it, especially on a clean glass substrate.

This is good advice here. I've used literally miles of just about every tape out there. The standard blue "painter's tape" is junk. Frog tape is okay, but I don't think it's all it's cracked up to be. My favorite for clean edges, no matter the application method (brush, roll, spray) is the 3M Delicate Surfaces tape as John described. It will have orange on the label. If you need better adhesion for whatever reason, then go with the 3M High Adhesion (bright green) tape. It, too, will give a clean edge, though there is a greater risk of lifting paint off the surface. I've had best results letting the paint set for a day (or longer), then peel, but that's with a thick film of acrylic paint.

Personally, I'd investigate further on getting those clips out.

[John McClanahan]

There's blue tape and then there's blue tape. 3M makes a blue tape that is creped - you don't want that one. The also make one that is smooth and thin, maybe "for delicate surfaces", - that's the one you want. Rub it down well and then trim with your razor blade. Paint will not get under it, especially on a clean glass substrate.

Then there's the blue tape you find at places like Big Lots. It sticks long enough to get in the middle of painting, then turns loose on its own. :eek:

John

[Jim Creech]

Years ago I worked in a sign shop and we used a product call Grip Mask when painting plexiglass signs. The product was brushed on and allowed to dry ( just a few minutes) then we would cut out the area to be painted with a razor blade, much like silk screening. After the paint got tacky the Grip mask was removed by simply peeling it off much like you would tape and it left little or no residue. There was also no paint bleeding underneath. Check with a local sign shop. They will probably sell you some. Great Stuff,

[Steven Hsieh]

There's a product called Masking Liquid. I haven't tried it yet.

http://www.associatedpaint.com/masking-questions-answers.html

[David Thompson 27577]

A neighbor asked me to spray her outside furniture. I am using Rustoleum (thinned) and my HVLP sprayer.

One of the pieces is a table with metal edging and a frosted glass top. She does not want the glass painted.

I thought of taking my roll of brown (kraft) paper and cutting it into a round and then using blue painter's tape to secure it. I would use a razor knife to cut the tape against the metal edge banding.

I was wondering how well the tape would keep the paint from getting under it. I have experienced paint bleeding under blue tape when brushing.

Also, it looks like I would be using a lot of small lengths of 2" blue tape and then cutting away half it it. Any better ideas?

I tried removing the glass, but it is held in by several plastic (old hard rubber) clips and they don't seem to want to come out.

--Jesse

If the surface of the glass is smooth -- not stippled or rippled -- spray away, then use a razor scraper to clean up. Takes way less time than masking!

[Charles Wiggins]

I would suggest the stickier green "frog tape" costs a little more; but will keep the paint out from under it better than the blue tape...

FYI: Frog Tape is designed to be used with water based paints like latex. It has a special polymer on the adhesive surface that is water activated, so there is no special advantage to using it for any other application, such as spray paint.