Hobby 2000 80008 - Precision masking tape 4.5 mm x 18 m

Hobby 2000 80008 precision masking tape 4.5 mm x 18 m

Hobby 2000 80008 is a precision masking tape 4.5 mm wide, supplied on an 18 m roll. It is made of kabuki paper – a thin, dense paper with little spring-back, long used in scale modelling precisely for the quality of the masking edge it gives. The tape conforms well to the surface of a model, does not distort when burnished down and produces a sharp, clearly defined border between colour fields.

The adhesive is chosen so that the tape holds securely while painting yet can be removed without lifting properly applied and cured paint. The tape works with all types of modelling paints and can be trimmed precisely with a hobby knife or scissors to match the area being masked.

Specifications:

• Manufacturer: Hobby 2000
• Catalogue number: 80008
• Type: precision masking tape
• Width: 4.5 mm
• Roll length: 18 m
• Material: kabuki paper
• Application: masking during airbrush and brush painting

Characteristics and use

A narrow masking tape has two roles on the bench. The first is defining the colour border itself – the strip is laid exactly where the demarcation should run, and the rest of the area is covered with wider tape, masking paper or film. The second is masking small parts that wider tape cannot cover without trimming. The 4.5 mm width decides which of those roles the tape suits best.

The widest tapes in the series let you mask a longer run in a single pass and quickly cover larger areas of the model without butting several narrow strips together.

We recommend applying the tape over fully cured paint, onto a clean, dry and degreased surface, and burnishing the masking edge down once it is in place. Spraying the next colour in several thin passes and directing the airbrush along the edge rather than straight at it reduces the risk of paint creeping under the mask. The mask is best removed once the paint is dry to the touch, pulling the tape back at a shallow angle to the surface.

What it is for

The tape suits camouflage demarcations on aircraft, tank and vehicle models, masking canopy frames and glazing, painting recognition bands, tactical numbers and narrow items of equipment, and separating tyres from wheel hubs. It can also be used as a guide for scribing a line before the actual masking. Outside scale modelling it is equally useful in art and painting work that calls for precise masking.

About the manufacturer – Hobby 2000:

Hobby 2000 is a Polish company based in Katowice, best known for limited-run kit releases built around plastic parts from established manufacturers and completed with its own decals and masks. Alongside those, the brand develops a range of workshop accessories and 3D-printed detail parts. The masking tape line covers two families – precision paper tapes for straight lines and flexible tapes for curved surfaces – in widths from 0.5 to 5.5 mm, each on an 18 m roll.