Darryl Keil Last Activity 2025-02-12 2:48 PM
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Jim Clement

Posts: 18

Joined: 2007-03-06
Location: Seattle

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Subject : Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2014-11-05 10:08 AM
Post #37169
I'm running into a new problem that I can't figure out. Per Daryl's videos, I join veneer with blue tape on the glue side, then no-hole white tape on the show face. Sometimes I press the white tape with a wallpaper roller, sometimes with a brass wire brush. I've always removed the tape after pressing by soaking it with water then peeling it off. No problems with this in the past.

I'm now getting difficult-to-remove possible tape residue using this technique, something I've never run into before. I usually cabinet-scrape the joint, then sand with 100 grit, then 180 and up. After topcoating with water based lacquer I can often see an unacceptable tape-wide reflection, glimmer, or seam tape "ghost" along the joint line as if some tape residue remains. This has persisted despite extra scraping and sanding with attention to the joint lines, to the point where I'm concerned I will sand through. The appearance happens even when I seal the piece with shellac before applying the topcoat. I'm seeing this on both cherry and doug fir.

The tape I'm using is years old but otherwise seems fine - does it have a shelf life? Any other ideas? I can't explain why this is happening now and not previously, with no change in technique.


 
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Darryl Keil

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Joined: 2003-05-22
Location: Maine

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2014-11-05 6:12 PM
Post #37171 - In reply to #37169
I find if you skip flooding and srubbing the places where the veneer tape was with water afterwards it shows up in the finishing process. I soak a sponge and use the scrubby side to generously scrub the veneer seams to draw the glue from tape out of the veneer.


 
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Enrico Konig

Posts: 74

Joined: 2006-01-06
Location: Vancouver, BC

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2014-11-05 6:50 PM
Post #37172 - In reply to #37171
But sometimes, no matter how often or how hard or with what you scrub, the ghost tape residue remains. I've not found a satisfactory way of dealing with this. This problem led me to start using a veneer stitcher, but then the thread leaves an imprint that can also be difficult to remove.

It does seem that certain species or certain cuts are more prone to this residue than others. Ones that have quite a bit of bleed through are especially prone.

I've been thinking of giving clear packing tape a try. Anyone else out there using clear tape?


 
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Don Stephan

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Joined: 2003-07-18
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2014-11-05 7:26 PM
Post #37173 - In reply to #37172
Per Paul Schurch's workshop (decades ago) I would carefully scuff sand with 100 grit on a belt sander the entire surface until paper tape scratched up pretty well. Then soak the tape with a wet sponge for a few minutes, carefully remove with putty knife and let the panel dry. then I would random orbit sand (ROS) with 150 grit, thoroughly wet with sponge and let dry, ROS with 220, thoroughly wet with sponge and let dry. At this point usually I don't see any more tape residue with the panel dries, but if it does repeating ROS with 220 seemed to remove any remainder.


 
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Darryl Keil

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Joined: 2003-05-22
Location: Maine

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2014-11-05 9:27 PM
Post #37174 - In reply to #37172
I've played with clear packaging tape and I discovered two issues with it. One, it can be quite difficult to get off. I make sure each piece overlaps the next so when I get the first one started it pulls up the next one and so on down the seam. Also, because it sticks so well it can pull up fibers of the veneer to the point where whole strips get pulled up. I've heard about using a heat gun to soften the glue on the tape but I have not tried it.

Personally, if I'm not using veneer tape I like gluing the seams together. I pull the joint together with blue masking tape and then put one long piece down the seam. Fold the joint back like a book and put a small bead of glue on the veneer's edge. Lay the joint flat and remove the squeeze out with a chisel. On the side without tape run one more piece of blue masking tape. It important that the two veneer pieces meet flush with each other because once the glue dries there's no way to adjust the veneer to be flush with itself. Once the glue dries remove the tape from both sides. Makes for a nice strong joint. Doesnt work so well on real wavy veneer because its hard to line up the joints well enough when book matching.


 
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Jim Clement

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Joined: 2007-03-06
Location: Seattle

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2014-11-08 8:14 AM
Post #37175 - In reply to #37169
Seal the not-yet taped edges of the show side of the veneer to be joined with a swipe of shellac? White tape along the inch-wide band of the shellacked edges. The sealing might prevent seam tape glue from penetrating into the veneer.

I try this soon and report back.


