Nichiban

 

As a city dweller, I don't have ready access to a local hobby shop so I tend to find ways to make do as I can. A great source of hobby goods can be art supply stores. I happen to live near one of the best known art schools in the country and have a few local options. One "hack" I have found is Nichiban tape. If it is not made by the same people who make Tamiya's masking tape, I'd be shocked (I suspect that Tamiya's tape is rebranded Nichiban.) If you're not familiar with this stuff by whatever name, it does double duty as low tack, meaning it doesn't pull up the undercoat you're trying to mask, yet it's high tack in that when you put it in place, it doesn't start to "unstick" itself. How it works, I don't know, but it just does. It comes in various widths, too, although I tend to put some on my self-healing mat and cut to the size needed. Highly recommended!

Frogtape

That familiar harvest yellow reminds you of another brand, huh?

Many of us have come to love using Tamiya's masking tape. When used for masking paint, it creates crisp edges yet it doesn't pull up paint like many other masking tapes. It has a well-deserved reputation among modelers for getting the job done. Unfortunately, like many specialty items that we use, particularly those from Tamiya, its price carries a premium compared to the diminutive size of the rolls.

There is an excellent alternative that costs a fraction of what Tamiya does and performs just as effectively. Frankly, I think it is the same stuff. I found mine at a Sherwin-Williams paint shop, but I am sure it can be purchased elsewhere. It's called Frogtape and is marketed to interior house painters as, you guessed it, a superior masking tape that doesn't pull up the paint underneath it. I have rolls that are 24mm (0.94 in) and 36mm (1.41 in) wide, both in 60 yard lengths. That might be a lifetime supply for modeling. I highly recommend it.