Taping Up Blades

Nick,
I've had the same problem with blue painter's tape. Etches the blade,
and makes a real mess. I now wrap the blade with paper towel and then
put the tape over that. The first couple of times the blade was marred was
really irritating. I have enough trouble getting a good finish and to then
have it damaged by the tape...grrrrr.
 
Rick Marchand said:
I have never had rust issues... you guys must be all sweaty and dank.
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I don't know about y'all's necks of the woods, but down here it's literally a humid subtropical environment. Rust abatement is just a fact of life, even in what passes for "winter" here.
 
Rick arrived at my shop one day a while back all flustered, hair(what he has left anyway) all askew. He needed advice, insider tips, anything.... that would help him make better knives. Well, there were a lot of things I could have mentioned, but diplomatically I pared down my options and came up with two pieces of advice:

#1. "Cord wrap your handles." I showed him this knife as an example:


#2. "Tape your polished blades."
I just do it because I'm clumsy and don't like to mangle the blades I've spent hours getting "just right".
I use the green. The blue is designed for easy removal and has a lighter adhesive than the green. The green just sticks better for me. I take the very last hand sanding stroke and lay down a layer of tape. I don't touch the blade at all, or wipe it down with anything... just tape it up. It stays there until the sheath is done.

Just to clarify - I've only left the tape on when sharpening a few times when I've taken the blade to/above some-2000-odd grit and don't want to have the grit from the sharpening belt create a haze just above the edge. That tape would then come off immediately as it would be wet from the process. When I do the sheath I just reenforce the tip with another later of tape so it doesn't peel off going in and out of the under-construction sheath.

Rick left a rejuvenated, inspired man that day. You could just see it in his eyes..... kinda' like tears of joy.

You're welcome Rick! :D:D

-Peter




P.S. Rick, the royalties for the cord wrap thing.......... ????
 
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jawilder said:
Rick, it seems that every time I do this I always seem to get moisture caught in the tape and get a bit of rust so I stopped doing it. has this happened to anyone else?
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I had this happen with ATS-34, granted since I don't always get a chance to work on a knife as often as I'd like it sat for maybe a week or so in my garage and there was damage to the finish of the blade.
 
james terrio said:
I don't know about y'all's necks of the woods, but down here it's literally a humid subtropical environment. Rust abatement is just a fact of life, even in what passes for "winter" here.
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I live on the East Coast... like, right on the ocean East Coast. Salt water hovers in the air around here. Sometimes, my entire shop is dripping with condensation. Peter's neck of the coast is even worse.

I can't explain your affliction...Perhaps, Canadians just take better care of their stuff.:eek::D BAM!:p


Peter... you crack me up, brother... tears at 7am. That usually doesn't happen til noon!
 
I stopped using the blue tape on HC blades because of the rust on occasion and I am in Sunny California.
 
Rick Marchand said:
Salt water hovers in the air around here. Sometimes, my entire shop is dripping with condensation. Peter's neck of the coast is even worse. I can't explain your affliction...Perhaps, Canadians just take better care of their stuff.:eek::D BAM!:p
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Clearly you are some sort of wizard! :eek:

Either that or you've finally come to the Light Side and embraced the soothing charms of Our Lady Chromium... but are too stubborn to admit it.

I'm not sure what's up with the staining/rust from various "masking" tapes and their infernal goo. I gave up trying to figure it out because it's just easier and safer to wrap 'em in newspaper with a smear of oil, and not freakin' worry about it. :p ;)
 
I spray the blade with WD40 or gunoil and put it in a piece of bicycle innertube. Can easily be taken off for aligment checks or anything.
 
Some of this new fangled tape is made to absorb the water from latex paint and create a gel to form a nice even barrier line.


It's more expensive, plus I gotta think whatever it is might not be good for a blade.
 
I have rust issues with the blue and green tapes. A guy is coming over tonight to pick up knife number two of his order (1080+ steel), and I had the blade taped up with green tape, just to mitigate scratches and what have you while doing handle work. The tape had been of for about a week, and put in on after wiping down with acetone. I pulled it off right now......rust spots. Just enough rust that oil and 0000 steel wool won't take it off. A few swipes with oil and 1000 grit took them off, tho no problem. Agravating.

I picked up on a few of the tips mentioned in replies. Like coating the blade in oil, wrap in saran wrap, and then tape that up. I like that idea. Thank you!
 
Blue paper towel and then painters tape for me. As some of you, I got problems with the tape etching the blade. But of course at the speed I work, the knife can be wrapped for many weeks. :o
 
samuraistuart said:
I picked up on a few of the tips mentioned in replies. Like coating the blade in oil, wrap in saran wrap, and then tape that up. I like that idea. Thank you!
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Just make sure the blade is truly clean and dry before you do that, or it will be worse than leaving it out in the open. Don't ask me how I know :grumpy:
 
I discovered green tape on a railing job a few years back and haven't bought blue since. The green "Frog tape" is better in every way.
In my sharpening sideline, it's handy when the little old lady brings her knives in a paper sack and you just know they're going to bite her on the way home....
 
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