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c/auto-body-repairerslewis.charlielewis.charlie8d agoProlific Poster

Vent: I was taping off panels wrong for years and didn't know it

Last week, a guy I work with in the shop pointed out my tape line on a quarter panel was off by maybe an eighth of an inch. I always just eyeballed it, thinking close was good enough. He showed me how he uses the body line as a hard guide, running his finger along it first to feel for any high spots before laying the tape. I tried it on the next job, a 2018 Silverado bed side, and the paint line came out perfectly straight for the first time. How many of you actually measure or mark your tape lines, or is it all by feel?
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2 Comments
mark_hernandez12
Man, I feel that. I used to just freehand it too until I burned myself on a hood repaint. The clear line was wavy as heck. Now I take two minutes and use a soft pencil to trace the actual edge of the panel before I tape. It leaves a light guide you can see, and you just tape right on top of it. Makes a huge difference on long, flat surfaces.
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allen.drew
That finger trick along the body line is a game changer.
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