 
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Max Neu

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Joined: 2014-10-26
Location: Ohio

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2014-11-11 4:12 AM
Post #37176 - In reply to #37175
I rarely ever use veneer tape anymore, I switched to 30day painters tape.I use regular blue tape to get the seams where I want them, like normal. Then insead of gum tape, I use shurtape, it's there purple color 30 day painter's tape.I use a roller and wire brush on it to hold it down. I learned this from Marc Adams, at his school. Works like a charm!


 
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Don Stephan

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Joined: 2003-07-18
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2014-11-12 6:30 PM
Post #37177 - In reply to #37176
If one does a lot of veneering, I would expect the Shurtape to be much more expensive than veneer tape. It's too bad the original poster is having problems with veneer tape - it's been used in great volume for many years.


 
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Max Neu

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Joined: 2014-10-26
Location: Ohio

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2014-11-13 5:18 AM
Post #37178 - In reply to #37177
Don,
Your right,the shurtape does cost more than the gum tape.But I find the time savings of just pulling off the shurtape offsets the cost compared to all the work involved with removing the gum tape,plus the piece of mind of having no finishing issues.I am not a large operation that goes through rolls and rolls of tape on a weekly basis,if that were the case,then maybe gum tape would be a better choice for cost reasons.I use the Shurtape CP28,I get it at findtape.com .I would imagine any 30 day painters tape made for "delicate surfaces" could be bought from Lowes,Menards,Home Depot, for about the same price as regular blue tape.Last weekend I left a panel in the press for 10 hours,with a heated blanket that was pretty much covered with Shurtape.I was concerned that leaving it in that long might cause an issue trying to remove the tape.After removing it from the bag,I was pleasntly surprised to see it pull off effortlessly with no issues.


 
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Enrico Konig

Posts: 74

Joined: 2006-01-06
Location: Vancouver, BC

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2014-11-13 9:27 AM
Post #37179 - In reply to #37178
That is excellent info Max, thank you very much for the tip. I am going to give that a try right away. One only needs to have a gum tape issue on one project to pay for at least many dozens of rolls of Shurtape, if not many hundreds. And I've had the issue crop up on way more projects than I care to think about. Gum tape residue is a problem for more than a few veneer people I've spoken to over the years and I will share this tip with them. Thanks again.



 
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WarrenSnow

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Joined: 2013-12-02
Location: Marshall, VA

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2015-02-09 10:20 PM
Post #37214 - In reply to #37176
With the Shurtape, do you have any problems with the thickness of the tape imprinting into the veneer?

I've used regular blue tape in the past but found that because it's thicker than white veneer tape it would imprint into the veneer and be difficult to sand out completely.

It sounds like Shurtape is not as thick as blue tape....true?


 
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Enrico Konig

Posts: 74

Joined: 2006-01-06
Location: Vancouver, BC

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2015-02-10 9:04 AM
Post #37215 - In reply to #37214
I did notice a slight imprint when I first removed the Shurtape, because while Shurtape is thinner than Scotch blue tape, it is still thicker than veneer tape. It was not an issue though, and regular light sanding was enough to remove it. (Unlike the imprint left with a veneer stitcher.)

I've used it on ebony, Euro walnut, mahogany, and anigre so far. The ebony batch I have has been particularly prone to gum tape ghosting, as has the white sapwood areas of the Euro walnut, and the Shurtape solved that. So that is a huge relief.

I do agree as well that it saves a whole bunch of time with its ease of removal post-pressing as well, compared to gum tape.

With the anigre, it didn't stick well enough to work very good, especially as the anigre had just a very slight wave to it. I then made the mistake of trying blue tape instead on the anigre. I was only able to remove that with a heat gun if I wanted to avoid a lot of fibre tearout after it came out of the press. Will not make that mistake again.


 
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Aaron Paris

Posts: 55

Joined: 2014-11-28

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2015-02-11 3:51 PM
Post #37218 - In reply to #37215
I have dealt with this issue also and have switched to the painter s tape method.But I also glue all my seams like Dary mentioned in an earlier post. The impression the tape leaves is minor and sands out.


 
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Aaron Paris

Posts: 55

Joined: 2014-11-28

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Subject : RE: Visible difficult-to-remove seam tape residue
Posted : 2015-02-11 3:52 PM
Post #37219 - In reply to #37215
I have dealt with this issue also and have switched to the painter s tape method.But I also glue all my seams like Dary mentioned in an earlier post. The impression the tape leaves is minor and sands out.
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