19 Apr 2014 Most under Appreciated Tool in the Shop – Tape
“Under-Appreciated Tool” Tapes all kinds.
I use several different types of tape in the shop, and I turn to them in countless situations. Double-stick tape is probably my favorite solution as a second set of hands or clamping when clamps won't work. Mostly, I use it to hold down a template for trim routing. If the tape is really good quality, it will be very thin and can even be used to hold on edge-banding. I also use mass quantities of blue painter's tape. At any one time, I have about a half dozen different sized rolls. It works great to provide clamping pressure for hard-to-clamp parts like small pieces of trim. When pulled tight, it has a relatively high tension. Blue tape provides a protective layer between the work piece and clamps during a glue-up. The adhesive sticks quickly, but it won't leave the work piece sticky when you remove it. And glue will pull away from it easily. When I'm cutting a panel piece I'll run a large piece of blue tape over the cut line to help prevent chip out. It's great for marking pieces, because it is so easy to remove and there's no sanding required. I also use it for marking locations on power tools. There's probably not a single project I've built without the help of one of this versatile tools.