Duct Tape Removal

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akinswi

New member
While cleaning a closet in my parents House. I found an old Single Shot Gun that I use to hunt with when I was 12 to 13 years old. The forend came off so I used camo duct tape and I taped it to the barrel and I taped the entire barrel. The Duct Tape will not come off. Its been on there 25 years

Can I soak it in kerosene to losen the adhesive? Its an old Harrington Richardson from the 50s I believe.


Thanks
 
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44 AMP

Staff
I'd try WD-40 first. Because its handy and usually a fair solvent.

Gasoline, Kerosene, and other sprits will work, with differing degrees of effect, health hazards and flammability concerns.

I'd expect you'll have to cut the tape somewhere, to get an edge you can peel up, Expect old tape to crack and break as you remove it.
 
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Scorch

New member
This is the only time I recommend people use WD40 on their guns. But yes, kersosene or mineral spirits or solvent or you name it.
 
4

44 AMP

Staff
I've found WD-40 to be excellent on gun, when they are stuck shut due to gummed up or dried up lube. The carrier solvent in the WD-40 loosens things up to allow disassembly for complete degreasing and reassembly with the proper lubricant.

WD-40 as the "working" lube?? No..

as a step in the solution to a problem due to crud or old lube, seems to work pretty well for me.
 
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veprdude

New member
+1 on WD40, although it doesn't do very well on super old adhesive. Rule of thumb is if the adhesive is old enough to be dry and cracking, WD40 won't do much. WD40 evaporates pretty quickly, so after applying, wrap the barrel in cling wrap and let it sit for a few days.

I've had good luck with P'Blaster for adhesives. It smells foul and is generally used in the auto industry for stuck bolts. It does a better job than WD40 at adhesive removal.

Try either one with an old credit card. The plastic of a credit card is usually harder than the adhesive you're trying to remove but softer than the material under the adhesive.

Next step up is acetone. Acetone should be safe for bluing but will eat plastics and varnish.
 
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cdoc42

New member
"Next step up is acetone. Acetone should be safe for bluing but will eat plastics and varnish."

I can support that! About 50 years ago I was tasked with making a solution containing acetone for a nursing home, and as I picked up a gallon glass jug it dropped no more than 5 inches, hitting the bottom edge of the jug at an angle against a vinyl tile floor and instantly smashed. Almost instantly the floor dissolved everywhere the acetone touched it.
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
If the adhesive has hardened, then you will need a pretty aggressive solvent like acetone or Gun Scrubber, and it will probably ruin/remove the wood finish and potentially damage any plastics it comes into contact with.

If the adhesive is still soft, something like Goo Gone, kerosene, Ballistol, etc. will take it off with a significant amount of elbow grease added into the mix.
 
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natman

New member
I've found Gumout carb cleaner to be excellent at removing tape residue, although I would test it on wood finish first.
 
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ballardw

New member
A lot of the stuff I use duct tape that gets "old" enough the only thing holding the tape on is that the object was completely wrapped and the top layers of tape are sticking to bottom layers. The tape actually on the object is often dried up and the adhesive, such as it is, will actually brush off. That might partially be a function of the base material, which is fairly porous, and exposure but it may be that the cut carefully and peal may show not much actually sticking to the stock or barrel.
 
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Adventurer 2

New member
I asked a similar question years ago on here. Left camo tape on my 870 Express for a year and it was gummy when i peeled it off. WD40 -- was the answer then and is still the answer.
 
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akinswi

New member
None on the stock or forend only barrel. Im sure the sticky residue I can get off with ballistol on the wood parts. I will try the Wd-40 or Ballistol on the barrel and wrap it in shrink wrap . I guess I will need to cut into the tap a bit to absorb as much as possible. I will try to post pics

After that I will need to fix the metal stud that holds the forend to barrel it has come off hence why I used the Duct tape when I was 12 lol.

I dont know if sodder would work or if I could jb weld it
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
Another option for the sticky residue is to get a fresh piece of duct tape and use it to pull the sticky mess off the gun. Apply the new tape over the spot and pull up--you will need to repeat several times, but it should remove the old adhesive.
 
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Recycled bullet

New member
I like the bg brand penetrating oil.

It's kinda foamy and blasts away dirt, and cleans efficiently when scrubbed with a sturdy plastic cleaning brush.

I've never tried, would silicone spray work for this?
 
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Shadow9mm

New member
Try a little heat first. Think gentle with a heat gun, or moderate with a hair dryer. Heat will generally loosen or soften adhesives. Its how they remove stickers, decsls, and sometimes even lettering and emblems off cars.

Once you have the tape/backing off, i would try a soak with wd40, or spot test some goo-be-gone where it wont show.
 
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