Removing Tape adhesive from french polish?

UkulelesRcooL

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We just finished gluing the bridge on a Koa Concert..Im not sure how long he had let the polish cure before doing the bridge glue up..
My friend used blue painters tape to mark the bridge position and glued it on, after 24 hrs of letting it dry.. I removed the clamps and the tape but there is an adhesive residue left on the finish from the tape.
I'm not sure how to go about removing it..
I tried naptha and did'nt have any results.
I'm afraid to use acetone or alcohol......I dont want to ruin his nice polish job..

Thought Id better ask the experts before I mess things up.. or we mess things up... Hes got a limited amount of time to get the uke finished...
Is it going to be a sanding issue?
Thanks for any suggestions or comments..
 
I've removed tape residue by stroking it with a finger or thumb in the same direction . The residue balls up and picks up the remaining stuff. You don't want to dissolve the stuff as what ever you use could remove the finish. Stubborn stuff may come loose with a small amount of instrument polish.
 
I've removed tape residue by stroking it with a finger or thumb in the same direction . The residue balls up and picks up the remaining stuff. You don't want to dissolve the stuff as what ever you use could remove the finish. Stubborn stuff may come loose with a small amount of instrument polish.

Thanks a ton spongeuke for your comment...
It made me take a closer look at the area the tape was on and I tried to roll what looked like the adhesive off...I then realized that the tape acutally messed with the finish and there wasnt any adhesive on the finish.
I think he must of had some polishing sessions pretty close to gluing the bridge on time wize..
I dont believe the shellac had cured enough...
That being said I think he can fix it by polishing it either with a few more sessions or there may even be a small bit of sanding in his future there..
There wasnt any sticky residue on the surface that I could feel... so.. Im thinking it duffed the finish...
1 step forward.............3 back...

Thanks again.. I hadnt thought of rolling it off like you suggested and it made me take a closer look... I appreciate the input..
Petaluma.....Originally from there....
Too young to know it but, hey...

Take care and thanks..
 
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Some tapes have a very aggresive adhesive to them as well. I've seen some bite into lacquer and even catalyzed finishes. Shellac wouldn't stand a chance against some of those.
 
Nowadays I use 3M 3434 tape all the time on FP without any problems...when I used to use the cream coloured standard low tack tape that garages use in spray painting I used to get alsorts of trouble.
 
Nowadays I use 3M 3434 tape all the time on FP without any problems...when I used to use the cream coloured standard low tack tape that garages use in spray painting I used to get alsorts of trouble.

That's interesting, the cream tape is the one I use the most and I only use shellac and have never had a problem.
 
Some tapes have a very aggresive adhesive to them as well. I've seen some bite into lacquer and even catalyzed finishes. Shellac wouldn't stand a chance against some of those.

We used the blue painters tape...
I hadnt had any problems with it till now but its been used mostly on nitro... soooooooo....... Live and learn...
I hope it doesnt mess up my friends plans too much..
Ill have to take a look at the 3M 3434 tape that Timbuck spoke of...
Thank you all for your input and observations..
 
Oh boy! The only thing I like talking about other than adhesives (a.k.a. glue) is sticky tape. I have drawers full of the stuff in all sorts of pretty colors. I use the stuff by the half mile and is one of the most useful tools for making ukuleles than I can think of. I use it for clamping, masking and just generally holding stuff down and I couldn't work without it. I have never had a problem with it on finishes. However, I have used it for clamping or masking and had CA glue get under it and create a melted mess. The CA mixes with the tape glue and creates a nasty gum like substance that is a pain to remove. It sands out, but ruins sandpaper. I never use the high tack stuff like SMD's "binding tape" without putting a protective finish of shellac down and careful to never let CA get anyway near it. I've seen this stuff absolutely rip away unprotected spruce like you can't believe so the wood has to be protected with shellac. I love tape and it has got me out of a number of sticky spots. My favorite general utility tape? The cheapest, hardware masking tape available at your local hardware store. It works. I use Ace Hardware blue painters masking tape.
 
3M 3434 masking tape
Description
3M 3434 Blue High Performance Masking Tape. Will not lift and leaves no residue on paint, glass, plastics or rubber. Equally effective on solvent or water-based paint systems - 3434 is the benchmark quality masking tape for all applications.This high Performance Masking Tape is the perfect choice for masking up trims prior to polishing by hand or machine.
 
Interestingly Ken, that 3434 tape seems to be all but unavailable in the U.S. So far, can't find a source for it. And I wouldn't dream of buying something from "overseas", you understand. :eek:
 
Well it seems there are any number of low-tack, and no residue adhesives out there, but I think what you're using Ken is more about the chemistry of the adhesive not attacking the French (or the Polish).
 
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