Blue Tape

[Foxfold]

I noticed today that when I started to cut my wood, the 'blue' of the tape was staining my wood right through, is this normal ?

Up to now I've always used clear packing tape so never had this problem before.

I tried sanding it off, just by hand, with fine sandpaper but the 'blue' wouldn't budge.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

P.S...  It is just a 'cheap' blue decorators tape.

Edited August 21, 2018 by Foxfold

[Dee]

Most people use the blue painters tape not the decorators tape, there is a difference.   However here blue painters tape has gone up in price so I have changed to clear contact paper.  It is much more affordable than the clear tape or the blue tape.  You can still see through it too.  You will need to blow or wipe all the dust off the wood and use a plastic type squeegee to make sure the adhesive is making tight contact to the wood.   Works great for me.

Hope this is a help to you.  Good luck.

[Scrappile]

I use blue painters tape.  Never had that problem.

[munzieb]

There is a difference! Last week I ran out of my "blue tape" and went to the local Loews to restock and bought regular blue tape. Big mistake. This tape has a crepy texture and will roll up very easily. I kept the original blank roll I had used and went back to Loews and got the right one. It's the 3M with "Edge Lock" . It has a smooth surface, adheres better and won't roll up.

Loews 

Item # 63186 Model # 2080EL-SR-24T

3M Safe-Release 0.94-in Painter's Tape

[loftyhermes]

Brenda,

I've never used blue tape to mount my patterns. What I use is re-positionable spray glue currently the one from Crafters Companion. I've tried others such as Bostik (from Wilkos) own brand from the local craft shop and 3M. I sand the wood to 240 grit, make sure it's dust free then spray the back of the pattern then press onto the wood. If I'm cutting 3/4" wood then I'll cover the pattern with clear packing tape (after drilling any holes) to prevent burning. 

[Bill WIlson]

I've used blue painter's tape before and never seen or heard of that problem.  I'm not particular about brands.  I just have whatever cheap stuff I happen to pick up.

I'm not familiar with "decorator's" tape.  I GOOGLED it and got a lot of hits for painter's tape, so I have no idea what the difference is.

[jerry1939]

I liked the blue tape for years.  Read on this site the people were switching to shelf liner.  Bought some clear from Walmart and liked it for a while.  Will throw away the last of the roll.

Maybe it's because our garage temperature  gets up to 90 in the afternoons, but now when the shelf liner is removed, the wood remains very sticky & the stickiness cannot be sanded off.

jerry

[Sam777]

I have always used a brand from Walmart called Peel N Stick. It is cheap and works great. Try it

Sam

[heppnerguy]

What I don't get is..... why would one need to sand off the blue painter's tape. It should be applied directly to the clean, sanded wood and then the glued pattern put on top of it.  they when you finish cutting the pattern, you simply peel of the remaining pattern from the wood and there is no residue left behind. 

Dick

heppnerguy

[munzieb]

38 minutes ago, heppnerguy said:

What I don't get is..... why would one need to sand off the blue painter's tape. It should be applied directly to the clean, sanded wood and then the glued pattern put on top of it.  they when you finish cutting the pattern, you simply peel of the remaining pattern from the wood and there is no residue left behind. 

Dick

heppnerguy

That'a right! Once the back is sanded, just peel off the base pattern and the blue tape on top comes off with it. I pour some "off" in a baby jar and use an acid brush to help lift the pattern off the cutting. When I use Scroller's pattern tape for more intricate patterns, I always use the "Off" to remove it because it is so strong it can lift fibers on the wood.

[heppnerguy]

7 hours ago, munzieb said:

That'a right! Once the back is sanded, just peel off the base pattern and the blue tape on top comes off with it. I pour some "off" in a baby jar and use an acid brush to help lift the pattern off the cutting. When I use Scroller's pattern tape for more intricate patterns, I always use the "Off" to remove it because it is so strong it can lift fibers on the wood.

 I recently found a new painters tape that seems to put an end to the lifting of the wood fibers when you peal it off. I have used only on roll so far but I have yet to see this tape do any sort of damage to my base wood, of which is mostly BB Ply that has in the past been a problem. I quit using painters tape awhile back and was placing the pattern directly on the wood with a spray adhesive and removing it by first dampening the remaining pattern with paint thinner. It worked really well and after letting it sit for 45 seconds to a minute, it would all but fall off the wood with no resistance or loss of fibers. The only drawback to that was I then had to let the wood surface dry before applying any finish. 

   The new painters tape that does not take any fiber with it and comes off way easier then any other tape I have used, without ever having come loose from the wood while cutting, is one manufactured by DUCK. you can get it in any width the other ones sell and they call this tape "clean Release". The cost was about the same as the other brands. I do not know if HD or Lowes handles this brand but I found this one at Sherman Williams. I am going to put the Duck web site internet link at the end of this sentence so you can check it out for distributers, if you like. I Do not think you will be disappointed if you choose to give it a try

www.DuckBrand.com

Dick

heppnerguy

[Jim McDonald]

3M makes a premium tape called "Platinum".  My wife got a sample roll and I tried it with bad results.  The top is very slick which is good for painting--poor for glue/pattern adhesion. And the adhesive is a bit more aggressive than regular and I got some wood fibers pulled out about less than 24 hours or being on the wood.

[Scrappile]

Ya, I picked up a roll that has a "blue scotch" and "2080EL" logos printed on the none sticky side.  The none adhesive side is slick and patterns kept lifting when I tried to use it.  Nasty stuff for scrolling purposes.

[scrollingforsanity]

 I love the clear contact paper from Walmart. $ 5.84 a roll for 12in x 36ft. Very inexpensive and for me comes off much easier than packing tape or blue painters tape plus you can see through it. I just wipe my wood off and apply the contact paper then run my hand across it to make it to make sure it adheres.

grizz

Oregon 

[RabidAlien]

I've been using the regular blue painter's tape (usually found near the paints at WalMart), I'll pick up a roll of whatever's cheapest.  3-pack, or the 2" wide extra-long roll.  I think its 3M brand, not sure.  But as long as its the painter tape, resembling the brown masking tape in texture, I've never had a problem.  Recently completed a project that I started in June, and has been sitting in various garages in the Texass summer (108 outside, probably 115 or 120 in the garage).  It peeled off with very little problems, possibly a little stickier than a quick 2-hour cut but it still peeled and didn't leave any color.  My guess is that your tape, with the crepe-like surface, is bleeding blue dye from the crepe part.