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Okay, so I got some of the 3m 622 tape that everyone is raving about and I'm just wondering what is the best way to peel this stuff off the top of the guitar without taking chunks of spruce with it?

I pull the tape at a 90* angle from the direction its running in. Sort of hard to explain.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I use the brown stuff stemac sell, but I heat it with a hair dryer and peel diagonally, and slowly.

As Lance "tried" to say, peel it 90? to the line of the tape. For example, if you tape is running North/South, you'll want to start it then pull it to the east or west so that it has a 90? bend in it. Also I find that it works best to start on the top and pull down through the side vs starting at the side and pulling through the top. Less fibers pull out that way.

Paul,
wow! you run with your guitar while peeling off the tape! Once it's off do you just throw it on the ground or do you ball it up and stick in your pocket ( the tape I mean ).

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I find that if the top has hardly any runout that it is almost impossible to
just peel without getting some fibers...sooo just spray a thin coat of
shellac (I use the kind in an aresol bottle) over it and you'll be groovy.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Piling on with what John says about the shellac.....

If you are using the 3M tape that leads me to think you are using CA for the bindings..... if that is the case you MUST seal the channels. Otherwise you are going to get CA stains in your spruce.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Yes to the shellac treatment especially if your using CA as glue and don't leave it on any longer than a few minutes. Once the CA is dry get the tape off. Oh and a very little CA goes a long way. You don't need or want to flood it onto the top.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

dangit John an Brock bet me to it. I always coat tops with shellac before inlaying the rosette and binding. I think it makes the surface more durable and a bit less likly to ding or tear out.

DogPile!!!

Always shellac your tops before your rosette goes in (just the top part mind you, not the back where the braces will glue up), it protects the top from dirt and grime AND it prevents this problem from happening. If you have very sticky tape then a heat gun will do wonders for a problem like this.

Cheers

-Paul-

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-Paul-

Patriot Guitars

I hate the brown tape for this...the CA reacts with its adhesive to form a hard tenacious mass. I's sure I left it in place too long...thanks, John.

Instead, I've had much better results with strapping tape (the stuff with the fibers reinforcing the length). Ditto on the pre-shellac technique.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Okay, thanks. Yeah, I have pre sealed it with shellac. I was just wanting to learn everyones tricks for getting this tape off, especially since it's supposed to be so tacky.

I love the brown tape. It is SOOOO strong.

I even use it with CA. What I normally do is "spot weld" the bindings on with CA between the tape, then once that is dry move the tape and continue to spot tack them on -- very little glue is used. Once everything is down nice and tight I remove all the tape and give it a very light coat of ca on the top and side.

It makes hardly any mess at all.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

[QUOTE=John How] Yes to the shellac treatment especially if your using CA as glue and don't leave it on any longer than a few minutes. Once the CA is dry get the tape off. Oh and a very little CA goes a long way. You don't need or want to flood it onto the top.[/QUOTE]

Also shellac the rabbets for purfling/binding and the chanels for rosette rings to prevent the super glue wicking sideways into open end grains after cutting through the protective seal coat of shellac (or lacquer, or whatever).
This may have been an "understood" point in this discussion, but I thought I'd reinforce the subject.

   I go one step further. When I select my top for a guitar , after I glue it up I sand it and do the grain raising trick twice , then sand to 400 and seal. I have a very smooth top , the sealer makes the rosette tool slide like BUDDDA and the tearout and fuzzin is minimal.
Then with the sealer and yanking the tape , well it is just about the best way. I still strip the top and then do reseal and finish sanding when the body is compete .
    I like doing the water treatment without the bracing attached. It can save you some surprises
john hall

Hi Jeremiah!!

I've been using 3M Painters Blue tape...1 3/4" wide.
I have not had any problems removing it.
Just go slow and as Lance said: pull at a 90* angle for safety.

Good Luck and take your time.

Walter