Sticky patterns?

[Taffy Turner]

Here's a little tip for you guys having trouble with your patterns either not sticking, or being impossible to remove.

I had hours of fun when I started off, as if I only gave the pattern a light spray of adhesive, the it would lift half way through cutting. If I gave it a heavy spray, then it would be almost impossible to remove.

What I do now is cover the wood completely with B+Q clear packing tape, and then glue the pattern to this. That way I can use as much glue as I like to hold the pattern down, but when I am finished, the tape peels off the wood really easily, taking the pattern with it.

Also, apparently the plastic tape helps to lubricate the cut and stop the wood burning so I am told.

Regards

Gary

PS - I suppose just about any type of packing tape would work, but I have found by trial and error that the B+Q clear one has just the right amount of "stickiness". I tried a cheap brown tape first, and that was too sticky and pulled a lot of fibres out of the surface of the wood when it was removed.

 

[RPM]

Now thats a great tip!

The amount of times I have messed up because of the pattern moving.
Thanks for that.


RPM :wink:

 

[dedee]

Gary,
I've recently used 2" masking tape - the "low tack" variety. Seems to work very well.

Andy

 

[Gill]

Like Andy, I prefer to have low-tack masking tape between my pattern and the material I'm cutting. If you use normal packing tape, the longer it's left in position, the more difficult it is to remove. It also has a tendency to lift fibres with it as it is removed if you're not careful.

It might seem a bit wasteful to use tape in this way but it's very worthwhile. Not only does it ease pattern removal, but the lubrication makes the blades last longer.

Gill

 

[chrispuzzle]

Gill -

Is there a particular brand that you use or can recommend? "Low-tack" covers a fair range of adhesives.

Chris

 

[Gill]

Hi Chris

I bought a big roll of the stuff last year at B&Q last year and I can't remember if it was a particular brand or if it was sold under the store's own name.

Sorry.

Gill

 

[Anonymous]

A simple and effective method I use is wallpaper adhesive.

In this modern age of high-tech adhesives of which some are very good, we tend to forget that basic adhesives can do the job.

What I like about using wallpaper adhesive is you can mix it to any strength you want to suit. I initially did a few experiments with the strength mix and have settled on one that gives good adhesion but still peels off easily. It also stores for ages in a sealed jar or similar.

This glue will not dry as quickly as spray adhesives but if in a hurry and if the job is small enough, I zap the it in the microwave to dry it quick which works a treat !

 

[Gill]

I've never heard of anyone using wallpaper paste before - what a good idea ! The water content doesn't give you problems with grain lifting, does it? And are there any traces left behind when the pattern is peeled off?

It's certainly a much more economical method than spray adhesives, and I'm all in favour of being economical .

Gill

 

[Anonymous]

A mix that is too watery will sometimes give slight grain raising but will also tend not to be strong enough to adhere properly !
Get the mix right, don't put too much on, and any after-effects are minimal.
A bit of experimenting is needed initially but once you find what's right for you it's a simple case of making mixes up from measured amounts.

Alan