parafilm

Sorry, but I haven't had any of the problems you mentioned.  I use parafilm on most of my builds, and learned how to use it from this article on Hyperscale.  Not sure if you have seen this one, but it really helped me.  HTH!

Parafilm How-to

I find you have to hold your finger on the area for a little bit to make it stick.  ITs heat activated, its sort of like wax, you have to let it get warm for it to seal.

Parafilm is just that a wax product. You need to warm it a bit before you peel the backing off and stretch it. I will hold it between my hand and chest (over my shirt) for about thirty seconds or place it on top of the florescent lamp over my workbench where the temp is about 114 degrees until I am ready for it. The heat makes the wax pliable and sticky. Also be sure to wrap the Parafilm around the object you are masking so it layers upon itself...it sticks best to clean dry smooth surfaces.

thank you for the information

Boy, thanks for that article... Parafilm has been on my shelf for years, but the stuff drove me nuts on how to use it! Thanks, thanks, THANKS!

Thanks for the link also. I  know my dad has a ton of that stuff from before he retired. He worked in a lab, and now he uses it for things in his greenhouse. I guess I'm going to have to make a "friendly visit" over there soon!