I finally stopped using that cheap drafting tape from the hardware store

Last month I was laying out a set of plans for a commercial remodel in Grand Rapids. I used my usual cheap masking tape to hold down the vellum and it peeled off a corner of the drawing when I lifted it. Ruined three hours of work because the tape adhesive had dried out and stuck harder than expected. Switched to a proper drafting tape from an art supply shop and it releases clean every time now. The cost difference was maybe $4 more for a roll that lasts months. Has anyone else had a job site mistake like that force you to change a basic tool?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul3304d agoTop Commenter

The 3M blue tape @grayt46 mentioned is actually what made me switch. I left a roll in my truck last summer and the heat turned the adhesive into a gummy mess that wrecked a whole set of floor plans. Spent $6 on a roll of actual drafting tape at Blick and it pulls off clean even after sitting for a week. Sometimes you just gotta pay the extra few bucks to avoid the headache.

grayt464d ago

I mean, I get that cheap tape can be a problem sometimes, but I actually have had the opposite experience with the hardware store stuff. I've used the blue 3M painter's tape for years on my own projects and it peels off like a dream, even if I leave it on for a few days. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like the real issue is letting the tape sit too long or using the wrong kind for the paper. Drafting tape from an art store is nice and all, but I don't think it's some magic fix. If your hardware store tape dried out, that sounds like a storage problem or a bad batch, not a reason to switch brands completely.