Dean Randall asks about removing cellophane tape from piano rolls.  I use
white spirit, Dean.  At least that's what it's called in Australia.  It's
used for various jobs like cleaning up oil and grease marks in the home;
it's quite colorless (hence "white"), is non-staining and evaporates
fairly slowly.

Benzene works too, but I would only use that if all else fails.  Benzene
is horrible stuff; it's toxic and carcinogenic and should only be used
outdoors or with very good ventilation.  I always hold my breath on the
rare occasions I use it.

So back to white spirit.  Apply it with a small brush to the underside of
the roll (assuming that the tape is on the topside).  That way, the
solvent reaches the glue layer quickly.  Leave the section of the roll
you are treating for a couple of minutes.  Then load your brush with some
more white spirit and start teasing at the edge of the tape with the
bristles.  A brush with slightly stiff bristles is useful here.  Don't
try pulling at the tape because you may take off a layer of paper too.

When the tape comes off it will probably leave a layer of adhesive behind
it.  Apply more white spirit and then wipe over the area with a paper
tissue.  You may have to repeat this two or three times to remove all the
adhesive.

This method is a bit slow but it's reliable and doesn't seem to harm the
paper.  Good luck.

John Phillips.