Over the years, I've tried countless self-adhesive splicing tapes hoping to find one perfect for vacuum veneering. Some were too strong and impossible to remove after pressing a veneered panel. Others were not strong enough to hold the veneer seam tight. When I found a tape that I thought was just right, it turned out to be problematic because it contaminated the veneer face with adhesive after 1,400lbs of pressure was applied from my vacuum press. Blue painter's tape is a great example; it will hold a joint tight and remove easily but if you leave it on the veneer face during pressing, you'll find that it leaves a deep residue which can make staining and finishing a major headache.

Not long ago, one of our customers made a suggestion for me to try a tape that he had been using in a vacuum press and getting exceptional results. I ordered samples and found the same positive outcome. The manufacturer tweaked the tape a little to make it work even better. We call it "Quick Stitch" because it is the fastest usable veneer tape available.

There's a lot to love about this tape!

• It requires no moistening.
• It is strong enough to hold even stubborn joints tight.
• It does not stain the veneer face.
• It is very easy to remove when used correctly.

Length: 175'
Width: 1"
Thickness: .20mm (approximately)

Instructions:
Always test the tape on the same species/grain in scrap veneer before use on a project. The importance of testing this tape on a scrap piece of your project's veneer can not be overstated.

Cut a clean edge on the veneers to be jointed/spliced. A sharp veneer saw is ideal for this task. Align the mating edges and hold tight with finger pressure. Place a small strip of Quick Stitch tape across the joint on the veneer face at 4 to 6 inch intervals. Then apply a fulll-length strip over the entire joint line. Press firmly with finger pressure. Flip the veneer face over and inspect the joint for gaps. If the joint is tight, flip the veneer back over so the face is upright.

Set your vacuum press for no more than 21" of Hg. Pressing at a higher vacuum level will cause the stick to aggressively stick to the veneer, and for this same reason we do not recommend this tape when clamping with any means other than a vacuum press.

Prepare the substrate with the proper veneer adhesive and lay the veneer onto the project panel. After pressing, simply remove the tape by pulling it off slowly at a 45 degree angle left or right of the joint line. Do not leave the tape on the project surface for more than 6 hours. If the tape is difficult to remove or pulls up splinters from the veneer, simply warm the tape with a hair dryer before proceeding. Sand and finish the veneered panel.

Note from Joe:
This tape has polarized its users. There have been concerns emailed to me about difficulty removing the tape from certain species, but a bit of heat can help with this issue. There are also some species that tear out easily if the tape is removed too aggressively. Mahogany is one in which most people seem to have this issue. The strange thing is that there are many people who absolutely swear by this tape and won't use anything else. I stopped offering this tape for several months and the feedback during that time was more than a little unpleasant. Some users (hobbyists, small cabinet shops, and a few larger companies) practically demanded that I offer it again. It's now back on my site and I encourage veneer users to at least try it out, but with the suggestion that it may not be the perfect tape for every species.