I just pressed my first pair of skis and they look amazing. the only problem is that the packaging tape i put down on my bases before layup to keep them clean won't come off. does anyone have any tips for removing this tape such as some sort of chemical or anything?
If it is just tape and not epoxy, try a heat gun or a hair dryer even. Heat helps remove all adhesives I have found. And if acetone doesn't help with the residue, I have used toluene with good results.
I had this same problem, I was able to remove the tape but it left glue all over the base. I got some stuff called Oops that I found in the hardware store in the same isle as lacquer thinner and other solvents. It stinks like hell but it works great for removing the glue residue.
On the last few pairs of skis I have not used any tape. Got tired of trying to peel it off the base. I do get a small amount of resin on the base, and only in a few areas. This cleans right off with the base sand / grind. I haven't looked or measured the effect of the resin as far as the base being flat or not. However they come out great with the base sand / grind. I would guess that securring the base to the mold has alot to do with resin getting under or not. Also I try to not use alot of resing during the lay-up. I'm sure there are others that do not use tape for base protection. Maybe they will add additional information...
ra
I would never put tape on the base. Waste of a lot of time. If you have a good mold and press system that is pressing the entire base flat there is no need to use tape. Unless you like making things difficult.
I've been using masking tape(good quality blue or green) on my base before layup, it peels of relatively easily and a lot less epoxy to grind off. My local ski tech doesn't like the epoxy going through the coolant pump when base grinding. Even if i don't get complete coverage of my base it still just leaves a small line or less to deal with on the finished ski.
sam
You don't even have a legit signature, nothing to reveal who you are and what you do...
I found this pic of the base on my last ski. There was no tape used. You can see where and how much epoxy resin got under the base. Not much and it cleaned off very easy with the base sand / grind.
ra
most shop techs don't realize how incredibly hard you can sand the base material without it damaging the base. Last board I sanded by hand with a flat belt sander. Worked great. It would be even easier with skis.
are you getting more bleed under the base than this?
