3M tape ?

[sinner16]

Ok .. I asked this before... but I think it might have gotten overlooked.....

So what is the big difference between the green and blue 3M masking tape. I just picked up a few rolls of the blue... Now I'm scratching my head... thinking that maybe I should have bought a roll of green. So any opinions on the pros and cons of the colors?????

[daveq]

I don't know the specs on them but the green seems to have a stronger tack than the blue. One roll of green I bought recently actually said on the label that it's for lacquer masking. I'm no finishing expert but I've done a ton of masking lately. I have a feeling that the green is used more commonly for masking when you need a nice crisp line but maybe someone else can verify that.

I used the green for some of the work I did on my tiger guitar in the "in progress" section. Most of the body was masked with sign makers transfer tape but the sides were done with the green tape.

[Southpa]

When I was working in the boat building trade we used green tape exclusively when doing the rough finish work. That is, masking over coatings like fillers and filler primers. We weren't allowed to use the blue (more expensive) until the final stages were started. The green tape has better adhering properties than blue so you didn't have to worry so much about dust etc. causing your tape to fall off. But I was told that if the green was left too long on the final high gloss paint (polyurethane w/ isocyanates) it would react with the finish and leave gummy residue. Prior to masking with blue tape the finish had to be tack ragged and then wiped down with solvent.

[Reaper]

I don't know the specs on them but the green seems to have a stronger tack than the blue. One roll of green I bought recently actually said on the label that it's for lacquer masking. I'm no finishing expert but I've done a ton of masking lately. I have a feeling that the green is used more commonly for masking when you need a nice crisp line but maybe someone else can verify that.

I used the green for some of the work I did on my tiger guitar in the "in progress" section. Most of the body was masked with sign makers transfer tape but the sides were done with the green tape.

Yep... oddly enough, I just picked some up this afternoon... the blue is medium adhesion, where as the green is very high adhesion, and one of recommended uses on the label is "laquer spraying".

Southpa: any danger of using the green on bare/sealed wood?

[Southpa]

Southpa: any danger of using the green on bare/sealed wood?

I don't see any problem with it. They were pretty touchy about what tape to use at the shop but they have good reason. When you are working on a boat that costs upwards of $8000000 US and consider the man-hours involved and mistakes that happen, just can't afford to take chances. Working constantly around other trades people, some inexperienced was tough too. People dropping wrenches on the deck I just finished, etc. its a real bitch having to fill and sand the dents they make.

Anyway, for our purposes I don't see why you can't use green tape for everything. I figure it would have to remain for quite a long time before anything weird happens and even then, any adverse reactions would only be noticeable on a final finish coat.