The Ford Barn

Tom Wesenberg · 11-19-2015, 03:40 PM

My brother is a bodyman and taught me this little trick many years ago. When you have a delicate decal or odd shape to mask, grease works great. I use a small pointed hobby paint brush to apply the grease so I can get to the very edge without going onto the surface to be painted

Give the paint a day to dry, then use a soft cloth or tissue paper to wipe the grease off. It works great. This is the cover for an older collectible generator, and I wanted to save all that's left of the decals.

ronn · 11-19-2015, 04:16 PM

great idea! not something you think of everyday...............

Rex_A_Lott · 11-19-2015, 04:20 PM

I never used it for something that delicate, but that works good for painting wheels (mostly touching up) with the tires still on.
Nice tip

Y-Blockhead · 11-19-2015, 08:59 PM

I've been using vaseline for masking small items for years, since way back when I started made car models.

Cool Hand Lurker · 11-19-2015, 09:07 PM

You can also try Elmer's Rubber Cement. it comes with it's own brush and can be rubbed off with your finger when you are finished painting. I don't like to mix grease with painting. It is too easy to touch something with a greasy finger.
But try it first on a test piece to see if the paint you are using will attack the rubber cement.

2manycars · 11-19-2015, 09:10 PM

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My VOAG teacher taught us that trick in high school when painting tractors. We greased the headlamp lenses and guage lenses.

burner31 · 11-19-2015, 09:57 PM

They make a rubber that you paint on with a brush, after it dries you can trim it if needed, go ahead and do your painting, when that dries just peel the rubber off, work great and a lot less mess then using grease.

WestCoast · 11-19-2015, 10:34 PM

if you have a place with a real tight turn use plastic electical tape to make the turn, the tape streaches and bends real easy

Mike V. Florida · 11-20-2015, 12:29 AM

As usual all great tips!!

Beater · 11-20-2015, 12:37 AM

I had one of those lil generators. used to run a trouble light with it on an extention cord in the grain bin shoveling

henry's 31 · 11-20-2015, 12:46 AM

Thank you for this great tip!

Henry's 31

C26Pinelake · 11-20-2015, 12:53 AM

Thanks Tom, as usual a great tip we can all use! Wayne

mshmodela · 11-20-2015, 07:31 AM

Great tip. Thanks!

Bruce_MO · 11-20-2015, 03:55 PM

When I was 10 years old fifty+ yrs ago, my older brother offered me $3 if I would paint the wheels on his '30 coupe a nice, bright yellow. He had me get Mom's can of grease from under the kitchen sink and smear the grease all over the tires, and then spray the wheels with paint. After washing off the grease, the tires were free of paint and looked pretty shiny. The wheels looked pretty poor, though, but not bad from about 50 ft. The stink lasted on my hands for several days!

11-19-2015, 04:16 PM	#2
ronn Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: NNNNNNNNJJJJJJJJJJ Posts: 6,796	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting great idea! not something you think of everyday...............

11-19-2015, 04:20 PM	#3
Rex_A_Lott Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Upstate South Carolina Posts: 794	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting I never used it for something that delicate, but that works good for painting wheels (mostly touching up) with the tires still on. Nice tip

11-19-2015, 08:59 PM	#4
Y-Blockhead Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 5,849	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting I've been using vaseline for masking small items for years, since way back when I started made car models.

11-19-2015, 09:07 PM	#5
Cool Hand Lurker Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: So Minn Posts: 1,565	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting You can also try Elmer's Rubber Cement. it comes with it's own brush and can be rubbed off with your finger when you are finished painting. I don't like to mix grease with painting. It is too easy to touch something with a greasy finger. But try it first on a test piece to see if the paint you are using will attack the rubber cement.

11-19-2015, 09:10 PM	#6
2manycars Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Eastern CT Posts: 2,732	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) My VOAG teacher taught us that trick in high school when painting tractors. We greased the headlamp lenses and guage lenses.

11-19-2015, 09:57 PM	#7
burner31 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Shawnee, Ok Posts: 3,471	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting They make a rubber that you paint on with a brush, after it dries you can trim it if needed, go ahead and do your painting, when that dries just peel the rubber off, work great and a lot less mess then using grease. __________________ Keith Shawnee OK '31 SW 160-B

11-19-2015, 10:34 PM	#8
WestCoast Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: oroville calif Posts: 893	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting if you have a place with a real tight turn use plastic electical tape to make the turn, the tape streaches and bends real easy

11-20-2015, 12:29 AM	#9
Mike V. Florida Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South Florida Posts: 14,054	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting As usual all great tips!! __________________ What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them. - Henry Ford II

11-20-2015, 12:37 AM	#10
Beater Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Southern Alberta Posts: 582	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting I had one of those lil generators. used to run a trouble light with it on an extention cord in the grain bin shoveling

11-20-2015, 12:46 AM	#11
henry's 31 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Columbus(Cataula) Georgia Posts: 849	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting Thank you for this great tip! Henry's 31

11-20-2015, 12:53 AM	#12
C26Pinelake BANNED Join Date: May 2010 Location: Michigan / Ontario border, Sarnia, Ontario. 50 miles from Detroit and 150 from Toronto. Posts: 5,800	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting Thanks Tom, as usual a great tip we can all use! Wayne

11-20-2015, 07:31 AM	#13
mshmodela Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 2,763	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting Great tip. Thanks! __________________ -Mike Late 31' Ford Model A Tudor, Miss Daisy I don't work on cars --I'm learning about my Model A. Cleveland, Ohio

11-20-2015, 03:55 PM	#14
Bruce_MO Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 433	Re: Using Grease to Mask for Painting When I was 10 years old fifty+ yrs ago, my older brother offered me $3 if I would paint the wheels on his '30 coupe a nice, bright yellow. He had me get Mom's can of grease from under the kitchen sink and smear the grease all over the tires, and then spray the wheels with paint. After washing off the grease, the tires were free of paint and looked pretty shiny. The wheels looked pretty poor, though, but not bad from about 50 ft. The stink lasted on my hands for several days!