Questions about working side and finished side

[cmoewes]

I am totally new to marquetry and have done a couple of things that are really very simple and border more on laminating a veneer onto a piece of wood (with a simple heart shaped cut out). But here is my question.

I used basic plain old masking tape to keep the pieces of a chess board cut out together (http://www.marquetry.org/Chessboard.htm) and I couldn't get all the tacky glue tape to come off my finished side. So 1) should I be taping my finished side or the working side and 2) what is the best way to get the tape and all the sticky residue off once I am finished with it?


Thanks.

[powderpost]

G'day C.... I have just completed 4 chess boards. I use clear self adhesive cellulose tape as used in most offices, mostly because I haven't been able to find thin paper tape. Some tips I have learnt from past failures.. I use a traditional shooting board to dress one edge of the veneer before cutting a strip. I cut three strips of each colour, equal size and one strip about 1/4" wider. This allows me to trim the board square without loosing any width. The tapes are applied to the face side only. The tape has a tendency to tear the veneer, so pull it off diagonally and slowly. I use lacquer thinners to remove the residual adhesive. Using clear tape allows me to see the joints before gluing down. Hope this is of some benefit to you.

Jim

[steve54123alt]

One this that i find helpful when using tape is to tear off a new peice and stick it to th bench first and then tape the venneer??? It seems to take the tackyness away, and i've never had problems with tear out or stick stuff left on the peice... Oh and i use really cheap tape aswell.

[powderpost]

The tape I use is also the cheap variety, but the problem arises after the job comes out of the press. As well, I don't bother about cleaning the veneer before applying the tape.
Jim

[cmoewes]

Hey, thanks everyone for your suggestion. I really like to idea of just sticking the tape to the workbench once to reduce its stickyness.

On the up side, the chessboard pattern I made was to put on the top of a simple box as a mothers day gift and my mother loved it. She said the "FLAWS" made it look more antique.

I guess that's the upside of giving things to family. They can't say... "What is this Cr@P" :D