Blue tape or alternative

[RICHARD LAXTON]

I use blue painters tape to make sure everything is lined up on cutting boards while doing a test run. Does anyone have any alternative methods? Blue tape is expensive and I am looking for a better way of doing it that is cost effective.

[Gary Hair]

Blue tape is expensive and I am looking for a better way of doing it that is cost effective.

How much do you use? I get rolls of it at Home Depot for about $3.00 - that's pretty cheap to me.

[RICHARD LAXTON]

I think I will have to check there Gary. Some places are $5 - $6.

[Gary Hair]

The price depends on the width, I generally use 1". Here is some on Amazon for less than $4/roll.
https://www.amazon.com/240180-Release-Painters-Inches-3-Pack/dp/B0054P49YE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468266874&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+painters+tape

[David Somers]

Check out Harbor Freight. Their masking tape has a high paper content so the laser deals with it neatly. Not overly tacky either. (personally I love tacky....kitsch is good and fun!) I saw this mentioned on Rabbit Laser USA's web site and it has been a good product for the laser.

Their 1" x 45 yard rolls are about $2 when not on sale.

[vic casware]

It's funny I've never got into the habit of the tape thing, i can get heaps of 2mm clear acrylic
offcuts and i setup my job, throw on the acrylic, run it, then i can see the whole job
remove the clear and run the job,

[Makrel Johnson]

I find blue tape to be much less expensive than a Yeti cup or fine hardwood, myself.
I Second the Harbor Freight motion - it's a waste product that can save your final material if it's an unfamiliar job.

[Kev Williams]

Home Depot has their own 'purple' tape. Cheap and lasers well, but not very tacky- which is good in some cases. Not sure what width's it comes in...

[Bill Stearns]

Morning All - When it comes to prechecking positioning on an item 'fore engraving it - I buy, and use,(cheap) panes of glass from our local glass place; generally they cut 'em to 6" or 8" square panes for me. (I'll buy a stack as needed.) Same idea as the clear acrylic idea mentioned above - I engrave on the glass; doesn't harm the item's surface ... works like a charm. Just 'nother idea. - Bill

[Martin Boekers]

The main thing I use it for is for the crystal bases on the crystal globe sets.
Most the time the slanted sides aren't even so it really helps to center it. I'm
surprised companies like JDS don't offer it...