I had a roll recently that gave me fits! I've had some where the core wasn't exactly round before, and it caused issues, but this one was actually broken. I finally got it used up. Now I need to buy more. Thinking about starting with a small amount to test them out well.
Sure do miss Bugga's posts! She was so sweet!

A kind of strange fix for wonky ATG tape centers...

I was going to switch out a roll that wasn't quite finished because my 2nd ATG was empty. As I went to dispose of the empty spool, I decided to try to insert the spool into the opening of one of my "bad" rolls.

Oh, my! I had to remove a bit of the tape/feeder from the center but replacing the core has worked perfectly and the tape now feeds just as it should without the roll falling off the spindle!

At one point, I received an entire bad batch of tape (centers) which was replaced by the company. I've been using it occasionally for things where I didn't really need my ATG. This fix will make every one of those rolls perfectly usable again.

I'm sharing this tip in case it might also be a workaround for you.

Oh wow! Thank you! I would have never thought of that!

I am having this problem right now! Thanks for the tip, maybe I can salvage a couple rolls.
Thanks!

I recently started having this problem of my 714 gun only working halfway through a roll, then for some reason I now have to take the roll out and FLIP it over because the sticky side is now on top... have no idea why this happens. Last 4 rolls came from Amazon shopping.... I have the original gun, probably a good 10+ years old. Any suggestions? thank you in advance !

Mac

Is there a removable tape?
 

I can not remember the last time I bought a refill for my ATG since I’ve been out of crafting for awhile. But I thought there was a removable version of the tape - is my memory wrong? I have 2 ATGs and I swear I use to keep permanent acid free in one and removable in the other. Anyone know?

I have been buying ATG tape for a while now and don't recall ever seeing removable tape. The options have been acid free and NOT acid free.

ATG Tape
 

[QUOTE=mycatstamps2;21621334]Thanks for the info. I would like to buy a large quantity to (1) keep on hand, and (2) have a lower cost per un\


Chances are the 3M 908 Acid Free tape is being discontinued in the 1/4 inch width. But you can buy 3M #924 for $2.99, (1/4 inch width and 36 yards long )a roll at framingsupplies.com..I bought the 908 at Amazon last week for $64 a case of 12 rolls, but this week it is almost $69 a case and Framing Supplies just stopped carrying the 1/4 inch since I returned the last box I bought from them because the mold smell was so awful. Both Amazon and Framing supplies wrapped the box of tape in Cling-wrap, so perhaps it was coming across the ocean on a slow boat from China. I can't think of another way the mold smell could have been so strong had to return the case.
Be carerful that you use only the #714 gun, with quarter inch tape, and if it is incorrectly applied on the roll of the tape, framingsupplies shows how to fix that and also they show how to thread the tape if you are new to the #714 gun. I searched on the internet for other suppliers of the 908 tape and didn't find any except at Staples where the quantity I would have had to buy was way more than any of us would use in a lifetime, I suspect.

Musc, the red one is Scotch #714, which is for 3M 1/4 inch tape ATG tape. I use the acid free
3M #908, and always have and here's the good news. My daughter worked for a firm that bought their employees' birthday, work-anniversary, and get well cards from me, for 20 years. She's retired now and his morning she brought me the stack she had received, during that 20 years, all made by me and all looking like brand new.In fact I went to take apart the inside page so she could use them to send to others, and the 908 tape was still really tight. All the embellishments on all the cards were still on very tight, and even some charms and buttons that were a bit heavy are still clinging tight.There has been zero fading of any inks or ribbons or embellishments. And that's over 20 years.

Others say the red and pink guns work the same, but because the price is so different , I've bought the red only because I like the way it works with the acid free tape and don't want to change.

It sounds like the tape you bought may have been stored incorrectly and the adhesive might have been squished out slightly on the sides at a certain point on the roll. If the adhesive starts to come out a bit on the sides, it can grab hold of the release tape above it and find a home there instead of where it belongs. I'm sure that doesn't make any sense at all, but the result is that now the adhesive is stuck to the release tape above it on the roll instead of where it belongs. That happened to me a couple of times and I just pulled the adhesive loose from the "wrong" spot on the tape and stuck it down where it belonged. The tape then continued to unroll as it was designed.
Check your roll and see if you can feel sticky on the sides of the roll. If you do, then that might be the cause. I'm pretty sure it's the tape and not the dispenser though, from your description.
Karen

The most recent tape I bought is NOT the same quality as before, but neither is the #714 gun either.The tape is so thin, it keeps breaking, and I have to fiddle with it because the adhesive does leak out the sides. And the gun is near impossible to open and the small black doohicky that is supposed to click on to hold the tape reel doesn't hold tight. Sorry, I'm angry, 3M used to be "the gold standard" and is no more, and I don't know of alternatives, except to use 6000 glue, which does still work but I don't know how it will hold over the long haul. Cards i made 18 years ago, using the 3M products, are STILL just like new.It was only a day ago that i wrote here praising 3M products, but I made my first card with the new 3M tape just last night and wanted to burn the tape AND the gun for all the trouble I went to in order to finish ONE card!

