[OP]
Member
... Double stick tape, Duct tape, Yellow tape, Masking tape, Insulation Tape, Foil tape, tape, tape, tape, ....
What tapes do you find are the minimum shop essentials for the blended woodworker?
Why so many colors for masking tape, and which ones do we really need?? Is there really much difference?
What brands are considered to be best for both performance& value?
How do you use tape in your workshop? Any novel uses, hints & tips??
(I'll exclude tape measures for now)
Contributor
Blue tape, double stick tape. After that, the discussion becomes about width. 3/4 and 1 1/2 here. YMMV.
Duct tape is an entirely differently animal. Not that it doesn't belong in a shop, mind you. I have a drawer labeled "Tape". It contains Duct tape and all of the leftover tape I've bought over the last 40 years. And Gorilla Tape. Basically black Duct Tape.
Tape is good. When you need a roll of tape, BUY IT. Then put it in a drawer labeled "Tape"
Last edited by Dave Zellers; 06-26-2018 at 1:15 AM.
Member
Like Dave, I have a whole drawer of the stuff. I think about the only one that's not in there is...Scotch Tape.
My most used is probably blue tape, followed by green (more aggressive) 3M tape.
Moderator
I don't know what a "blended" woodworker is. Sounds painful.Originally Posted by Ross Manning
*** My most-used tape in the shop (and around the farm and in the house):
Scotch Masking Tape for Hard-to-Stick Surfaces
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004Z4AY
I bought some when building the shop since the blurb said it would stick to brick, concrete, rough wood, etc. It does. It sticks exceptionally well to anything (except fried eggs, maybe), is stronger than most masking tape, and is bright green and easy to see, great for labels marked with a Sharpie. I keep it in three widths.
Some places I use it:
- at the lathe as extra support when jam chucking
- to hold things together during assembly, for example, while epoxy is curing
- as labels on containers in the shop, in the fridge, on jars
- to layout positions in construction: building walls, putting up shelves, shower hardware, etc
- to tape notes to UPS on the lock box outside my security gate - holds up in the rain
- to protect a surface from the point of a compass when drawing circles on finished pieces
- etc
*** I like this double-sided tape to hold jigs and things in place, for example on the bandsaw table. One use is to hold cloth-backed coarse sandpaper to the miter gauge to prevent slippage when processing green wood into turning blanks. This tape is very thin, clear, sticks incredibly well, and is either temporary or permanent depending on how long you leave it. I bought a 6-pack.
FastCap T20034 134; x 5039; Speed Tape
https://www.amazon.com/FastCap-T2003.../dp/B006SJIA0Y
*** I use the good cloth-based double-sided tape from WoodCraft to hold things to a faceplate on the lathe and to hold wood, plastic, and metals to the milling machine table. That stuff is amazing, far better than carpet tape. Not cheap.
*** I keep various widths of gaffer's tape on hand - cloth-backed, great adhesive - sticks well but is removable without leaving any residue. Widely used in the film and video industry. Most is black but I also keep a roll of white and grey for labels on tubs and such. I get the good stuff the industry uses, not the cheap, thin stuff.
*** 2" wide aluminum foil tape. One great use: I put a few inches on the lathe bed or workbench to mix small quantities of epoxy. I sometimes leave with the epoxy residue to monitor the curing of the epoxy in the thing I'm gluing. (For this purpose I pull up the tape from the surface before it cures while the "puddle" is still flexible.)
I also keep blue painter's tape, various duct tapes, clear packing tape for shipping things, and a bit of Gorilla tape. I don't use all of them often but I consider each one essential at the time I need it.
One problem is how to keep all these tapes instantly accessible without digging in a drawer or box. My method: put screws in the wall and hang the rolls.
tape-storage.jpg
JKJ
Member
I like the tape storage solution, John. As usual, you post something, I slap my forehead.
Contributor
In addition to the lists so far, I'll add:
Slippery tape for jigs - http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...10,43466,32182
Hi friction tape when I want the opposite of slippery - http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...10,43466,32184
Grant
Ottawa ON
Moderator
I keep several widths of blue painters' tape in the shop for general utility...including clamping small items...generally 3M brand. I do have "gorilla tape" and some other things, but they are used more for non-project related things, such as quick fixes. And, of course, I have foil tape for work on DC ductwork.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Member
I actually use blue tape more foe holding stuff than for masking paint....
3M #233 green automotive masking tape - for gluing the bindings on guitars. It's actually pretty "springy" and stretches a bit... The paper and adhesive is also stronger so it holds better.... The down side is that you may have to warm it to prevent pulling wood fibers. It's also super handy for gluing small, flexible trim pieces onto wood projects. No nails, jockeying clamps, no clamp dings, no mess...
Blue tape wise - there *many* different flavors of blue tape. Use what you need for the correct combo of:
Price
Grip - generally the inverse of ability to pull out wood/paint chips and wood fibers out of the wood below
Type of paint compatibility - most proper blue tape isn't compatible with Nitro lacquer.
Design for leaving clean edges vs a little seepage around the edges
ability of the adhesive to release clean without leaving stray adhesive behind.
Etc.
so for example - you may need to use a very light grip tape on a painted surface to avoid pulling paint chips..
I also really like using the blue tape for marking removable reference/layout/markup lines and notes.. Just pull it of when done and viola! No erasing and leaving shadows of pencil behind under finishes....
I also use a couple layers of cheap miscellaneous blue tape under a layer of thick clear box tape when I mask off a guitar fretboard to crown the frets... The clear tape prevents the files from digging into the wood....
Contributor
different tapes for different purposes in masking 3M green 233 for all stuff. its used in most body shops and is better than most tapes and 3M has better but its rarely needed.
Member
No double stick tape I have used is as strong as the one Lee Valley sells. Much stronger than your carpet double stick tape for attaching patterns.
Derek Cohen came up with the use of blue tape for dovetails, a method also seen used in Fine Woodworking (forget the author's name).
I use duct tape for attaching hoses to odd size outlets.
Simon
Contributor
I had never heard of silicone tape before. very interesting animal.
Bill
Member
I would be very wary of "Silicone tape" unless it's specifically sold as a "Painters tape"... Silicone is the devil when it comes to finishing... It has this interesting property that nothing much sticks to it... So it leaves fish eyes and weird peeling spots all over a paint job..... The oily paint-repellant sticky residue is also nearly impossible to get off wood... So you are stuck with it once it's there...
Member
If tape doesn't say "3M" on it (or related brands like Scotch), it doesn't go in my shop. Too many issues with crap that doesn't stick AND still manages to leave a residue also. I keep three widths of 3M blue tape on the wall for easy reach, and some green Frog tape in the other garage for painting. For me, blue tape is for holding things, not masking. I find the Frog tape better for paint, but I don't paint wood, so it's not in the shop.
I keep two kinds of duct tape on the wall for certain jobs. My favorite is the Hello Kitty tape.
IMG_5789.jpg
Contributor
Guess I'm the only one that keeps good electrical tape in the shop. I also prefer to keep tape in ziplock bags or containers so they stay clean and don't dry out, especially masking tape.
Member
You know, I just realized that I do keep some in the wood shop, and never use it. Guess I'll move it back to the welding/electrical shop (my other garage). Oh, I recently added black fabric tape to the wood shop. That has been useful.
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