By Mindy Kinsey
Advanced Converting Technologies Inc. in London, Ont., Canada, makes tape. According to the company’s president, Jack Brown, they were researching drop cloth tape for the paint industry when they found our mention of it. Intrigued, Jack contacted us and sent a sample of his double-sided repositionable tape to see if it would work for scrolling. We tested it and shared our thoughts, and Jack asked some woodworkers in his area, including members of the St. Thomas Wood Carvers Club, to test the tape as well. Encouraged by our positive reactions, ACT has developed both Scroll Saw Tape and a related Poster Tape. Ironically, the paint people weren’t interested after all.
Scroll Saw Tape comes in rolls that are 8 1/2″ wide, so it’s easy to adhere to the back of an entire page or to cut smaller pieces as needed. The tape sticks firmly to blanks while you are scrolling, but is easy to peel off cleanly, without residue, once you’re done. We left patterns attached to wood for several days and the tape did not dry or peel. We used the tape while cutting several varieties of wood, including cherry, and it appears to lubricate the blade to prevent scorching. Because the tape is repositionable, it is easy to use for intarsia and segmentation methods that suggest reusing the same cut pattern pieces. In short, this tape is the perfect solution for sticking scroll saw patterns to blanks. As a bonus, you can use the tape to stick reference patterns or other pages to the wall; they will stay indefinitely and remove cleanly when you’re ready.
Rolls of 8 1/2″-wide Scroll Saw Tape are available in two lengths: 5′ for $6.95 and 20′ for $19.95. It is available from The Winfield Collection, www.thewinfieldcollection.com; Workshop Supply, www.workshopsupply.com; and Scroller Scroll Saw Patterns & Supplies, www.scrolleronline.com.
