MIMF

The larvae can be a problem, but...
For rosewood, sanding and polishing frets leaves a metallic "stain" that pretty much disappears under oil, but I just don't like it. Eww!

Think about it - If there is dust embedded in maple that you can clearly see, then it's in the rosewood as well!

Do not underestimate the tenacity of metal fret dust. Don't ask me how I know this. Mask it!

You kids been busy. And it's not even a full moon. Maybe gamma ray burst from deep space . . .

Jason Rodgers wrote:Do not underestimate the tenacity of metal fret dust. Don't ask me how I know this. Mask it!

Yes, and with the right tape it only takes a few minutes to mask the entire board.

Aaand that brings us all the way back to the top...

Chuck Tweedy wrote: Yes, and with the right tape it only takes a few minutes to mask the entire board.

Chuck, have you tried 3/4" tape? It is just about the perfect size. Why don't you pick some up on your way home from work today?

You can cut wide tape down to the width you need. It's easy if you have a drill press. Just chuck a mandrel with a cutting disk in and adjust the table for the width you want. Then turn the roll on it's side and carefully cut a groove around the roll of tape. Be careful it can bind up on you if you cut to deep. When I mask binding I can get just the right size tape I need this way.

I've been wanting to try that paper freezer tape. No stretch. That stuff work?

Chuck,

I Stopped at Dick Blick today, and saw that they had 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 masking tape, and was going to get you a case of each but then I realized you wouldn't like the pretty colors it came in so I put it back.

If you can find a plain green magic marker to make it the right color, you could get some there.

You'll notice Randy is in the Midwest. . .

Just increase the scale length on your guitars and you could use the 1" tape. I understand that's readily available where you are.

Randy, you think I have a dick blick?

Okay, there's one on India Street
If I ever go down there, I'll check it out ... and they probably won't have it.

Jason, freezer tape would work to mask a FB, but why? Really just need a barrier of some sort to keep the dust off.
And a tape with no stretch would not be any good for binding. So ...

Chuck,
I don't know if you have a blick or not, I've always just assumed you had all the usual accessories [have I skirted propriety gracefully? ]

They do have a website I believe.

But of all the solutions we have tried unsuccessfully to get you to try, I think Bob's changing the scale length is the most luthier-like.

Chuck Tweedy wrote: Jason, freezer tape would work to mask a FB, but why? Really just need a barrier of some sort to keep the dust off.
And a tape with no stretch would not be any good for binding. So ...

In using masking and paint tape to mask stuff when using cutting tools, sometimes it snags and drags. Maybe tools would skip off the freezer tape. And I've only done one binding job (poorly), but I did notice that the masking tape would stretch initially, and then found it all stretched out when removing it after glue dried. How long did it stay elastic and pull the binding in?

As with most things, I'm over-thinking this, and not following the tongue-in-cheek-ed-ness of the thread.

Chuck Tweedy wrote:The wide-ish stuff is 0.954" or 24.23mm - could someone at 3M just make up their mind here??
This dimension was obviously decided upon by committee.
It's not 1" - can't offend the metric (most of the) world
It's not 24 or 25mm - can't offend the 'Mericans
It's not even a reasonable number of Angstroms or Leagues.

Hrrm....24.23mm equals 2423 E5 Angstroms, so I guess it's metric after all <ducking>...

and I can't get the blue low tack version locally!

No it is definitely not metric. According to 3M, they cut it at 4/4 but once it is dried, it ends up being around 0.954". They said this is the industry standard and that the expectation is that the end user will mill it down to eliminate any warp or twist remaining from the drying process, let it acclimate to the shop conditions for at least 24 hours, then do the final milling to desired dimensions (3/4"). They went on to say "geese, I thought everyone knew this."

Jason Rodgers wrote:I've been wanting to try that paper freezer tape. No stretch. That stuff work?

Freezer take is great but it's a whole lot stickier than masking tape. It can pull the finish off the edge of a fingerboard in no time. I use it to remove inlay pieces that fit a little too tight for comfort.
It does hold up well to abrasion and it's thick enough that you get a little more warning when you start bumping into the edge before hitting your finished surface.

"It ends up being around 9.54." If they know this, why didn't they cut it at 1.046 so it ends up being 1"? How long is a 3M foot? a 3M mile? Are there 137 rolls in a gross of 3M tapes? To be fair, I looked at the package. It does specify .95".

Bob Gramann wrote:"It ends up being around 9.54." If they know this, why didn't they cut it at 1.046 so it ends up being 1"? How long is a 3M foot? a 3M mile? Are there 137 rolls in a gross of 3M tapes? To be fair, I looked at the package. It does specify .95".

In the interest of full disclosure (at the cost of comedy) I made that part up too. I'm far too lazy to contact 3M about their tape size. Really, it has nothing to do with the restraining order they have against me.

Dang! I should have read your post more carefully. I embarrassingly and fully retract my last post.