Binding tape ruining my top

[Phil Mailloux]

I used the stewmac binding tape for the binding/purfling on the top, no matter how careful I was removing it there's a few areas where its pulled the fibres off the top and I don't like the look at all, I'm not sure I want to scrape or try to sand down it looks fairly deep and the top is only about 2-2.5mm.

What do you guys do in this instance? Do you use a different tape and is it working better? Any opinions of the Stewmac binding tape?

[nnickusa]

I've just been using blue painter's tape, and making sure that the area it sticks to has a good coat of shellac sealing it. No dramas.

Never used the StuMac stuff, b ut have had a few things delivered taped up with it. Seems to be more than I need for my bindings, but no further opinions....pity about your top.

What's the plan?

[woodrat]

Phil, I use the StewMac tape and had some frustrations like you describe early on but came up with this trick/fix....I use an electric iron (I have an old one for the workshop exclusively for this purpose) and I hold it over the tape on the top for a couple of seconds and it gives way because its thermoplastic. If there is any residue you can pick it off the surface with the sticky of the tape as if it was blutac by touching the tape to the residue and pulling it off. Also when pulling the tape try to pull the tape at 45 deg to the line of the fibres...
Also the shellac sealing mentioned above is another good precaution...

Hope it helps...

John

[kiwigeo]

+1 for shellacing the top first.

A photographers heat sealing iron is perfect for softening up the tape adhesive.....also good for undoing a hide glue joint.

[Crafty Fox]

I'm on my first proper acoustic at the moment (the others were resos) and I just used shellac around my soundhole rosette today. Never thought of using it around the bindings, but will do.
I use a heat gun to gently warm the tape and pull it off at 45 deg as Woodrat suggests.
Would it be possible, or obvious to fill the tear-out with melting shellac sticks into it?

[jeffhigh]

You need to be very careful with using a heat gun on a guitar.
As well as providing a heat source, the airflow will quite readily dry the wood, and drying soundboards can mean cracks.
Safer with a static heat source like an iron.

[DarwinStrings]

Bummer Phil, my opinion of Stewy Mac's binding tape is that it is the same as framers tape you buy in any good art supply place.

Jim

[Kim]

I use a heat gun to gently warm the tape and pull it off at 45 deg as Woodrat suggests.

+1

This is a quick and easy method that works a treat. You still want a seal coat of de-waxed super blonde but I do that prior to cutting the binding ledge to help avoid breakout. Shellac gives a nice clear line when pre-scoring the binding ledge with a gremil to.

Bummer Phil, my opinion of Stewy Mac's binding tape is that it is the same as framers tape you buy in any good art supply place. Jim

I bought a half dozen rolls of the LMI/Stewmac tape. (I believe it's the same product). I found it to be really good because it does not stretch at all. You can apply a 'lot' of pressure before it breaks and it sticks really well. Then I read about veneering tape on a website. It to is a brownish paper tape with strong adhesive and has little stretch....but, its a bit cheaper so I gave it a go.

When it arrived it certainly looked the part however I did notice it was a lighter colour brown. Later when put to the test in application I discovered that not all paper tapes are created equal..The new stuff worked ok, but I could only apply about 75% of the tension I had on the LMI stuff before it would snap. I had some LMI stuff left and done a side by side test to confirm and decided I won't buy the cheaper stuff again cause its a bit frustrating to use when you want to get a move on.

Cheers

Kim

[Kamusur]

Did the bloody same with the tape around the bridge and pulled about an inch of long grain toothpick from the top so I am giving myself a very generous score of -1.

So its a big +1 for always shellacking the top.

Steve

[Trevor Gore]

Definitely shellac the top; a few coats.

I use glass reinforced packaging tape (use a good dispenser). Almost impossible to snap unless you're binding edges are really hard/sharp (e.g. bloodwood), very sticky, slightly stretchy, so it has good "pull in". It peels off fine if your shellac is hard enough. I never have to apply heat. Shellite (naphtha) also releases the glue without troubling anything else. Without the shellac, the whole top would pull off.

[simso]

I shellac, mainly because my sides are darker than my tops, so I shellec to prevent bleed into the top whilst sanding, the tape peels away nicely

[Phil Mailloux]

Thanks guys, looks like a shellac coat will be the go next time, I ended up sanding the gaps away, I'm hoping it won't compromise the structural integrity of the top.

[Tom West]

Bind with rope or cord................!! No gaps either......!!
Tom

[simonm]

I use pretty much any masking tape I get in the diy stores. My only frustration so far is that the cheapest stuff tends to break as I pull it tight. A lot of the time the tops already have a little shellac on them as I give them a protective coat early on.

[Bob Connor]

I generally thin the perimeter of my tops anyway to make them more responsive so I wouldn't be too concerned about it.

Regards

[Phil Mailloux]

Definitely shellac the top; a few coats.

I use glass reinforced packaging tape (use a good dispenser). Almost impossible to snap unless you're binding edges are really hard/sharp (e.g. bloodwood), very sticky, slightly stretchy, so it has good "pull in". It peels off fine if your shellac is hard enough. I never have to apply heat. Shellite (naphtha) also releases the glue without troubling anything else. Without the shellac, the whole top would pull off.

Do you have a link to that tape?

A dispenser is also a pretty good idea, anyone ever see one sized to accept regular masking tape rolls?

[68matts]

anyone ever see one sized to accept regular masking tape rolls?

I use a cheapie from K-mart, I don't know if it will take the Stew- Mac tape but it easily takes a 20mm wide roll of standard masking tape.

[Trevor Gore]

Do you have a link to that tape?

Google "glass filament tape" for a supplier near you. I get mine from a local mob called "Get Packed"
http://www.getpacked.com.au/tapes.htm#

The tape dispensers you can get from Office Works or a similar stationery supplier. A good tape dispenser is HEAVY.

[DarwinStrings]

Cheers Kim

The stuff I have is a picture framers tape and is the same price as Stewy Mac's, I also have some Stewy macs that I bought before I realised they looked similar. You have just got me sitting here sticking bits of tape to the bench and pulling on it and I can't tell any difference between the two for stickiness, stretch or tension before it breaks. They are not the same product as there is a slight difference in look (I doubt they are the same brand). It was my wife who thought the tape I had bought from Stewy macs was framers tape as she works in a art supply place.

Jim

[Kim]

You have just got me sitting here sticking bits of tape to the bench and pulling on it and I can't tell any difference between the two for stickiness, stretch or tension before it breaks. Jim

Excellent news Jim, I'll keep an eye out for picture frames tape next time to avoid shipping and give it a go.

Cheers

Kim

[tippie53]

One of the best tapes I found was 3M 233. It is a stretchy tape. Also no matter what tape you use , if you don't seal the top then start in the area under the fretboard and you can read the fiber direction. Then pull the tape off in that direction and you will be fine.