Removing Tape Residue

Perhaps Goo Gone?
I've used it before to remove sticky and residual stuff with great success.
You'd have a pretty good smelling spey rod as well.
SF

Try peanut butter First. The thick nature of it holds it on while allowing the oil to penetrate. I use it all the time for removing residue from stickers or other adhesives. (Baby gate stuck to my wall for 2yrs)

Lighter fluid

3M sells an automotive product called Universal Adhesive Remover. You can find it at automotive parts houses. It's what the dealership detail guys in the back use to remove stickers, glue, sealers and the like. It doesn't damage the underlying finish. I have a can of it at home

Like Peanut butter, mayonnaise will remove sticky residue. Same principle, consistency holds mayo in place, oil penetration does the magic. Light fingernail scrapping helps speed thing up.

WD-40 has worked. Spray on, let sit, wipe of. Dried tape residue like your working with would take several applications.

Vegetable oil on a soft rag, let it soak and rub. Are you sure it's tape residue? Rock hard and around the ferrule may be epoxy finish used on the wraps?

o mykiss said:

I have a used spey rod I picked up a while ago that has old tape residue around the ferrules. It is so old it's basically rock hard. Anyone know how to remove that without damaging the finish of the rod?

Click to expand...

Picture?

o mykiss said:

I have a used spey rod I picked up a while ago that has old tape residue around the ferrules. It is so old it's basically rock hard. Anyone know how to remove that without damaging the finish of the rod?

Click to expand...

Gasoline works wells

I suggest rubbing alcohol to begin with. It shouldn't be strong enough to damage the varnish or epoxy thread wraps and rod coating. Just moisten a clean dry cotton cloth, like a swatch of an old t shirt, and rub the adhesive one small area at a time. Keep the cloth damp with alcohol, not dripping wet. If rubbing alcohol doesn't do it, switch to denatured alcohol, or Ever clear alcohol. Be patient, and work in one small area of rod surface at a time. It should clean up.

Goof-off is lighter fluid. It's just more expensive.

Thanks, fellas. Good thoughts here that I will try, starting with most gentle solution and working my way up to the really toxic stuff. Fortunately I have a lot of the solutions suggested sitting around the house somewhere. (And yes - it's definitely tape residue. It's so old though that it's completely dried out.)

Know exactly what that is.. have a rod in same state. Tried Isopropyl alcohol (topically) along with good Bourbon (ingested) It would cut it some but oh.. so.. slooowllyyy ..and I'm pretty patient sort. Put the project on hold as it's not a primary rod. Thinking the PB application for a while to soften it then give the Iso another try. Cements my dislike of taped ferrules.

WD-40 is good for residue removal as well. Mineral spirits and denatured alcohol would probably work as well. Your approach is correct though. Start with the mildest and work your way up.

It can also help to heat it up w/ a hair dryer to move it along faster. I doubt the heat will do anything to the epoxy but you'll need to make a judgement call on that. If its your wife's hair dryer, do it while she's out. It's not harmful to the hairdryer but I find them to get quite spun up when fiddling with their hair implements.

Before I resorted to alcohol, mineral spirits, goof off or anything else I would use just plain old water! Cut a strip of cotton and soak in water and wrap the area in question, keep wet for several days if necessary and that should loosen up the glue and make it manageable.

If the finish is epoxy you have fewer concerns but if it is varnish then alcohol, mineral spirits, goof off and other stuff can degrade the finish coat on the wraps. That could become a bigger issue than the dried glue.

Dave

If you can't get it off, just remember that th fish don't care what your rod looks like.

WD-40 works well and is the safest.

Acetone--wife uses a fragrant version for polish removal--methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). Both are great for cleanup and reattaching broken blanks. Good for your sinuses too; if you are old enough. As a kid I used them for bug killer when I had a collection.

mcoomer said:

WD-40 is good for residue removal as well. Mineral spirits and denatured alcohol would probably work as well. Your approach is correct though. Start with the mildest and work your way up.

Click to expand...

WD40 is a very good solvent.