Tape Residue

[boykinlp]

I got a question for you knife guys. I recently bought a few advertising knives for a hardware store. The store had a new one made each year for a bunch of years. Anyway, the knives have sticky tape residue on them. How should I go about removing it? These are not expensive knives, but I don't want to screw them up. Thanks, in advance, for any advice.
Larry

[Rustyt1953]

In my music shop I had great success removing tape and sticker residue with trumpet/slide valve oil or baby oil. They were cheaper than Goo Gone.

[crstrode]

Goo-gone.

Goo Gone | Goo Remover as Good as Gone

[boykinlp]

I may even have some Goo Gone. I definitely have mineral oil or maybe even baby oil.
Larry

[arjay]

I’ve heard that WD40 works too

[StakeOut]

I've used cooking oil and peanut butter.

[boykinlp]

I just tried the Goo stuff, and it worked like a charm. Thanks, folks.
Larry

[Model52guy]

I normally use pure orange oil. For me, it works better than Goo-Gone.

[2152hq]

WD-40 works well,,already noted.
Most any decent gun oil will work with some rubbing.

Plain alcohol on a cloth,,
I find those little tear open alcohol packet wipes work well.
Eye glass cleaner packet are about the same thing.

[30-30remchester]

I collect antique ammo and often there are old stickers that would tear if trying to remove. I use of all things, engine starting fluid. At first you think, oh no it is all wet and ruined, but within minutes the box is dry as it evaporates, and the sticker glue is soft and easy to remove. Never ruined a box in the 30 years I have been using it. As for Goo Gone I find it leave the paper permanently stained with the oil it is made from. I use starting fluid for many things. I must use 3 cans a week. I also use a lot of white gas on real stubborn items. It evaporates as well with no left behind residue. While I buy a gallon of it, it is Coleman camping fuel, I have a small squirt bottle of it in the house and both shops. One gallon lasts for years. If in doubt squirt some on a piece of white paper and check the results.

[upcountry]

I use mineral spirits to clean my blades. I've cut through a lot of packages and boxes held with packaging and other tapes and it works. My wife also uses glass jars for storing seeds, etc and after she soaks off the labels, the glue residue comes right off with mineral spirits.

[DWalt]

Mineral spirits is my go-to solvent for removing adhesive residue and general cleaning. If that doesn’t work, I go to acetone or MEK. Mineral spirits works very well for removing old dried-out masking tape but you need to keep it wet for awhile to soften the adhesive. Surprising how many old cardboard cartridge boxes are held together with masking tape.

[Pisgah]

Originally Posted by arjay

I’ve heard that WD40 works too

Used it many times -- just today, in fact.

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by Pisgah

Used it many times -- just today, in fact.

The main WD-40 ingredient is mineral spirits.

[2152hq]

Alcohol will disolve shellac and linseed oil, but that's about all in the world of common wood finishes.
I though it was a knife with some price sticker glue on it.
I'll be more careful in the future.

[Richard Simmons]

Naphtha/lighter fluid.

[Walter Rego]

+ 1 for good old fashioned lighter fluid. No residue, evaporates quickly and doesn't leave a stink like Goo Gone. I have used it many times to remove tape and tape residue from valuable gun boxes and it hasn't damaged any printing as long as you let it work and don't rub hard or try to peel the tape off before the Naptha has had a chance to work.

[DWalt]

Mineral spirits and naphtha are essentially the same thing, just aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent. May be some differences in flash point. Lighter fluid is just a low flash point naphtha. What is sold as mineral spirits usually has a high flash point, i.e., less volatile and safer.

[dave1918a2]

I've been using rubbing alcohol for decades with great success.

[Patrick L]

Anything oily that will get under the sticky without evaporating. Lots of people say alcohol but I think that evaporates without actually removing, it just re sticks when the alcohol evaporates.

As a trumpet player, I can second that valve oil works!!!

[GypsmJim]

Goo-gone "may" harm some finishes. Walmart "Goop", or the predecessor D&L Hand Cleaner works on most everything.

[Golddollar]

I'm using something called Oops that I had a can of around the house. My box cutter jammed up from some sticky substance, so I'm trying out the Oops on it.

[Gene L]

Mayonnaise will do it. I've used it to clean off automobile stickers. It's most likely the oil that does it, and the mayonnaise just holds it in place.

[DUSTYDOGDAN]

WD40 works good.

[boykinlp]

Originally Posted by 2152hq

Alcohol will disolve shellac and linseed oil, but that's about all in the world of common wood finishes.
I though it was a knife with some price sticker glue on it.
I'll be more careful in the future.

No worries, your advice was very good. I should have posted a picture of what I was dealing with before. The knife is all metal, no wood to worry about. Apparently, knives were held on a display board for decades. When the seller bought them from an estate, they just removed them from the board and left residue on them. Here is a picture of what I was dealing with. I haven't taken an after picture yet.
Larry

[CajunBass]

Originally Posted by GypsmJim

Goo-gone "may" harm some finishes. Walmart "Goop", or the predecessor D&L Hand Cleaner works on most everything.

Man, I haven't thought about DL hand soap in years. We used that stuff by the gallon at work to clean everything except hands I think. If that stuff didn't get it off...paint it.

[Golddollar]

Originally Posted by Golddollar

I'm using something called Oops that I had a can of around the house. My box cutter jammed up from some sticky substance, so I'm trying out the Oops on it.

I took my box cutter apart and cleaned everything with Oops. After letting the parts air off I wiped everything with Break Free and reassembled the box cutter. It went from being totally gummed up to almost greased lightning. I darn near lacerated my thumb when I pushed the blade out.

[gwpercle]

WD40 is great for getting tape residue off ... If real old and dry you just let it soak for 30 mins or so ... Rub the soaked residue with coarse rag , wetted with WD40 ... You may need to do it a couple times but WD40 should not damage even the cheapest plastic handle and certainly not damage the steel blades ... might even do blades a little good !
Gary