Blue tape baltic blues......

[Stretch]

I am a relatively new scroller, and for some things, I use Baltic Birch plywood and "Scotch" brand blue tape. I like to sand first if it will help with the finishing later on.

A minor annoyance is that when I pull off the tape, some of the wood fibers are pulled up when I am done, making more work.

Is there a trick anyone knows to remove the tape without this happening I would love to hear it! Maybe a different brand of tape? or is this just unavoidable?

 

 

 

[don in brooklin on]

i have had the same issue.  The tape from Amazon is even worse.

A lot depends on what I am going to do with the piece afterwards.  If I am going to paint I don't usually care if a few fibers come up.  

If I am going to leave as and just finish with stain or poly i coat the BB with 50/50 shellac/alcohol mixture and then sand lightly.  It seems to help.

If there is not too much chance of lifting I use cheap green tape from HD as it does not stick well. I am doing a bunch of gift tags with the snow flake in it so I am using that.

I am not sure what will happen with clear shelf liner.  The cheap stuff from $ store is same a blue tape but I have not tested with the stuff the puzzle guys use.

 

 

[Dak0ta52]

I've had the same problem. I've tried using shelf liner, blue tape, spraying adhesive on pattern and applying directly to the wood. I've about determined that the problem is more with the cheap wood causing delamination. I buy my wood from my local Lowe's they obviously sell the lowest quality wood they can find. I've also experienced delamination when coloring with watercolor. the water from the watercolor causes the veneer to separate.

My best solution has been spraying the pattern with a "light" coat of adhesive spray and then applying it directly to the wood. I spray the adhesive so light that it sometimes tries to come off while I'm cutting. Once I've finished the cut, the pattern will sometimes come off without any assistance. If I have problems with it sticking too much, I'll us a rag and coat the pattern with mineral spirits. After a few minutes it will usually come off pretty easily. The mineral spirits doesn't harm the wood in any way. If I still have areas of the pattern that is being a problem coming off, I'll apply a little heat from a heat gun. Just be careful not to overheat the adhesive because it can leave some residue on your wood.

It would be nice if I had a location in my area that offered a better quality wood. I'm in a VERY rural area. I haven't tried ordering wood online which may be the answer to the problem. Anyway, I hope these suggestions help.

[OCtoolguy]

2 hours ago, don in brooklin on said:

i have had the same issue.  The tape from Amazon is even worse.

A lot depends on what I am going to do with the piece afterwards.  If I am going to paint I don't usually care if a few fibers come up.  

If I am going to leave as and just finish with stain or poly i coat the BB with 50/50 shellac/alcohol mixture and then sand lightly.  It seems to help.

If there is not too much chance of lifting I use cheap green tape from HD as it does not stick well. I am doing a bunch of gift tags with the snow flake in it so I am using that.

I am not sure what will happen with clear shelf liner.  The cheap stuff from $ store is same a blue tape but I have not tested with the stuff the puzzle guys use.

 

 

Don, you mentioned staining. I've had terrible experiences so far with staining bb plywood. I've sanded, used sealer/conditioner, or just plain wood. Could you give me any advice on your method for getting a nice even look? I'd be most appreciative of your guidance. 

[crupiea]

Take a strip of tape and rub it on your pants a few times before sticking it to the wood.  It removes some of the stickiness but still allows the tape to stick. 

When you remove it, go at a 45 degree angle instead of straight down.  Seems to help. 

I use this method when painting on paper and am able to remove even regular masking tape from paper without issue.  Saves money as I dont need the blue tape. 

[FrankEV]

My answers are:  No. 1  Don't use blue tape at all.  No 2. Use a better grade of ply. 

I use the Duck Brand Shelf liner I get at Walmart for all my fretwork patterns.  It is repositionable and therefore not too strong that pulls up fibers.  It is also a lot cheaper than buying blue tape.  I also sand the panels well, down to 600 grit, before applying the liner.  Rarly do I get any material lift up.   However, don't leave the shelf liner on the wood too long as the ahesion gets stronger over time especially in a warm environment.   I try not to leave on more than a few days.  One reason I only cut one project at a time.

The alternate to the liner is to ahear the pattern directly to the wood and use MS to remove.  This is a good method, but I find the MS, even after dry, has changed the color of the wood slightly and leaves a residue on the surface.  OK for some projects, but not for panels where the wood color is important.  

Cheap BB ply from places like lowes is junk and almost imposible to prevent lift off.   I only use BB ply as backers and for even that, I buy better grade pre-cut 12x24 panels on-line,  For my cut panels, I use solid Core project panels in Maple or Birch that I oder from HD and get shipped directly to my home.  They have other wood types also, but I mainly stick with those two. They are a much better quality vaneer and they stain or paint very well.   If I need any plywood for a project that is larger that the 12" wide panels, I will special order fron Ochooh Hardwoods.

[Gonzo]

I agree with Frank, don’t use the tape. I have found that using painters tape, shelf liner, etc is more of a hassle than the cost of a blade. I spray 3M77 direct to pattern, apply pattern to wood. When finished cutting, I wipe mineral spirits on the piece, wait a minute or so and remove pattern. I then wipe piece again with mineral spirits.

