Masking Tape Horror

[Joe Myerson]

Creme Brulee has entered the final prep, with launch scheduled for next Wednesday or Thursday. This will be the latest (I think) that she's ever splashed. While the finish on her toe- and rub-rails is as close to gorgeous as I could make it, I'm having a devil of a time getting a strip of masking-tape goo off the deck.

The fault, as almost always, is mine: I masked the topsides with standard 3M blue tape. At the end of the day, even if I didn't get to apply Cetol, I removed it--it came off cleanly.

On deck, because I had plenty left over from doing the boot stripe two years ago, I used some of the pale yellow-green plastic 3M tape. My recollection was that you could leave it on for long periods of time, which I did. Intervening family matters and bad weather meant that I left it on for more than a week. When I peeled it off, there was a gross-looking line of goo along the edges of my port and starboard toe rails.

Rather than stopping (I still had two more coats of Cetol Natural Teak to apply), I used the old reliable blue tape to finish the job. But I still can't get the goo off.

I've tried vinegar (my favorite boat cleaner), I've tried rubbing alcohol, I tried a heat gun and I've been using Goo Gone. The latter seems to work best, but even after painting it on and letting it sit for 15 minutes, I can't seem to get all the residue off the deck.

After Goo Gone, I'm using a wet rag, rubbing hard with my finger inside the rag. I supplement this with hard scrubbing with a plastic scrub brush. It's a tedious process, and there's still a dirty "bathtub ring" around the edge of my deck.

Would deck soap work?

I wanted my boat to look good this year, and at least the teak will. The rest ... well.

--Joe

[hilbert]

I've had good results with "GOOF OFF" professional strength remover.

Jonathan

[Jim Walsh]

Use MEK or acetone to remove glue. Try some of your wife's fingernail polish remover, that's acetone. If it works you can buy some at any home center.

[tjr818]

Boy do we know that story
We had good luck with lots of heavy duty paper towels and Goo-Gone. Anything that was left came off with Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. We try our best to avoid masking anymore. My First Mate has become very good with her Trim brush. We want to redo our non-skid next year and I am afraid to use any masking tape,even the 3M 60 day release tape, but I don't know what else we could do.

[RLW]

I had the same experience with 3m fine line tape. The cellophane came up leaving the adhesive behind. I tried what you have tried, and lost patience (what little I started with). I went sailing, and in time Mother Nature took good care of the problem. The residue was eventually dry and brittle, and could be rubbed away by hand. Now if it says one day tape I only leave it on one day!

[Gary M]

Joe,

You seem to have tried everything.

I'd give ice cubes a try. Some times if you can get the goo cold enough it will kind of "ball up" and then can be removed.

Good luck, and remember, the sun will eventually win.

Gary

[Joe Myerson]

Thanks, Jim. Acetone took most of it off, and I'll let Mother Nature do the rest.
--Joe

[Jim Walsh]

Thanks, Jim. Acetone took most of it off, and I'll let Mother Nature do the rest.
--Joe

Glad you gave it a try

[steveg]

Joe,

You might try 3M adhesive remover.

Steve

[Steve Laume]

I have done a lot of plastic laminate work, using contact cement. That stuff is pretty hard to get off. What I have found, works best is a combination of acetone and alcohol. The acetone softens the adhesive and the alcohol pulls it off of the surface. I use paper towels. Wet them good to apply the solvents but then use a fairly dry towel to help pull off the goo. I am sure I discovered this combination by trying everything but it works great and this is how I always do it now. The problem with anything that really dissolves or softens the the goo is that will just result in you're smearing it around when trying to remove it. That is what the alcohol is good for. I have never tried this combination on tape reside but it might be worth a try and it is much cheaper than goo gone.

Either that or you could just use goo gone and get some alcohol that you could drink while you are messing with it. If you drink enough you won't even care it the goo is still there, Steve.

[Joe Myerson]

Either that or you could just use goo gone and get some alcohol that you could drink while you are messing with it. If you drink enough you won't even care it the goo is still there, Steve.

I guess that rules out rubbing alcohol, unless you want to go blind.

--Joe

[sgbernd]

Goo-gone does work but it is tedious and sticky and still takes a lot of scraping and goo gets everywhere. This is an awful problem and there is not a good solution, other than to remove the tape at the end of the same day it want down before it has a chance to bond to the gel coat. Then re-mask for the next day's effort.

However, I noticed that part of the deck which I had rubbed out, polished, and waxed to a nice shine was much better at releasing the tape than the oxidized, dull, chalky gel coat.

Steve Bernd

[Sea Hunt Video]

Joe:

WD-40

[Joe Myerson]

Roberto,
Since WD-40 is essentially kerosene, I'm sure it would have worked, too. In fact, if Duct Tape can't hold it or WD-40 can't loosen it, you're cooked for sure.
--Joe

[Doug Hill]

I second the 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner, part # 08984. I found some masking tape residue left over from last year (2014) near the teak eyebrows on MEANDER this spring. The stuff works like a charm! Inhaling will probably kill brain cells quickly, (not a big deal here!), but the residue is gone quickly.

Fair winds,
Doug