Posted by statorvane (152.163.252.5) on June 12, 2003 at 05:45:30:
In Reply to: Re: Thanks for the tips... posted by Marc on June 11, 2003 at 14:50:39:
: Is the 3M Automotive masking tape something you can get at any autoparts store? I wonder how long one should wait before applying tape to nitro? Is 24 hours enough dry time?
I bought the 3M automotive tape at K-mart. It is in their auto-parts section (adjacent to the dupli-color spray cans). It comes in several widths. They didn't have the narrow (about 1") width, so I bought the wide stuff (2-1/2" wide). This worked out well for the neck binding, since it made it much easier to apply a straight line.
This tape has a very high tack strength. The only problem I had was removing it from the fretboard - took off a little of the rosewood fibers. Not much - just enough to see it on the tape. I waited about a week before using it. I didn't think about waiting for the nitro to harden, it just happened to be a week before I got back to working on the guitar. It went on top of a sealed body, neck and headstock - nitro-based sealer. I didn't apply a clear coat on top of the sealer, just sanded with around 400 grit. It didn't pull off any of the sealer. I was unable to mask the top of the binding. It scraped easily with a shard razor blade and light pressure (repeated scrapings).
Hope this helps.