Make your own double stick tape

After purchasing some not so impressive tape, I began reading the forum to find out which kind of tape is the best. Then the idea came to me to attempt to make my own with stuff I had on hand and to my surprise it worked out quite well so I thought I should share my discovery in case anyone may need tape in a pinch.

You can make a very nice double stick tape that holds firmly and peels off nicely with “Aleene’s Tack it Over and Over” glue. It is often used to re-sticky cutting mats for vinyl cutting machines like the silhouette and has amazing sticking power. It dries to a tacky gel that peels off of wood and paper fairly easily. Plus, if you manage not to get it too dirty during your cut, it can often be reused a few times.

To make it you will need the backing from a full sheet of label paper. The glue won’t stick to it giving you a place to dry the glue and peel it right off when you are ready to use it. I make mine with the label as the tape paper since it is stronger than regular printer paper. Just zig zag the glue onto the label backing, lay the label on top and press in all directions to spread the glue evenly under the paper. Then let it dry overnight, take another backing for the other side and repeat. You will be left with a full sheet of amazing double sided tape with two label backing sheets to protect it until you need it.

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I make my double sided tape using masking tape and super glue.
Just apply a layer of masking tape to the spoil board and the material you’re carving and then stick the back of the masking tape surfaces together with super glue.
You get a few seconds to line the material up and then it won’t move no matter what sideways pressure you put on it but If you lift one end of the part, the tape will peel off easily.
Works out a lot cheaper than double sided tape.

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do you have any problems with tearout of grain or residue leave behind for finishing purposes?

As long as you don’t leave the tape on too long, there’s no issue with tear out nor is there any residue left on the work piece.

Oh, that sounds even easier. Thanks for the tip.

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