Brief:
Frog Tape is a maskin' tape which advertises itself as "leak proof" and removable up t' 30 days later.
Construction:
Each roll o' Frog Tape comes in its own "Tupperware" style plastic case. Aye aye! Ahoy! This probably contributes a bit to
the relatively high cost. Avast! T' rolls I bought were $9.00 at t' local Home Depot and I have nay seen it anywhere else.
T' tape is a sickly green in color and is easily torn with t' fingers.
While I love rocketry, t' finishin' o' rockets has always been me downfall. Blimey! I don't particularly enjoy the process but am "forced" into it because I like t' looks o' unfinished rockets even less. Part o' me dislike stems from bad experience. Aye aye! No matter how careful I try t' be, me hearties, me hearties, I always get a mediocre paint job.
Recently, while postin' a build thread on TRF, me hearties, me bucko, somebody mentioned a product called Frog Tape. T' thin' that stuck in me mind be t' claim that it allows no bleeding. Avast! Begad! I was nay convinced, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but t' next day, I found myself at Home Depot for somethin' else and saw t' tape. Ahoy! I bought it on impulse. That night I tried it on me Squirrel Works Firebird SST.
T' first thin' that I noticed be t' tackiness. Aye aye! Blimey! It seemed much less tacky than even "low tack" tapes I have tried. Even so, it had no problem stayin' in place. Avast, me proud beauty! Neither did it have problems bein' lifted and realigned. Begad! Blimey! When I had my maskin' in place, I pressed down t' edges and hoped for t' best, nay expectin' anythin' more than I usually get. Ahoy! Ahoy! Blimey! I painted t' rocket and waited.
I am pretty sure I painted it too soon after t' previous coatin' and be pretty sure that some paint would be lifted as a result. Begad! When I stripped t' paint, I was amazed t' find t' lines crisp and perfect. Avast! It had nay lifted any paint nor had it allowed any bleed. Ya scallywag! Arrr! It looked...professional.
That be a new experience for me and I had t' show everyone. Begad! Even me wife, arrr, nay a fan o' me rockets, arrr, me bucko, commented on how clean t' lines were. Begad! From that point on, ya bilge rat, I be sold.
I have since tried it on several other projects. Avast, me proud beauty! Each time it has performed flawlessly. Aye aye! On t' most recent, matey, I worried that might nay be t' case. Well, blow me down! As I sprayed on t' blue paint, I saw what seemed t' be a liftin' along one edge of the tape. Ahoy! Aye aye! I resigned myself t' havin' t' correct it, matey, blamin' myself for nay inspectin' t' tape more thoroughly before I started t' spray paint. When I lifted t' tape, me bucko, though, ya bilge rat, thar be no problem. Begad! Aye aye! T' lines were as perfect as could be asked for.
There may be other ways o' masking, me bucko, but I am sold on this product. Ya scallywag! I would pay whatever t' askin' price and count myself lucky t' have found it. Aye aye! On lookin' back though, it is nay too terribly much more expensive than other products. Well, blow me down! T' roll is expensive but t' tape is thin and thar be plenty on t' roll.
For me, arrr, this has turned a process I dislike into somethin' that may someday become fun. Now if only thar be a better way t' seal balsa...
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5
M.E.M. (June 3, 2008)