This thread being now eleven years old needs to get ditched. it's a whole new world these days and the #714 rerd tape applicator I just bought was more than twice the 2010 price, AND very difficuot to use. The tape is also way more expensive and so sheer it keeps breaking. I am going to try using glue where i used to use tape, because it takes way too much time to fight the applicator AND the tape.

I only recently bought the pink gun. I used to exclusively use Tombow mono adhesive, but I have been unsatisfied in recent years.
So, I am still new to the atg. I bought 12 rolls of the cheaper tape on Amazon. First roll was fine. The second roll, I dropped the gun, and the tape broke. I just wound it around, but it wouldn’t stick permanently to the catch roll. I even tried using glue dots. I ended up taking it out of the gun and using what was left on the roll (a significant amount) like tear and tape. Obviously, this at least doubled the time it took to glue something down.
The next roll broke for no reason at all. Does anyone have a fix for if it breaks? I was mass producing invitations, so I set aside the broken roll and moved on to a fresh roll, which I used up with no problems.

I have had bad luck ordering craft stuff from Amazon, am still awaiting credit for 3M 908 tape I returned March 11th. I am now using Tape Depot, at a third the price of the 3M. So far, so good. You want ATG 1/4in. tape, 36 yards to the roll, which will cost you around $26 as opposed to $64. Return the Amazon tape because they are now making it so sheer it breaks every 2 or 3 inches. They have no problem sending you Return Label and issuing credit quickly, USUALLY !

Thanks. I’ll check out tape Depot.

It's actually an easy fix. First, take all the used paper off the back wheel and throw it away. Then pull a length of leader tape and attach it to the back wheel just as if you're putting in a new roll of tape. Make sure the tape is properly threaded over and around the rubber wheels and you're good to go.

Bahb, it seems that now, more than ever, you really have to watch those third-party sellers on Amazon. Some charge crazy high prices. Others sell inferior product that they pass off as the read deal. I usually TRY to buy from Amazon, not a third-party seller but sometimes what I really want is only available through a third-party so I cross my fingers and hope for the best.

You know, I didn’t think of trying to take off all the paper. I was trying to attach it to the used paper. I’ll give that a try when my current roll runs out. Thank you, Melissa!

One thing I know is that the pink gun has tape that has holes around the spool; the red one does not. You have to be sure to buy the tape with holes around the spool for the pink gun or tape with no holes for the red gun; they have to match!

ATG Gun
 

I have used the ATG for years. Recently started purchasing the permanent (red) 1/4" refills in a bulk pack on Amazon. I could use a standing subscription....

There were two kinds. The red was not acid free but the Gold was, and the gold was more expensive. Neither was removable. And now neither is worth the money. Tape Depot is the place to go for ATG that fits in the red gun. 1/4 inch wide and 36 yards to a roll. 3M was the best, for many years, but not anymore. It is so shear now it breaks every few inches. Tape Depot breaks too, but not as often. I paid $26 for 12 rolls of ATGTape Depot, and $64 for 12 rolls of 3M, acid free.When 3M was good, it was very much better than Tape Depot ATG, but no more.

YES! I have both as well. There is no difference and they use the same tape 1/4"x36 yds

I agree. I have the red one and later added a pink one. I order & use the very same adhesive rolls for both of my ATG's. There is no difference between the red or pink ATG mechanism that holds the roll in place. Over the years I've stayed with ordering a minimum of 12 rolls at a time as the pricing is best. Only in emergencies have I used a coupon at Michael's or Joann to buy a box of 1 or two rolls.

I also have the pink one and the red one, but have found that the pink one is not quite as sturdy as the red one. I'm thinking that the red one will last longer. On the other hand, my husband ran over the pink one once, and it spit and cracked so badly that I thought I would have to toss it. Since I was on my way to a 4 day crop when he ran over it, I decided to tape it with shipping tape to see if I could make it last for several days. I popped the mechanism back into place, shifted the handle part and taped the broken pieces securely with shipping tape. It worked PERFECTLY, even though it looks like Frankenstein's monster now. That was 8 years ago and I use it as my spare ATG , which I keep downstairs so I don't have to keep running up and down the stairs when I work on projects.
Karen

Good to know
 

This is good to know.

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I am still using my red 714 gun (from about 15 years ago), and the tape is horrible. I get it from Tape Depot. The last case (12) I purchased has the same issue: I have to unroll about a full foot before it starts working correctly.. the sticky side seems to be on the 'wrong' side, and has to be unrolled before it'll start rolling correctly. The tape is very thin, and does break a lot. Actually, before the pandemic, I don't recall having this issue. I love the liquid glue, but it warps my paper even using 110 pound cardstock. Adhesives is my biggest expense in my card ministry. I also have the E-Z Runner, which takes cartridges - but the prices of the cartridges is outrageous. If anyone has a better solution, I'd like to know. Thanks !!

For the ATG: You should not need to wast a foot of the tape to get it working properly. I remember that there was a (3M?) video that was very helpful. Essentially. you press on the "backwards" tape with a bone folder or similar to get it to move to the right side of the roll. Works every time.

As for breaking, I'm not sure what might be causing this but I can tell you that Tape Depot will make it right if you contact them. I've always had great experiences with them. Those wonky rolls were so frustrating but the replacements were perfect!

HTH