There is nothing more disheartening than spending time on a project and have it ruined because the tape or shelf liner lifted fibers of the wood. 

[Stretch]

Thanks for all the tips; I will try a few of them. 

A common thread is to buy better plywood; where I live, in Canada, there is no better than what I buy... I get it from specialty lumber dealers in my city.

I appreciate the advice and the time you all put into helping out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Needmore]

I use Scotch 2080-48EC Delicate Surface (Purple) Painters Tape. It works better than the (blue)) but is more expensive. It is cheaper on Amazon.

[Wilson142]

I mostly use shelf liner but regardless what I use, if I'm worried about removal, I use a bit of heat from a heat gun or hair dryer to loosen, followed with mineral spirits.  

[scrollerpete]

On 12/13/2022 at 7:03 PM, Stretch said:

Thanks for all the tips; I will try a few of them. 

A common thread is to buy better plywood; where I live, in Canada, there is no better than what I buy... I get it from specialty lumber dealers in my city.

I appreciate the advice and the time you all put into helping out!

 

On 12/13/2022 at 7:03 PM, Stretch said:

 

I don’t know where you live in Canada but you can get very good quality plywood from KJP Hardwood in Ottawa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LarryEA]

Experienced scrollers have their favorites,

Mine is GLAD Press N' Seal. It goes on easy, peals off easy and it is see thru.

It also takes nothing with it.

Buy it at your local grocery store

Peal off what you need and attach to your wood.

Use spray glue to attach your pattern and press wrinkles out.

Easy peal off when you are finished

Edited December 19, 2022 by LarryEA

[Ron Johnson]

On 12/18/2022 at 7:31 PM, LarryEA said:

Experienced scrollers have their favorites,

Mine is GLAD Press N' Seal. It goes on easy, peals off easy and it is see thru.

It also takes nothing with it.

Buy it at your local grocery store

Peal off what you need and attach to your wood.

Use spray glue to attach your pattern and press wrinkles out.

Easy peal off when you are finished

Thanks Larry. I think I’m going to give that a try. 

[LarryEA]

54 minutes ago, Ron Johnson said:

Thanks Larry. I think I’m going to give that a try. 

Let me know what you think.

I have sometimes pealed the whole pattern off and hung them around my shop

[Ron Johnson]

32 minutes ago, LarryEA said:

Let me know what you think.

I have sometimes pealed the whole pattern off and hung them around my shop

One question Larry. I usually stack cut two at a time. Does the peel and seal adhere well enough without moving while cutting. Thank you. 

[LarryEA]

15 hours ago, Ron Johnson said:

One question Larry. I usually stack cut two at a time. Does the peel and seal adhere well enough without moving while cutting. Thank you. 

I have stacked 3 ... all ok

JUst roll the wrinkles out

[Ron Johnson]

2 hours ago, LarryEA said:

I have stacked 3 ... all ok

JUst roll the wrinkles out

Thanks Larry. My wife uses it so I’ll give it a try on my next cut out soon. Merry Christmas. 

[LarryEA]

4 hours ago, Ron Johnson said:

Thanks Larry. My wife uses it so I’ll give it a try on my next cut out soon. Merry Christmas. 

Ron, There are two types of Glad Wrap, 

(1) Cling wrap.  Not this one

(2) Press N Seal 

Get the Press N Seal --- Sticky on one side

 

[tomsteve]

another one that uses spray adhesive on the back of the pattern then mineral spirits to remove. ive found that,for me, spaying mineral spirits enough to have it somewhat puddle on the pattern give enough so any remaining glue on the wood wipes off easily

[Randyw81]

I use 3M precision masking tape from my local autobody supply. It is a lighter adhesive than most other tapes on the market. Then I spray adhesive on my pattern and stick it on the tape. I have not had any problem peeling it off my finished piece. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ron Johnson]

On 12/21/2022 at 5:41 PM, LarryEA said:

Let me know what you think.

I have sometimes pealed the whole pattern off and hung them around my shop

Hi Larry. Tried the Glad Press’n Seal and you’re right. It beats blue tape all to heck. So easy and so much cleaner and faster. No more blue tape for me. Happy New Year. 

[Ron Johnson]

I used to use blue tape. It worked okay but too time consuming when removing. I read what Larry was using (Glad Press’n Seal). Wow!, what a difference. Easy to apply and peals off in no time. Next best thing to slice bread. Thanks Larry. 

[Dennis51]

I use the Duck shelf liner. I just went on Amazon and they are offering a 12”x 36” size for $8.74, I ordered one, it’s about $21 at Walmart. I think it’s a one day sale, just today

[Hawk]

I've never tried the "Blue" tape, tried shelf liner and gluing direct to the wood. Didn't really care for either one. I use the green Frog tape. Never had any issues with that.

[Gene Howe]

I've been a wood worker for over 50 years. Still a rank beginner with scrolling, though. If there is one thing I've learned over the years it's that I can't afford to scrimp on materials. ESPECIALLY plywood. Buying cheap materials isn't worth it. It'll cost more in time and effort and, the end product will not be satisfactory. 

If I'm going to spend the time and effort to produce a product, I'm going to use the best materials and methods I can. That's why I so hungerly peruse this forum. Your generosity in sharing your knowledge and expertise is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!