I’ve always used 233 for anything in contact with resin. Had a bad experience 15 years ago with tape adhesive melting and ever since have only used 233. What exactly is 2727 and 2214 suitable for and what is it not suitable for. I’ve seen those tapes before and they are considerably less costly but I always shied away because I wasn’t sure…better to be safe than sorry. Looking for expert opinions where can I use these other tapes and where must I stick with 233+???
Does anyone out there use these other tapes???
You should PM Resinhead. He would know
I never payed attention to the numbers when I used the cheap stuff.
Now that I’ve gone 233, I’ll never go back for hotcoats and such.
2727 works great with poly and epoxy resin. Been using it for years. Sometimes I can only find 233 in the smaller sizes like 1/8 and 1/4".
I thought this originally applied the poly resin spectrum of chemicals…I’ve been using cheap scotch on my epoxy coats, seems ok. Should I be worried and why?
Cheap tape has adhesive that will melt or may even interact with the resin preventing it from curing. Either way you could end up with a sticky goo on your tape line.
Does anyone use a ‘‘paper taper’’ these days? Some auto parts stores have them, and ALL auto paint suppliers have them. Saves having to use up the high quality (expensive) tape. We used them at Surf Systems, and Surfboards Hawaii. Quite handy when doing colored layups. Saves time too.
Hey Bill do you mean one of those racks that you mount a roll of tape and a roll of paper? The rack attaches tape to the masking paper? If so the answer is yes. I have been using one for years in my furniture shop and for board making.The green masking paper is super cheap from the auto paint suppliers.
Here is what happens when you put regular masking tape on EPS. Is 233 less prone to pulling out the foam?
Exactly! Spoils you, doesn’t it?
hmm, hasn’t happened to me yet. I’m using epoxy, doen’t get hot enough to melt anything, and bargain masking doesn’t seem to interact with my resin. I bought some of that 233 awhile ago and switched to a cheap roll halfway through finishing my roll of 233; didn’t notice any difference using a $2 roll vs. a $13 roll.
I do use the green or bleed-stop frog variety masking when doing color work, though, helps guard against bleeding IMHO.
I’ve used lots of other tapes. In particular I would recommend the new 3M yellow automotive tape, 665x (last digit varies with width of tape) which is really nice for pinlining/inkwork, but cheaper than 233 (brown) or 233+ (green).
If you google and read up on the applications the tape was designed for, you’ll have a decent idea of whether its worth experimenting with. A number of Hi temp tapes will work with resins. Tapes intended for paint work often work fine for airbrushing (even if resin work would dissolve their adhesives). Not familiar with the specific number tapes mentioned, but for example I have used 3M 234 (which is a general purpose tape, but with a rubber-based adhesive similar to 233+) for various applications with no ill effects.
all in all, using cheaper tape is just a crap shoot… some will work for some things but not others, you just have to experiment and see. And some cheap tape is so crappy I would not use it with any resin or paint… but its still fine for taping paper together (masking off a deck). I keep a whole drawer full of cheap tapes so that I don’t use up the expensive stuff where it’s not needed.
Bill you can get a handheld paper taper at any Lowes or Home Depot. They save tape and you get cleaner color lams. They also sell the paper in various widths, that help over the wide stuff of yesteryear.
We use both the 2727 and 233+ interchangeably on poly glass jobs and ding repairs. Both have adhesive melting temperatures above 220 degrees. I grab whatever is closest to me and never had a problem. I prefer the 233+ for pinlines though, maybe it’s the green color I can see the curve better than the tan color…
For epoxy we use cheap masking tape with great success.
I’ve used the automotive ‘paper taper’ at another shop before and it’s a great tool for quick masking for sprays and color work… it’s on my list to get someday.
~Brian
I wish they’d make a hand masker that worked for left handers.
I’ve been using 3M 2308 for a few months now and it’s become my go-to tape. Nostalgically similar to the old 233 beige before they changed the crepe. It’s way cheaper than 233+. It comes in widths from 1/2" to 3".
http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=SSSSSu7zK1fslxtUPY_Go8fSev7qe17zHvTSevTSeSSSSSS--
considering the source, this statement is gold…
or at least money in your pocket