Has anyone ever tried using draping tape? Its double sided masking tape for poly. I have tried it yet but it seems that it would eliminate 2 steps . You would only need 1 piece of tape instead of 2 and glue. Any thoughts?
2 and glue is super cheap and very fast once you get the process down. It’s reliably thin and strong. I prefer my vacuum table but I use the 2 and glue on small parts and cut throughs. I am lucky to have a harbor freight in town and the glue is cheap. As for drapers tape… I thought it was mostly very narrow. I could be wrong about that. I like to cover the entire substrate so that there’s no parts launched at me. Good thinking out of the box though.
CA glue and tape adds about 0.01" under my parts consistently. I offset my Z-zero that much when I set to wasteboard. It works and is just right for me.
Is it the most efficient? I’m not going to spend time to find out, because I’m not doing any production where it would matter.
I haven’t tried it personally, but my brother really likes using XFasten double sided tape. It’s really not better cost wise, but pretty easy to use and no waiting for the glue to dry.
XFasten Double Sided Woodworking Tape w/Yellow Backing 2.5 Inches x 30 Yards Amazon.com
2 Likes
I use the XFasten tape as well. I used to use carpet tape but this is way better, the backing is much easier to peel off.
It is super strong though I have the hybrid table and typically slip one of the supplied wrench handles along the T track and under the piece to pop it up.
It does not leave a residue. I guess I should try the painters tape and glue and compare.
1 Like
The advantage of tape and glue is that it is repositionable until the glue sets. With double sided tape you get one go to get it down square.
3 Likes
It comes 2½inches wide
Give it a try and see how it does but experiment on something that isn’t important.
See how easy the backing of the tape is to remove and whether it leaves any residue on the wood. Carpet tape leaves a bit of a mess to clean up but the XFasten is clean.
If you hit the tape with your bit it will probably leave a little mess. If you are at the end of a job then no big deal but if you are in the middle you may want to pause and clean the bit while on the machine. I have used simple isopropyl alcohol to clean the gunk off.
3 Likes
Cool thanks for that. Every bit of help is appreciated.
I think you’ll find this CA glue less expensive and more in the bottle.
4 Likes
I use IPG 2-way tape from my local hardware store & it works great. And cheaper than painter’s tape & glue.
You do need a smooth surface to tape to. Seal & lightly sand MDF & make sure it’s clean.
I have heard mentions of brands of 2-way that are not very reliable.
Don’t use the 3M VHB, It’s way too strong!! You’ll break your job or rip up chucks of MDF.
3 Likes
Thanks. The HF is 10 1/10 oz tubes for $3.99, so it’s pretty close. I appreciate!
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed after 30 days. New replies are no longer allowed.