What Tape to use

[Bonker]

Hi Lads
Doing a fair bit of polished stainless, the tape (3m) that we are using to tape up the butts leaves a residue. Any suggestions on an alternative tape?

 

[Bonker]

Yeah mate, taping up the butts for purging....I'm thinking of getting the 3m low tack tape.

 

[langy]

Cheap tape leaves the glue behind as you found out, I use 3M as it doesn't

 

[Bonker]

I totally agree Langy, we are using 3m but just the standard one which isn't an issue on bog standard stainless as our passivating machine gets rid of it....but on the polished pipe we don't want to have to clean too far from the butt as it will then require more post polishing

 

[Richard.]

Is it metallic tape your using. I use that a lot for fitting purging set ups to backsides as it doesn't burn I've not had a residue left behind before.
Tigpaul lives in the SS fab world. Bet he has some good tips/product solutions.

 

[Bonker]

Rich
What 'metallic tape' do you use?
By residue I mean the glue that gets left behind....

 

[richie00boy]

Perhaps 3M type 3434 which is a low tack water resistant (blue) tape might be worth trying. It is designed to withstand baking in bodyshop booths.

That blue tape from Toolstation, well I tried it and if it gets wet it is unbelievably difficult and messy to get it off! If you shop around 3434 is only about 15p more expensive.

There is a new 3M tape 3030 which might be even better for your application, but it's harder to find.

 

[Maker]

Rich
What 'metallic tape' do you use?
By residue I mean the glue that gets left behind....

It's just aluminium backed tape, google it.

 

[Richard.]

It's just aluminium backed tape, google it.

That's the gear. You peel the paper off the back. Makes a great heat reflecting pad on the inside of bike fairings too.

 

[hotrodder]

That's the gear. You peel the paper off the back. Makes a great heat reflecting pad on the inside of bike fairings too.

You got a brand name or particular low tack flavour? Maybe the stuff i've used is closer to 600mph tape but my experience of aluminium foil tape is that it's extremely high tack and results in a right sticky mess when removed. Weld near it and it's even worse

If you want/need something even more temp resistant than 3m 3030 the best tape i've found is a green polyester tape used for masking when powder coating or anodising. It's not cheap but designed to survive powder curing temps and still release cleanly without residue. Overkill for thinwall stuff with good fit up where you can untape the entire joint before welding it but for open root stuff where you're peeling the tape back as the weld progresses the time it saves in clean up is worth it IMO