Blue tape hell

[Snboard976]

I left on blue painters tape longer than I should have. Does anyone have a tip for how to remove it? I am removing it now at a rate of about 5 feet/hour.

I have tried:

-holding a sponge with boiling water on it
-a heat gun
-Adhesive remover and various solvents (none seem to work because the tape is water proof)
-A plastic scraper
-cursing

Hoping that maybe someone has a great trick for this.

[RichH]

Soak it with 'Goo-Gone™'. :-o

[Al Harmon]

keep it wet with mineral spirits (paintt thinner) and use a scrubbie pad or scotchbrite pad. I did the same thing before.

[pthorn]

Depends upon what kind of blue tape. Some is reduced by alcohol.

[creedence623]

When I had my boat trucked south, the yard put blue tape over the hatches where it stayed for about 7 months until I could get down to it. The plastic razor blade took the paper portion of the tape off, and acetone took the residue off of the gelcote with no problems. Unfortunately, it's still on the hatches. The acetone began to melt the lenses. Going to have to replace those in the near future.

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by Snboard976

I left on blue painters tape longer than I should have. Does anyone have a tip for how to remove it? I am removing it now at a rate of about 5 feet/hour.

I have tried:

-holding a sponge with boiling water on it
-a heat gun
-Adhesive remover and various solvents (none seem to work because the tape is water proof)
-A plastic scraper
-cursing

Hoping that maybe someone has a great trick for this.

WD40 removes every unremoveable label, tape etc. I have ever used it on - just let it soak.

[fryewe]

Originally Posted by SloopJonB

WD40 removes every unremoveable label, tape etc. I have ever used it on - just let it soak.

This.

It works like magic.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by SloopJonB

WD40 removes every unremoveable label, tape etc. I have ever used it on - just let it soak.

Amen. Works every time for us.

[Snboard976]

Just spent 8hrs at the boat and got most of it off. WD-40 Didn't pentrate the tape even with several applications and time. It worked almost as well as the adhesive remover for any residue left behind.

I was able to peel off a considerable about of tape using a credit card in one hand to keep it coming up. The credit card seems to be the best scraper.

The key for me was starting with the easiest parts. If I started with the hard parts the job would have seemed impossible. I also got better when I reached the hard parts.

On the most difficult sections there was no way to avoid using a metal scraper.

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by Snboard976

Just spent 8hrs at the boat and got most of it off. WD-40 Didn't pentrate the tape even with several applications and time. It worked almost as well as the adhesive remover for any residue left behind.

I was able to peel off a considerable about of tape using a credit card in one hand to keep it coming up. The credit card seems to be the best scraper.

The key for me was starting with the easiest parts. If I started with the hard parts the job would have seemed impossible. I also got better when I reached the hard parts.

On the most difficult sections there was no way to avoid using a metal scraper.

Were you using regular blue "multi-day" masking tape, like 3M? I've used miles of that stuff and never been unable to soak it with WD40.

It sounds like you were using something else.