Hi SPURR, to answer your questions in order..
1. The contact came off pretty easily. It wont lift any paint if the cab is properly prepared before painting. I've been using clear contact on playfields when restoring, im doing a Stern Wildfyre pf at the moment, most of it is to be repainted, sticking it over newly painted sections to mask off those areas while painting adjacent areas. it has lifted NO new paint at all. though some of the old pf paint comes up occasionally but those bits will be redone anyway...
getting off track slightly... but provided the paint prep is done right you shouldnt have any probs using contact.
Sealing with basecoat was done as a precaution, probably wasnt necessary, ive NEVER had paint bleed under contact when painting playfields.
2. cuts nice n easy with a good new sharp scalpel blade, you dont need to push down real hard with the blade either, so shouldnt damage the basecoat. on a couple of bit where i pushed the blade a litle bit too hard it cut into the bascoat slightly and took up a couple of tiny bits of basecoat but was nothing major that couldnt be easily fixed. though that was due to carelessness on my part, and that the blade wasnt a new one. once i had the hang of it NO paint came up.
3. left no glue residue at all.
