Edge tape issue

[immacupcake]

I'm having an issue with edge tape. I recently assembled my new setup. Everything including gluing and cutting was done perfectly to my standards. Additionally I added two pieces of side tape - one to the lower section of the racket where I'll occasionally hit the table and the other near the top. During a practice session I somehow dented the area in between which lwk pmo but it is what it is. As I readjusted the tape for more protection, it somehow took out some glue from in between the rubber and blade. Now a small section of my sponge isn't secured and a small buildup of side tape residue. Does anybody have any solutions to my problem being:

1. I want my blade to be protected further dents seeing as them Q968s don't come cheap and I don't plan on going to China to restock
2. I don't want the edge tape to rip off bits of glue and leave that residue on the side of my blade

 

[Larshos]

To anyone else wondering, "lwk pmo" is not a typo, but intentional and means "low-key pissed me off", apparently.

Try your best not to get glue on the blade edge when applying glue. That's usually where the edge tape can grab onto any residual glue and wreak havoc when removing edge tape.

The best guard for protecting your blades is, however, the rubbers, cutting them with some overhang and then using edge tape to stop them from peeling off.

 

[andymagata]

Can we skip the edge tape and use a thick string of glue instead?

 

[lodro]

Everything including gluing and cutting was done perfectly to my standards

Maybe your standards need adjusting. One can apply glue without making a mess

 

[KM1976]

Share the photos of the dent, may be I can give you some good idea, how to fix it. Regarding the rubber coming out/getting unglued, if it is just a small corner, then you can put some very small quantity of glue there and keep it under some thick books overnight to make it stick again.

 

[immacupcake]

Share the photos of the dent, may be I can give you some good idea, how to fix it. Regarding the rubber coming out/getting unglued, if it is just a small corner, then you can put some very small quantity of glue there and keep it under some thick books overnight to make it stick again.

Honestly its not too bad of a dent

 

[immacupcake]

Maybe your standards need adjusting. One can apply glue without making a mess

Idk why you're assuming I made a mess. I didn't have any excess glue on the side of the blades.

For reference, my gluing is similar to what you see in this yt short

 

[jonol]

Well, the edge tape must have been stuck to the glue somehow for it to pull the rubber off the blade

You could try an edge tape that is less adhesive. Not sure what you used but some like Tibhar and Yasaka seem quite adhesive, but the Nittaku 'stripe guard' one is a lot less so in my experience.

 

[immacupcake]

Well, the edge tape must have been stuck to the glue somehow for it to pull the rubber off the blade

You could try an edge tape that is less adhesive. Not sure what you used but some like Tibhar and Yasaka seem quite adhesive, but the Nittaku 'stripe guard' one is a lot less so in my experience.

I ended up creating a new solution. I took my butterfly edge tape to the dusty places in my house getting any little particles I could to reduce it stickiness enough so that it doesn't leave any residue or pull glue. As for blade protection I added two more layers of edge tape around the areas where I might hit my racket against the table

 

[Lando]

I just got some kokutaku spongy edge tape and its been working well, and protects a lot better

 

[immacupcake]

I just got some kokutaku spongy edge tape and its been working well, and protects a lot better

Does it leave residue on the side of the blade?

 

[sebi]

Did you cut your rubbers with a knife? When the blade is dull it can also tear on the glue.
And there is no extra rubber to pritect the blade.

I always use very sharp good scissors and try to cut so the rubber is bigger then the blade 1mm is enaugh then you will never have issues with damaging your blade.

 

[immacupcake]

Did you cut your rubbers with a knife? When the blade is dull it can also tear on the glue.
And there is no extra rubber to pritect the blade.

I always use very sharp good scissors and try to cut so the rubber is bigger then the blade 1mm is enaugh then you will never have issues with damaging your blade.

