paul culver
Member III
Which masking tape does its job and leaves the least residue behind on fiberglass?
Masking tape
- Thread starter paul culver
- Start date
The shop used yards (miles?) of 3M Blue and also Green for the paint job on our boat. Also some FineLine.
I have heard good things about Frog Tape, too, but have not tried it. Their TV ads are cool, too.
IMO, avoid all the hardware store cheap "blue color" tape knock off's.
I have tried some of those, to save a little money, and they left adhesive behind. The real 3M Blue seldom ever does.
My .02....
I have heard good things about Frog Tape, too, but have not tried it. Their TV ads are cool, too.
IMO, avoid all the hardware store cheap "blue color" tape knock off's.
I have tried some of those, to save a little money, and they left adhesive behind. The real 3M Blue seldom ever does.
My .02....
I nowadays spend the money for 3M. Frog (green) is also good, but for some reason I use it more at home--makes a clean edge on wallboard and so on.
My favorite boat outdoor application is 3M blue plastic, which is rain resistant. Dunno why, but it's harder to find on a hardware store shelf.
One mistake with any tape, esp cheap stuff, is to leave it on too long. I had a useless colleague who spent weeks, on an off, painting the trim of his large tudor ceiling at home. He probably had 100 yards of tape up there. It wouldn't peel off when the time came. He went to work on it with an Exacto knife, on and off, for another two weeks.
My favorite boat outdoor application is 3M blue plastic, which is rain resistant. Dunno why, but it's harder to find on a hardware store shelf.
One mistake with any tape, esp cheap stuff, is to leave it on too long. I had a useless colleague who spent weeks, on an off, painting the trim of his large tudor ceiling at home. He probably had 100 yards of tape up there. It wouldn't peel off when the time came. He went to work on it with an Exacto knife, on and off, for another two weeks.
Absolutely. In warm temperatures and direct sunlight even the quality 3M blue tape (my preferred) can become difficult to remove from gelcoat/fiberglass in just a day or two and if you leave it a week plan on significant time spent cleaning it up. Also, if you plan on painting with a two part paint or some other very thin paint/varnish it can creep under the tape a bit. Mashing the tape down with a plastic scraper can help minimize the creep.
This is what the 3M blue acrylic (plastic) tape is meant to prevent & auto paint supply places carry it for this purpose. But to the OP, the green is meant to be easiest to remove.
Note in this handy dandy chart the low adhesion and longer removal times for the acrylics, but you pay more for them too.
Well, that was a confusing half hour spent on Amazon Google. .
My preferred outdoor tape turns out to be Scotch 2097 [corrected]. It is plastic, rather than "crepe", the paper backing of most products. "3M SCOTCHBLUE™ PAINTER'S TAPE EXTERIOR SURFACES 2097" I like it for deck jobs such as grab rail varnishing subject to dew and multiple days of coats.
It seems that "acrylic" in 3M descriptions refers to the adhesive, as opposed to NR, "Natural Rubber."
My hardware store sells at list price, but Amazon has some suppliers offering 40 percent discount, so I stocked up. Customer reviews report total confusion. They claim "Scotchblue 2097" [corrected] is now actually yellow. Hmmm. Well, with Prime I can send it back if I guessed wrong.
My preferred outdoor tape turns out to be Scotch 2097 [corrected]. It is plastic, rather than "crepe", the paper backing of most products. "3M SCOTCHBLUE™ PAINTER'S TAPE EXTERIOR SURFACES 2097" I like it for deck jobs such as grab rail varnishing subject to dew and multiple days of coats.
It seems that "acrylic" in 3M descriptions refers to the adhesive, as opposed to NR, "Natural Rubber."
My hardware store sells at list price, but Amazon has some suppliers offering 40 percent discount, so I stocked up. Customer reviews report total confusion. They claim "Scotchblue 2097" [corrected] is now actually yellow. Hmmm. Well, with Prime I can send it back if I guessed wrong.
I think you mean 2097?
That is yellow exterior tape, and what we've used with good luck.
The "regular" blue is 2090 interior/exterior.
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1321181O/scotchblue-diy-surface-guide.pdf
Sorry, I corrected the typo.
The branding and colors remain confusing to me. Is it the same tape?
The branding and colors remain confusing to me. Is it the same tape?
markvone
Sustaining Member
Love the 3M "Blue Tape" exterior. My last two rolls at Home Depot have been yellow. Checked mine at the boat today.
Looks like I picked up "Fine Line #2093" paper based Blue in haste. Exterior is definitely # 2097 and Yellow.
I've been experimenting with temporary tape lifespan for several years while avoiding doing gelcoat work for removed original Signet analog bulkhead instruments. I get a good 6 months in Annapolis with the 3M exterior - facing west with tree shade from mid-afternoon.
Looks like I picked up "Fine Line #2093" paper based Blue in haste. Exterior is definitely # 2097 and Yellow.
I've been experimenting with temporary tape lifespan for several years while avoiding doing gelcoat work for removed original Signet analog bulkhead instruments. I get a good 6 months in Annapolis with the 3M exterior - facing west with tree shade from mid-afternoon.
I have found that Gorilla Tape will last well over a year in the PNW. It cleans up well with paint thinner or acetone. I put off my hatch leak repair by a year with Gorilla Tape and have just put a layer over a suspected hand rail leak area.
Gary Filgate
Junior Member
I use the 3M 2080EL Edge Lock. It is easy to remove, does not let paint seep (when edge is firmly set), and does not leave residue.
Most hardware stores carry this but..........it is expensive!! Easily recognizable as the interior label is orange and blue, and Edge Lock with 2080EL is printed on the tape.
Most hardware stores carry this but..........it is expensive!! Easily recognizable as the interior label is orange and blue, and Edge Lock with 2080EL is printed on the tape.