Non-tacky masking tape

The closest approach to that I know of is blue painter's tape - it's designed for just that sort of masking-plus-clean-removability. Unfortunately it seems to be intended mostly for indoor use (no sun exposure) and for relatively short applications (a day or three, until paint dries).

You may end up needing to use this stuff, and wipe it down with some Goo Gone to soften the adhesive in order to remove it cleanly.

Another thing that you might try, is drywall tape. This uses a water-soluble glue, which must be moistened before the tape is applied... and, I suspect, would come off cleanly afterwards if you spray the tape with water well enough to soak it. I don't know how well it will bond to a non-porous surface like metal, but it might adhere well enough to be useful.

Gaffer tape, perhaps.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

and don't confuse that with duct tape

Would it be practical to put tape against a flat piece of metal then fasten the metal in place somehow? There wouldn't be anything sticky against the surface you want to mask. I thought of weather stripping but that would probably let paint seep where you don't want it. This probably fails the appearance test.

Using a windshield wiper blade is a silly idea but maybe it will trigger a useful thought.

How about something in the tradition of solder mask? Liquid latex for molds, washable solder mask (strawberry-goo stuff) and acetone-soluble varnish (nail polish) all can be applied, left in place, and removed later, with a suitable solvent (or in the case of the latex, just rub or grab and pull it off, it has low adhesion in any case).

Powder coating, as in spray powder to article, oven to fuse the paint, then peel off leaving no residue. Should be good to ~200C...

Magnetic tape? What do auto body shops use?

fredag den 27. august 2021 kl. 19.13.34 UTC+2 skrev snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com:

why does it have to sit for weeks?

I agree with this response. To be clear, the genuine stuff is made by

3M, and it does come off cleanly even after some time. There may be clones that are also blus but nothing else comes off as cleanly.

CH

Along the line of magnetic tape you can buy sheets of magnetic plastic film - I've used a roll of it for signs etc.

So if the surface is steel it should work.

Many other sources..

John :-#)#

Try some of the "artist tapes" -- they are applied to *paper* and remain there for *months* prior to removal. Leaving residue would be frowned upon as that would potentially ruin the final artwork in the years/decades that follow.

[3M made an excellent product but it has been discontinued. Presently, using "steam indicator tape" which is not intended for this purpose but seems to work well over several months of application]

You could also explore "linen tape" used for "mounting" artwork prior to framing. (sometimes called "linen hinges")

Note that an artist wouldn't be able to use ANY solvent to remove the tape that has adhered their paper while they were creating their work(s).

There are different types of drywall tape. E.g., the tape that I use has *no* adhesive (just a roll of paper that adheres to the wall because you *embed* it in the mud while taping). Others have a more traditional "self-adhesive" property. Still others are "wet to activate", etc.

With a little searching, you can find tapes that are cloth-like, burlap/gauze-like, etc.

The blue (name-brand) blue masking tape from Home Despot, Lowes etc. is probably the cheapest choice.

You could also consider the polypropylene strapping tape that is used to imobilize mechanical parts such as printer heads in shipping. It is designed to leave no residue (rubber adhesive) after storage and shipping.

<snip>

Yes, ordinary masking tape is designed to be temporary! One place I worked years ago decided to use it for marking cables, and apart from the sticky mess, it also crumbles after a long period.