Do you know a good masking tape for laser cutting

I’m using this masking tape.

but it’s out of stock now… Do you know any good masking tape instead of that?

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A quick search for masking will find a ton of threads on this, but this one is my favorite:

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I get mine from here:


I use the 6" exclusively now. I tried the 12", but most of my stuff is small enough that the 6" works better, and the one roll of 12" I got was defective, and wouldn’t stick. It actually started a fire in my laser, from curling up while it was cutting, and the loose corner got hit with the laser beam. Scary. I don’t know if it was a fluke or not, but I have since stuck with the smaller roll, and had no issues.

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So you might be right, but there are a couple of things that might be at play here – lower-tack tapes like this need to be pressed down with a tool, and even then how well they adhere is based on the material. How smooth your wood is will affect this a great deal.

So yeah if you still have it you might want to try it again. Make sure your material is smooth and clean, and use a tool to press it down (a straight edge scrap is fine as a test, I like a 3M plastic squeegee myself).

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For a quick second I thought that was toilet paper!

I got my tape from here. https://www.mclogan.com/shop/tape-4075-rla-application-tape-p-66.html i got trhe 12" x 100 yds

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I used a Pampered Chef plastic scraper that I stole from my wife for this purpose, and all my wood is sanded and finished prior to engraving. It’s pretty smooth. I tried the 12" roll on a number of different surfaces, too. It simply did not stick as well. If I recall, the 12" is medium tack, while the 6" is low tack–yet the 6" works better for me. I also still use that plastic scraper. :smiley:

So one other thing I’ve heard is that adhesives have a shelf life. In theory a really old roll of masking could lose its tackiness, maybe you were sold a roll that sat in a warehouse for years? I dunno, sounds like you got a bum deal.

I’ve had nothing but good luck with Perfectear Plus. I have both a 6" and 12" roll, like you said, sometimes 6" is easier or more efficient to work with.

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Different brands behave differently, but even low tack can work just fine. It often depends on surface preparation - which is one reason it’s worth paying for proofgrade materials, if you don’t have the ability or time to prepare materials for masking when necessary.

That was the issue, I think. When I talked with their customer support, first off, they were very helpful, and eventually I got a refund, but they also said that it is possible that the roll I got was simply old when they shipped it.

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