Stop Buying Double-Sided Tape!

Video - January 25, 2019

Double-sided tape has been a constant woodworking companion of mine since the first time I attempted a flush-trimming operation. It wasn’t perfect, but it did the intended job of holding two pieces together. The stuff I used was sold as Turner’s Tape. My main issues were that it often left a sticky residue on the surface and that it would sometimes take wood fibers with it upon removal. Although the bond was tight, I sometimes found that the template would shift under pressure as the thick adhesive layers allowed for a little bit of creep.

A few years ago, I came across this video from Crimson Guitars. It shows “an old luthier’s trick” using blue tape and CA glue to effectively attach templates with no residue. I initially scoffed at the idea because I was so stuck in the mind-set of using double sided tape. After trying it a few times, I became a big believer and I haven’t purchased double-sided tape since then.

The concept is simple. With a piece of blue tape on both pieces, we can put CA glue on top of the tape and bring the pieces together for a secure bond. The glue bonds to the two pieces of tape and the tape bonds to the wood. While it might not be as strong as double-sided tape, it’s strong enough for the intended application. I also found that this bond was more rigid than the one achieved with double-sided tape and I don’t get the creep I occasionally experienced in the past.

So give it a try. Most of us has everything we need for this already in the shop. Here are some links for the stuff shown in the video:

Discussion

Ryan January 27, 2019 12:30 am

Yep, first time I’ve seen this technique. Thanks for sharing it again.

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- Andy Hastings September 11, 2019 11:11 pm
  
  I tried this using a very thin (a few thousands thick)automobile painters tape. It is a polymer tape and held extreamly well with no shifting of the work pieces and no residue what so ever. It is more expensive that blue painters tape but worked much better.
  
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TC Cook January 27, 2019 7:17 am

That is a cool technique.
I sues golf grip tape and find it to be strong without leaving residue

https://amzn.to/2SbyD9g

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Brian January 31, 2019 1:58 am

I’ve been using something called Weblock for a the past few years, and it works perfectly. It’s used in the print industry for web presses, so I am able to get it from work for free. It has no residue at all, but instead of peeling it off, you basically rub it and it rolls and clumps up and comes right off.

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Arvin February 4, 2019 12:28 pm

I bet you could probably also do painters tape and then put the double sided tape in between instead of the CA.

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Kelly Handwerk February 8, 2019 9:18 am

Thanks
Kelly Handwerk

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Marty March 5, 2019 3:14 am

Thanks Mark for a bloody rippa of an idea. I used it yesterday and on a template and it worked a treat and think of the money I’m saving on buying double sided tape which is usually too thick and only works half the time.

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Neal Grossman March 7, 2019 4:19 pm

Hey Mark, just a quick question for ya.
I know your a big PowerMatic kinda guy. Easy to tell watching all your videos.
It’s none of my business but I’m pretty sure you get some if not all your machines through PM because of let’s face it advertising for them. Or a deep discount. Putting that a side, wouldn’t you prefer using SawStop as your go to table saw? And for one reason that being safety. Again I’m just curious. Myself I’m in the process of moving and didn’t want to order a brand new table saw and risk it getting damaged during the move.

For me it’s gonna be a SawStop. Prior to it coming public it was PM all the way! But a saw that most importantly safes your digits happens to be as accurate as PM’s. I think the guys at PM better get aboard the safety issue.
Even if if means creating something totally different then SawStops technology. Because I personally think it’s a patent issue that’s stopping them from being competitive.

Thanks for reading,

Neal Grossman,
Las Vegas, NV.

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Denis Solomon May 20, 2019 5:55 pm

Great, provided you can get CA glue and accelerator in sufficient quantities and at a price that’s worth switching. I don’t live in the States and even on Amazon I can only find CA glue in minute quantities. As for the accelerator, I’ve never even seen it. Any suggestions?

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- Boomer T. November 25, 2019 10:43 am
  
  Apply blue tape to protect your workpiece before attaching your template.
  
  Reply
Boomer T. November 25, 2019 10:41 am

Just wanted to point out that this same concept can be used to protect you workpiece with the double stick tape.

Just simply cover the workpiece with blue tape before applying the double tape.

Reply

Stop Buying Double-Sided Tape!

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