Uses for masking tape

[Cherryville Chuck]

Masking tape has quite a few uses in the shop from wrapping a loop of it around a drill bit to show how far to drill in to using it to clamp joints together, especially mitered joints. Here are some good tips from Charles Mak in a Lee Valley email they sent me. https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/discove ... OY8,8LP2,1 I particularly like the tip about using masking tape to hold clamping blocks onto my work so I have both hands free to position and tighten the clamp.

He doesn't show using it to clamp with so for anyone not familiar with that trick you put a long strip of tape on the outside face of one of the pieces for a mitered corner. You place the second piece tip to tip with the first and stick the tape to it. Then you glue the miter and fold the pieces together using the tape as a hinge. Take another piece of masking tape and tape from end to end to hold the joint together or put some weights against the sides and set it aside and let it dry. This method is much easier than trying to use a corner clamp but you need tape with good strength and good sticking power.

Another thing I've started using it for is to label my sanders with what grit paper I have on them so I don't have to guess or peel part of them back so I can read what's printed on them.

A strip of tape on plywood can help reduce splintering on a table saw and chipping melamine on coated particle board. Just lay it down on the cut line.

[Jon]

Lot of good suggestions, particularly from LeeValley. I use their 3M tape for pulling boxes etc together for glueing. Works quite well and doesn't leave any residue. Far better than most masking tapes which have a tendency to tear apart on corners.

[Cherryville Chuck]

I bought some too Jon. It's a little pricey compared to regular hardware store tape but it works way better for pulling joints together. It's supposed to have a little stretch to it too if I remember right. I labeled mine so I wouldn't forget what it's for by accident.

Masking tapes aren't all created equal. Some are good and some are crap and most of them don't age well but if you use them as much as Charles Mak in that email from LV then I guess they would be fresher when you use them.

[DaninVan]

Me three! I've just started using the 3M stuff and I'm pretty impressed. For starters, no bleeding under the edges when painting up to it.

[Nickp]

Me four...big fan of 3M for blue tape...

[Herb Stoops]

Works good for band aids too.
Herb

[Jon]

On thing I've found is that by storing the tape in zip lock bags the rolls stay fresher and last a bit longer.

Another LV tape I really like is their "turner's tape". A great double sided tape in 1" and 2" widths. Great holding power with no residue.

[Cherryville Chuck]

On thing I've found is that by storing the tape in zip lock bags the rolls stay fresher and last a bit longer.

That's interesting. I bought some discs from a Canadian company for ROS and my old PC detail sander and that is what they said about storing those too so I took them all and stored them in zip locks after I sorted them into grits.

[Jon]

On thing I've found is that by storing the tape in zip lock bags the rolls stay fresher and last a bit longer.

That's interesting. I bought some discs from a Canadian company for ROS and my old PC detail sander and that is what they said about storing those too so I took them all and stored them in zip locks after I sorted them into grits.

Interesting approach. I had not heard about doing the same with discs for the ROS. Do you think it made a difference for those? I know it does for the tapes.

[Cherryville Chuck]

I haven't done it for long enough to be sure yet but it can't hurt and storing them in zip locks makes a good way to keep the grits separate from each other. I know when I moved away for a few years to go work over in Alberta when I got back the belts for my belt sander had gotten brittle and didn't make very many rotations before pieces starting breaking off and soon split apart. Just remembered too that I never bothered using my PC detail sander for quite a few years, basically forgot I had it and then needed to sand in a tight spot and remembered it. Some of the hook layers on the back of the pads peeled off right away. So maybe the bags will help prevent that kind of failure.