Plastic tape

wilddog · 18 Apr 2014 6:34 pm

So i used plastic packing tape to mask the hull when installing the rails. Bad idea. Really bad idea. While some of the tape has peeled away, most of it has disintegrated if any epoxy has hit it and has shred into a millions pieces, leaving me with hours more work than I would have had from simply mopping up the runs with some meths soaked rag after installation and a bit of sandpaper.

If anyone has a suggestion of how to clean this mess up I would appreciate it, but as it stands it appears that using plastic tape is about the worst idea since someone suggested a drain plug in the hull might be handy in case the boat started taking on water.

I had a better experience removing painting tape, but that still left a goopy mess that too a while to clean up. This is just horrible!

jbmerv · 19 Apr 2014 9:09 pm

A scraper might work, if it is a flat surface, otherwise alcohol and a scotchbrite pad (and elbow grease). The scraper needs to be freshly sharpened, and just light pressure.

wilddog · 20 Apr 2014 7:07 am

Thanks

A lick of sand paper to bubble up the plastic glue, followed by a sharp chisel seems to work well too. It's just frustrating to have paid heed to what seems to be poor advice in the first instance!

mtompson · 20 Apr 2014 7:19 am

Was it the brown parcel tape type or Sellotape type of tape? As I'm nearing that job myself, would you have used standard masking tape? ( which I had planned to use )

Rainbow · 20 Apr 2014 10:31 am

I think your solution sounds like the only way out of the problem.

Did you let the epoxy cure to a hard stage? If so, you may have had the same problem even if you used decorators masking tape. The trick is in the timing I find. I normally use decorators masking tape and peel this back after the resin has set up but is still soft. Any small pieces that remain after peeling back can be easily scraped away with a sharp knife. A little ridge can be left but this is easily faired with a scraper. I did once make the mistake of leaving the tape in place until after the resin cured but the tape then tore and I was left with hard epoxy covering the tape, which could only be removed by scraping off.

I have used the shiny brown parcel tape but only to wrap the forms, this seems to work because the fragile edges, which tear easily, are not in contact with the epoxy. Another problem with brown parcel tape is that it can leave brown glue in place even if the film peels off in one piece.

Last edited by Rainbow (20 Apr 2014 10:33 am)

DerekD · 20 Apr 2014 3:22 pm

If using plastic tape for boat building and working with epoxy I recommend that good quality parcel tape is used eg 3M or Sellotape. These are far better quality than the cheapo stuff sold in £shops. Cheap tape is fine for packaging but I have found that the quality tapes are slightly thicker and have better adhesion and less risk of separating from their adhesive.

Personally I would only use masking tape for varnish or paint. If you want to keep something free from epoxy then plastic tape works far better in my limited experience.

wilddog · 20 Apr 2014 10:18 pm

mtompson wrote:

Was it the brown parcel tape type or Sellotape type of tape? As I'm nearing that job myself, would you have used standard masking tape? ( which I had planned to use )

If I were to repeat the process I would use neither, but would wipe clean up any runs with meths soaked rag, far quicker than messing about with tape.

I have managed to get most of the tape off the hull now, but it still leaves a lot of residue and lots of tape fragments all of which will need to be cleaned up prior to painting the hull. I'll do this when I have finished off the inside.

I just added epoxy filets to the aft bulk head, not tape required, just good pressure on the goop with a balsa filet stick and then cleaning off the excess with a sharp edge.

Last edited by wilddog (20 Apr 2014 10:19 pm)

Jan · 23 Apr 2014 2:04 pm

I am using the clear tape from TESA. Available in 50 mm width to protect F-Clamps and workbenches from epoxy. (using HT 2 resin and hardener from R&G).
Makes peeling off the cured epoxy very easy.

Paul · 23 Apr 2014 4:36 pm

I think it must be to do with the quality of the tape used because the 3m Clear Tape that we use is excellent and I would not use any other method.

wilddog · 23 Apr 2014 7:32 pm

Well I am happy to bow to the voice of experience Paul! The tape we use is from our usual office tape supplier, not sure what the brand is!

#1 18 Apr 2014 6:34 pm

Plastic tape

#2 19 Apr 2014 9:09 pm

Re: Plastic tape

#3 20 Apr 2014 7:07 am

Re: Plastic tape

#4 20 Apr 2014 7:19 am

Re: Plastic tape

#5 20 Apr 2014 10:31 am

Re: Plastic tape

#6 20 Apr 2014 3:22 pm

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#7 20 Apr 2014 10:18 pm

Re: Plastic tape

#8 23 Apr 2014 2:04 pm

Re: Plastic tape

#9 23 Apr 2014 4:36 pm

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#10 23 Apr 2014 7:32 pm

Re: Plastic tape

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