Internet Modeler : New Releases : Tools RSS News Feed

PMA Super Thin Masking Tape

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

Overview

When it comes to masking thin lines, modelers are left with either carefully cutting their own strips from wider stock or using pre-cut tape that invariably has too much tack. Cutting strips yourself runs the risk of getting uneven widths, while too much tack runs the risk of pulling up the base paint. PMA has addressed that concern with this new line of thin tape in varying widths.

The Tape

While the samples sent to us were in three sizes, the range covered in this brand encompasses five sizes: 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, and 5mm. These sizes make a perfect fit into other tape ranges such as Tamiya's, which begins at 6mm and goes up from there. The type of tape is very similar, if not identical, to that found in the Tamiya tape, so working with these should be quite familiar to modelers. At these thin widths, though, keep an eye out for folding over on itself.

The 1mm size will be great for working around sharp corners, adding fine pinstriping, and masking canopies. For another potential use, this size would work quite well for seatbelts in 1/72. Just add buckles and you've got some self-adhesive belts without much effort at all. With 25 meters on each roll, there will be plenty to go around as well. The tape has low tack, so if you do use it for belts, I would recommend adding a touch of CA after putting them in place, to keep them from rising up later on.

Moving up to the 2mm and 3mm sizes, these could be used for belts in larger scales as well, and they will also be quite useful for regular masking. Even at 3mm the tape is pretty thin, so it will work around curves well and could also be used for pinstriping. All three sizes could be used to replicate scale masking tape as well. I have seen photos of P-47s that had their white tail stripes masked off with just a single line of tape, which resulted in a hard edge on the stripe, and overspray on the other side of the tape. This thin tape would work perfectly for getting that effect.

Conclusion

Finding quality masking tape at thin sizes is a challenge, so this is a very welcome sight for modelers. My thanks to PMA for the review samples.