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Does anyone know the color and name/item number for the 3M masking tape that is compatible with lacquer finishes?

The blue or green low or medium tack will work if using to mask off fb extensions and bridge areas before spraying.

HI Robbie:

I had the same question a few weeks ago. 3M 2060 is advertised as lacquer compatible. I had to maks off part of a neck for repair and didn't want the tape to eat into the old finish. I had the neck masked for 36 hours. I went ahead and used the 2060 tape after knocking down the tack. At 12 and 24 I checked the old finish and noticed that it had not burned into the lacquer. What the job was done, around 36 hours later. I did notice a little bit of a burn from the tape. I cleaned the neck with naptha and, after a few minutes at the buffer, it ws good as new. I have also used the blue multi-surface 3M tape with good success for very short term applications. It will start to react with lacquer after about an hour.

Hope that helps.

_________________
Don Sharp
Got Brazilian?
http://www.sharpguitars.com

Do not use 2090. Many people have used this and concluded that blue tape is bad. But I often use 2080, which blue, too. You can recognize it by the flat paper backing (2090 has a crepe surface). If you use it on finished lacquer, remove it as soon as possible, especially if the lacquer is fresh. A few hours is OK--it may leave a visible surface change when light is reflected, but it will buff out. For masking areas not to be lacquered, 2080 works just fine, and can be left on for a month or more.

The green is lacquer compatible, but very sticky. There's a yellow 3M I've seen that I think is lower tack; anyone know if it is solvent free? The 3M website doesn't seem to say.

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

The Green 3M tape is 2060. It works fine and is compatible with lacquer. However, be careful if you have to mask over areas that are already lacquered. It will gradually burn into the finish. Also the tack should be knocked down a bit before using. Stick it to something, remove and repeat and it won't be as sticky.

_________________
Don Sharp
Got Brazilian?
http://www.sharpguitars.com

if I remember correctly that yellow low tack tape eats lacquer also...I learned the hard way that the blue stuff eats still curing lacquer real quick, and I've seen it used by laborers to 'protect' finished surfaces on a jobsite only to have them ruined when it is pulled off at a later date...I've used the green stuff on day old lacquer (I detacked it as described above) and had no issues as I pulled it off immediately after getting done with toning a piece of wood to match the rest in a project..

I have been using a Canadian made tape called "Painter's Mate". It is green and not as tacky as the green 3M stuff. It does pretty well on lacquered surfaces. You can leave it on for several hours without it imprinting on the lacquer. I have left it on lacquer for several days with only very minor imprinting.

Mark

Thanks for all the info. If I understand correctly, the 3M 2060 or even a few others will work but still be careful when using any tape over a surface that has already been lacquered, especially if it is fresh lacquer that hasn;t cured yet.

While we're on the subject of masking tape:
Does anyone know of an online source for the 3M Fineline masking tape? I'm needing the 1/4" width in the semi-transparent. Seems like some of the jobbers like NAPA stock the opaque blue. The semi-transparent works good for masking binding as the binding is visible thru the tape.
Thanks
Nelson