Old dried masking tape

[viciouspeanut]

So I am getting some old rockets out of storage and one had masking tape from painting left on it.. for years. Now it breaks into tiny pieces when I try and pull it off. Any ideas on an easier way to remove it without picking it bit by bit with xacto knife? Lol. It's on a LOC tube if it matters.

 

[rstaff3]

Dried masking tape suckes. When we lived on the Gulf coast, we were told to tape our windows before tropical storms. After a couple of days in the heat it was stuck on there good. We used a razor scraper. Hope there is some solvent that helps you.

 

[soopirV]

I had a similar problem with tape on a rocket, and just ended up sanding the heck out of it and starting over. I had a couple of rolls of cheap ace brand in the garage shop that "died" in a matter of months. I keep the good 3M stuff inside now.

 

[blackjack2564]

I had a similar issue.

Just put a strip of "new" tape over the old. Pressed/rubbed it pretty good to bite on the old stuff, then pulled it off.
90% of the old came with it.
Used "Goof Off" to remove glue residue without harming paint

 

[Steve Shannon]

Goo-gone spray gel, let it set for a while and then come back and try. I'm not sure what it'll do to your paint.


Steve Shannon

 

[tmacklin]

 

[viciouspeanut]

I will try the new masking tape over the old tonight and see if I have any luck. I'm not concerned about the paint job as I plan to re prime and paint it again anyways. Only worries are that I don't want the goo gone to seep though and damage the body tube because I cant really replace it due to centering ring location.

 

[dhbarr]

If there's already primer/paint down, sanding is where I would go.

 

[rstaff3]

If there's already primer/paint down, sanding is where I would go.

You know I hate sanding when it never occurred to me

 

[Zeus-cat]

A lot of people don't realize that masking tape has a shelf life. At work it seemed an inspector would catch someone using expired tape at nearly every inspection. They finally rounded up all the tape and put it in the paint cabinet and no one was allowed to store any at their workstation. They had to retrieve it from the cabinet each day and put it back at the end of the day as well as check the expiration date every time they pulled a roll to use. They still caught people hiding it in their workstations.

 

[dr wogz]

WD-40!! sounds absurd I know, but it works on the old dried up goo.. spray on, let sit for a bit, then wipe off..

 

[Micromeister]

Whenever I have any kind of old adhesive backed tape problem it is always time for "Goo Gone" orange gel. it's taken off decades old vinyl and other tapes, price tags, Labels without harming the under-laying surface or paint.. Goof-Off may be a little harsh for removing adhesive messes it's really a HD remover.