Tried a trick that worked so, I’ll share. 
I've found that 3M packing tape makes great masking tape. Today, I needed to protect some maple from stain. The maple was a 5/16” strip alongside a wide piece of mesquite. I knew painter’s tape wouldn’t cut it. But I was able to get the fine edge of the packing tape dead on along the joint. Now, most stains are much thinner than paint and, even though I sealed the edges with finger pressure, I wasn’t confident of that seal. So, I borrowed Phyl’s hair dryer and heated the tape, pressing behind the dryer with a tongue depressor. Crossed my fingers and applied the stain. When the tape came off, not a speck of stain had gotten past that tape. 
And, it’s great for wooden cauls, too.

That is a neat trick Gene, thanks for sharing it.

Cal

Great Idea!

It is a great tip.  I can't help thinking the glue line had a big hand in it too stopping the bleeding normally associated with such an endeavor. 

The difference between a trick and a technique is a technique is a trick used more than once.

 

 

 

I have a similar problem coming up.   I need to cut a stencil with a shape that I can paint with w/b paint over a base coat of white paint.   I'm thinking about putting down some Frog Tape, laying the pattern over the top, cutting thru the tape with an exacto knife, peeling it off, wetting the Frog Tape so it sets up, then applying the dark coat in the stencil.

 

Will test out the theory next week.

Well, it's still a trick for me, then.  I'm gonna have to find/devise a technique so as to avoid using that trick again. Way to tedious to apply the tape. Over 100" and at least 50"  more to go. Even with my magnifiers, these old eyes get really tired.

I've never used Frog tape. But, your application of it sounds pretty neat. What does wetting do for it? 

Edited September 27, 20178 yr by Gene Howe

Wetting activates the adhesive's blocking.

Tried it this morning.  Fail.   When I pulled off the tape, it pulled off some of the paint.

 

I ended up just pencilling an outline and cutting into it with the brush.

Do try the packing tape trick err...technique. It works.

I do very little stenciling, but I once needed masking tape to stick less. I remember sticking it to me forehead (very short piece) and then applying it to the workpiece. As goofy as this sounds it worked.

I have done some stenciling on wood and just used a vinyl decal for the pattern stuck directly to the wood.  I did give the wood a good sanding down maybe to 220 or so first and let the base coat cure for a few days.  I have done a lot of stenciling on metal using vinyl decals.

 

@Fred W. Hargis Jr - a technique I learned in auto body class when the tape might be "too sticky": Unroll the length needed and stick it to your pants leg, pull off and apply.  The forehead trick would similarly work, but I could see forgetting a piece and leaving for town to pick up supplies...

 

@kmealy - a technique I picked on on Pinterest recently for painting a straight line, I haven't tried it so I cannot speak directly to it's working or not: taking your base coat as white, apply your tape as before then apply another coat of white just to overlap the tape which seals the gap between wood and tape.  Then apply the top contrasting coat and peel the tape while the top coat is tacky.

 

This technique might work on coarser grained woods.  Regarding the base coat, I would give it a few days to cure before sticking the tape to it, and then mitigate the tape by Fred's tip or the one I mentioned above.

Cal

Edited October 3, 20178 yr by clhyer

46 minutes ago, clhyer said:

 

@Fred W. Hargis Jr - a technique I learned in auto body class when the tape might be "too sticky": Unroll the length needed and stick it to your pants leg, pull off and apply.  The forehead trick would similarly work, but I could see forgetting a piece and leaving for town to pick up supplies...

 

@kmealy - a technique I picked on on Pinterest recently for painting a straight line, I haven't tried it so I cannot speak directly to it's working or not: taking your base coat as white, apply your tape as before then apply another coat of white just to overlap the tape which seals the gap between wood and tape.  Then apply the top contrasting coat and peel the tape while the top coat is tacky.

 

 

I use my shirt, dabbing the tape a few times on it.  Picks up link and makes it less aggressive.   I use 3M's green tape (2060) that has high adhesion.   If I need to tape off a wall at a customer's home prior to spraying on some finish, I do that.

 

I'll have to try that trick technique  about the two coats.   I found that if I retrace the boundaries with an Exacto knife, it eliminated the tea-rout too.