Clamp Tape

[Duquephart]

Tsprof recommends that clamps be taped to protect blades. Is masking tape adequate? Painters tape?

 

[Railsplitter]

I use blue Painters Tape. It keeps the scratches off, it’s easy to remove and it doesn’t leave behind a sticky residue.

I put the tape on the blade. Never thought of putting it on the clamp.

 

[jjg6319]

The packaging tape sold at the USPO is really good stuff. You might look at that too.

 

[Terry M.]

Blue painters tape here too

 

[Blue Sky]

When I need to clamp a blade in my bench vise, I’ll put two thin strips of soft wood on either side to protect it.

 

[777 Edge]

Tsprof recommends that clamps be taped to protect blades. Is masking tape adequate? Painters tape?

If your clamp is aluminum and you keep the insides of it clean, then you don't actually need to use any tape. Just make sure all metal swarf or abrasive particles is properly cleaned from the insides of your clamps.

The aluminum itself won't scratch or scuff your hardened steel blade, but any dirty metal swarf or abrasive particles between the clamp surface and your blade will most certainly do it.

So, even if you decide on taping up your clamps with something like painters tape - make sure to replace the tape every time you sharpen another knife. Swarf & abrasive grains tend to collect and embed into painters tape (and other tapes) and becomes impossible to completely remove so it's best to just replace the tape every time, or not use any tape at all and just clean the clamp internal surface thoroughly every time.

 

[Blue Sky]

Ah, I see my response was off-base, the question concerned clamps used by a guided sharpening system. Lots of good answers given, 777 Edge nailed it down for us.

 

[Tensaw]

I use painter's tape on the blade. It provides protection and I use it as a guide for positioning the blade in the clamp.

 

[Dutch87]

I use kapton / polyimide tape between the clamps and blade sometimes on my ts prof. I got a multi-width pack off of Amazon.

This tape is extremely thin but still makes the clamp purchase on the blade a little squirmy, like all other tapes do, but it is appreciably less so than other tapes that I have tried like painters tape and electrical tape.

I did manage to corrode my aluminum ts prof clamps by using lots of water during sharpening and leaving some blades clamped in overnight. I've gotten some light staining on some blades from the clamps since, so if you have aluminum clamps, keep 'em clean and dry after sharpening.

 

[Tjstampa]

I bought a case or orange painters tape from the big river site. I also use the 3m clear packing tape when I am sharpening a customer knife. Bought a large tape despenser that can handle both rolls makes taping a lot faster. 3 inch core if I remember correctly.