Removing masking tape

I have been using blue masking tape on the printer bed with great success to help with adhesion, particularly with larger prints but I now have an issue.

When it comes to removing the tape from the finished print it leaves behind by its of paper and glue that is almost impossible to remove with a scraper or knife.

Any suggestions for a solvent to help - so far I have tried acetone and automotive paint panel-wipe - both with zero effect.

Sorry forgot to add - it is for pla prints

My un-reliable memory thinks a friend had the same problem with masking tape on their car. A mutual friend suggested cellulose thinners which was a disaster. I suggested petrol. It did the trick. Probably best tried outdoors.

Try white vinegar

I have previously used both Maplin and Servisol ‘label remover’ aerosols … but have just found this remarkably low-price offering from Farnell:

**LINK**

https://uk.farnell.com/pro-power/ppc108/label-remover-200ml-aerosol/dp/1206542

No idea whether it is any good

MichaelG.

I have an Ender 3 Pro with the flexy magnetic bed sheet, never needed to use tape or anything else, just made sure the bed was wiped over occasionally with Isopropanol and of course level checked after...

Good morning, Nick,

Try using white spirit.

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

Not knowing the type of glue used on Masking tape, which probably varies with brand, makes it necessary to experiment. The solvent has to match the glue like a key in a lock, and there are many different glues and solvents. Also important to check that the solvent doesn't also dissolve the surface or nearby plastics!

Fortunately solvents come in families, and many, not all, are available in the home:

• Alcohols: Meths, IPA, Ethylene Glycol (anti-freeze) and Glycerin
• Aromatic Oils: Benzene, Toluene, Xylene etc
• Chlorinated Organics: Methylene Chloride (paint stripper), Carbon Tetrachloride, Trichloroethylene, Chloroform etc
• Ketones: Acetone
• Unsaturated Oils: petrol, paraffin, White Spirit, Turps etc
• Water: acidified (vinegar), alkaline (washing soda), or with detergent

It may be necessary to give the glue a prolonged soak.

Commercial solvents are often mixtures, for example cellulose thinners is a mixture of ketones, aromatic hydrocarbons, esters, and alcohols. Something from the Beckmann Stain removal range might work.

Dave

Very early in my working life I had to remove masking tape, including the glue residue, from the glass fronts of manometer boards. Xylene worked very quickly. It appears that you can still buy Xylene thinners.

I have yet to have cancer.

JA

SOD you missed off vegetable oils as used in cooking. They are pretty harmless and may need a bit of time to soak through the adhesive but are also usually available and cheap.

Martin C

Some cleansers intended for use on plastics and electronic equipment smell like oranges and lemons and may to be based on their juices, or synthesised versions of their ingredients. So it might be worth a careful test with lemon-juice, but ensure it does not go where it can do any damage.

Cooking-oil might indeed work but obviously leaves its own residue.

JA - I think xylene is the active ingredient in some proprietory paint thinners such as 'Hammerite'.

Then there is Limonene, aka Orange oil. I use it (among others) for removing address and other labels on cardboard boxes, which I keep for reuse. Just let it dry for a couple of hours, before going to the post office...

Oh, and I use it also for cleaning the build platform of my 3D Printer.

Regards,
Hans

I use an old hair dryer on a low setting to gently heat and soften the glue that holds name and address labels on boxes and packages, so I can peel them off in one go rather than them tearing into dozens of fiddly little strips.

Maybe that would work with masking tape, but obviously be careful not to distort your printed items !

Am curious about needing to use tape though? My PLA prints stick to the heated bed very nicely - almost too nicely ! - although nylon doesn't stick very well. I clean the bed with Acetone between prints.

Edited By John Doe 2 on 01/03/2023 12:15:29

Lighter fluid (Naphtha) works well with most masking tape glue. Second choice would be label remover (citrus turpines).

Robert.

Try a hair dryer to soften the glue a bit, then peel it off slowly pulling the tape back on itself i.e a 180 bend at the peel point.

Martin

+1 on what Martin and Robert said above, also petrol works well - as long as it won't affect the surface you are removing it from. Cellulose thinners is not so great - understandably so, given the original intended use of the tape when car spraying. I've found that masking tape can be a b****r to remove if left for more than a day or two.

Rob

Look for Ambersill label remover!

I'd suggest dealing with the problem by getting rid of the masking tape. Glass beds or PEI pads have progressed to the point where on many 3D printers masking tape or glue are not needed at all. I've never needed to use tape or glue on my very basic Ender 3, with a glass bed. I use "brim" adhesion setting in Cura slicer.

If you have some of the tape try laying it out sticky side up and trying a drop of each solvent you have on it. It will be easier to see that way up if it is having any affect.

There is a spray for printer beds now. Magigoo I think. Someone took the trouble to analyse the problem and requirements to make a chemical that holds when hot and releases when cold. Not tried it myself though.

In the drawing office we always used White Spirit to remove residue from tracing paper including pencil, masking tape glue, and other general grime. Worked very well.

I now use it to remove labels from pill bottles that are being re-purposed into containers for BA fasteners, and to remove the residue from those self-adhesive sealing strips you put around your doorway when it comes time to replace them.