I use a sharp pair of scissors. As for the overcut, I used to do that but it added around 5 grams of weight from both fh and bh side

 

[KM1976]

Honestly its not too bad of a dent

Ok, doesn't looks too bad. However, if the edges get raised then you might see that your rubbers would feel bumped/swollen on that place. Here is how I do it. But you will need to remove the rubbers and work with the wood alone before trying out my approach.
1. Try to press down on the swollen part. If it is very minute, then just pinch it a bit harder and it should compress. Else, if it really swollen then you might need small clamps. Make sure to put thick layer of padding on the blade before you use any clamps. Else your top layer will get damaged.
2. Once you have bought the damaged end to its original shape, you can see if small fragments are coming out. Try to gently put them back in place. If the edge is rough then use hands to put it back as much as possible or use very fine grade sandpaper to grind the pointed parts. Don't overdo it. Less is more.
3. Take a wood glue. I use Gorilla brand wood glue but any one will do. If it is really a hole or the dent is deep you can consider mixing a bit of pencil shavings (take pencil shavings and remove the painted part and the front part which contains the black lead, use only the middle part and mash it thoroughly to create a fine powder). Put the mixture of wood glue and pencil shavings (optional) on the edge. Don't worry about it not being too pretty. Just fill it and make sure there are no gaps.
4. Let this treatment take hold so let it dry and become solid. Usually it happens pretty fast for me. But your mileage may vary. Anyways, let it dry down completely.
5. Once the setup is dry, you can use very fine grade sandpaper to sand out the excess. Again, less is more here. Don't overdo anything.

That's it. Your blade should be in good shape now and ready to be used again. If you want, you can apply TT sealant for additional protection. I use Joola varnish and I found it very good. Again less is more. . So be mindful.

 

[immacupcake]

Ok, doesn't looks too bad. However, if the edges get raised then you might see that your rubbers would feel bumped/swollen on that place. Here is how I do it. But you will need to remove the rubbers and work with the wood alone before trying out my approach.
1. Try to press down on the swollen part. If it is very minute, then just pinch it a bit harder and it should compress. Else, if it really swollen then you might need small clamps. Make sure to put thick layer of padding on the blade before you use any clamps. Else your top layer will get damaged.
2. Once you have bought the damaged end to its original shape, you can see if small fragments are coming out. Try to gently put them back in place. If the edge is rough then use hands to put it back as much as possible or use very fine grade sandpaper to grind the pointed parts. Don't overdo it. Less is more.
3. Take a wood glue. I use Gorilla brand wood glue but any one will do. If it is really a hole or the dent is deep you can consider mixing a bit of pencil shavings (take pencil shavings and remove the painted part and the front part which contains the black lead, use only the middle part and mash it thoroughly to create a fine powder). Put the mixture of wood glue and pencil shavings (optional) on the edge. Don't worry about it not being too pretty. Just fill it and make sure there are no gaps.
4. Let this treatment take hold so let it dry and become solid. Usually it happens pretty fast for me. But your mileage may vary. Anyways, let it dry down completely.
5. Once the setup is dry, you can use very fine grade sandpaper to sand out the excess. Again, less is more here. Don't overdo anything.

That's it. Your blade should be in good shape now and ready to be used again. If you want, you can apply TT sealant for additional protection. I use Joola varnish and I found it very good. Again less is more. . So be mindful.

I ended up regluing my bh rubber. As for the dent I feel like it'll be fine without the wood glue and pencil shavings as its a rather shallow one. For sealing, I already sealed my blade when it was brand new with a dhs sealer

 

[Lando]

Does it leave residue on the side of the blade?

I haven't removed one yet but it probably does

 

[immacupcake]

I haven't removed one yet but it probably does

I see well I did mention that I found a solution above that leaves essentially no residue, no unwanted glue removal, while protecting the blade. Although I do agree spongy edge tape does protect the blade better than a thin tape style

 

[sebi]

I use a sharp pair of scissors. As for the overcut, I used to do that but it added around 5 grams of weight from both fh and bh side

I would rather have 5 gramms more to protect my blade then having edges like you. And using extra edge tape on those spots alos increases weight.

 

[immacupcake]

I would rather have 5 gramms more to protect my blade then having edges like you. And using extra edge tape on those spots alos increases weight.

Not really tbh. I used to play with an insanely heavy setup. Petr Korbel, H3N Prov BS 39, H8-80. That setup was around 207grams. As for now, my total weight is roughly 192/193 so even with some edge tape it doesn't increase it by much. Yes I agree the overcut does help protect the blade but I will see how it goes with my "solution". When I replace my rubbers I will do an overcut

 

[linduz]

Per il mio Q968, ho applicato uno di quei nastri effetto carbonio che si trovano su AliExpress, spesso 6 mm, che protegge solo il profilo del telaio.