Featured How to remove old masking tape! Any ideas?

Hiya all my recent purchase of old hand painted antique fans, these were framed but the frames were trash, successfully unmounted from the boards but here is what I am left with, this is how they originally mounted for framing. Any tips or tricks? Should I send them to a professional?
Hand painted either on ivory or bone can't really tell. My concern it pulling the original paint off the fans. Any help much appreciated.
Thanks Kim

 

They're beautiful. But what a knucklehead thing for someone to do. If they were mine, I'd leave tape removal to a professional restorer. They look to have some value. (Hot air balloon!)

Debora

 

@Any Jewelry - She would love to see these fans & maybe she has some tricks to use on the tape.

A couple of years ago I sent her this fan which someone had glue down to the backboard.

I don't know if she has ever had a chance to work on it.

 

Masking tape is mostly just paper and glue.

I'd suggest hot water (applied with a damp cloth, for example) to soften the paper, which could then be peeled off gently with a sharp knife and rolled back. The excess glue could then be removed with an appropriate cleaning agent. Water is unlikely to harm the bone or ivory.

 

Lighter fluid will remove the sticky from tape and stickers for easy lifting from paper and other materials and it evaporates. I use it a lot on books and paper items to remove tape and price stickers.

 

If the masking tape hasn't crystallized (yet) and it still remains tacky, you can remove it by flooding it with benzine (lighter fluid) repeatedly and carefully lifting it away.
If there is any residue left (there will be) you can swab it away with a q-tip soaked in benzine.

 

Snap! Great minds etc. I use it all the time too, works great on price stickers on leather as well!

 

Bestine is a commercial product designed for that purpose.

https://www.amazon.com/Bestine-Solv...hild=1&keywords=bestine&qid=1611796260&sr=8-2

Debora

 

I have some Bestine, it's ok but not what I would use on paper - benzine is better as it leaves no residue, Bestine is a tiny bit oily.

 

would it damage the hand painted part?

 

It damages nothing and leaves no stain, evaporates completely.

 

I just took some old masking tape off an old graphic paper/light cardboard Christmas ornament box today, with great results.

I applied Goo Gone (liquid, not the spray gel) to the tape, waited a couple hours, and carefully worked the tape off. The residue sticky stuff left on the box came off easily using a little Goo Gone on a piece of terry cloth toweling. You'd never know the box had been all taped up!

I've never used lighter fluid to remove masking tape, but I know it works wonders for removing hot glue from clothing!

 

The National Air and Space Museum's collection of antique hand fans featuring hot air balloons.

https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/fans-national-air-and-space-museum

Debora

 

GooGone (hate the smell), lighter fluid (butane or naptha), nailpolish remover (acetone), distilled water, and/or cautious use of a hair-dryer all have their uses for removing various kinds of tape (Scotch tape, masking tape, brown paper tape, duct tape, &c' &c') from various materials (paper, wood, celluloid, bakelite, &c' &c') but can damage others. The combination of bone/ivory and paper makes for a tricky situation. Always test a tiny area in a more obscure section of the item, of course, using a Q-Tip or toothpick, before proceeding to remove large amounts of tape from more obvious sections.

 

JMHO. could be French. Éventail Montgolfière.
https://www.google.ch/search?q=éven...=img&ei=23ESYM_mEIySa7-Ul5AF&bih=535&biw=1184

when the tape is already brittle I'd put them in a plastic bag and into the deep freeze till you can chip off the tape.

 

I always use eucalyptus oil for this type of thing. It's a natural product but highly effective

 

for cooking ?

 

No! I put it in my mop bucket. It has a very fresh fragrance. Also great for removing stuck on gum

 

Stunning fans @Sdcookie2 , very good quality, both look 18th century.

Agree, it is a Montgolfière fan, a collector's piece. Looks like that one is wood with Vernis Martin.
Caution! I don't know how Vernis Martin will react to lighter fluid etc.
Montgolfière fans were made in several countries, and often bought as a souvenir of a balloon ride. There are quite a few Grand Tour Montgolfières, with scenes from Italy for instance.

I have, but it is not completely done. They also stuck quite a few painted blades together. So it is actually wider than in the photo you posted.
The only delay is that I keep forgetting to order lighter fluid. Off to do that now.