Masking tape gunk

[Michael Rogers]

Can anyone suggest the best way to remove the residual stickiness left by masking tape?

I've tried white spirit, acetone, 'plaster remover' (from the pharmacy), all of which didn't work, and Swarfega which seemed to soften the gunk but left its own mess. All these were tested 'in vitro' on the bench. I haven't yet tried cellulose thinners (don't currently have any), or xylene which I do happen to have to hand. Or, come to think of it, meths, which I do also have (somewhere). I'll keep testing!

The masked areas were hardwood which was unsealed prior to applying the tape, for carefully considered reasons I won't detail here. Swarfega, for example, would itself soak a bit into the wood surface without evaporating away - undesirable, methinks, when it comes to final clear finishing of the hardwood.

Does masking tape adhesive eventually dry enough to be sanded off? How long would that take?

Any advice much appreciated.                 Michael

[Jeremy]

Useless bit of late advice - if going to leave masking tape on for more than a day or two, use the more expensive blue stuff.  Not much comfort now, but the blue stuff comes off cleanly after weeks or months of being in place.

On a more practical note, isopropyl alcohol is the best stuff for getting the residue off.  It often takes a bit of rubbing, but it doesn't tend to attack paints, varnishes etc.  It's also an excellent solvent for wiping up uncured epoxy, and tends to be less harmful to the skin than some other solvents, making it one of those handy solvents to keep around the place

[Michael Rogers]

Not useless at all, Jeremy, because I have some more masking to do. So thanks. And to show what a greenhorn I am, I wasn't aware of the existence of the blue variety! I'll get some in - and some isopropyl alcohol.

Thanks again                Michael