Topic: Gaffer's Tape?

[Oysterhead00]

I have a concert this Friday that I might be taping from my seat and the footprint of my stand is quite large...was thinking about keeping the stand footings closed and taping it to the seats in front of me which seems easy enough provided the tape is strong enough, but not too strong like duct tape which might damage the seats and leave sticky residue all over the place.  I've seen and heard about gaffer tape, but don't think I'd get it in time if I ordered now.

Any idea of what kind of store would carry it?  Went looking at Lowes and Home Depot on my lunch break and saw some painters tape the could possibly do the trick as it's guarenteed not to leave any residue behind, but on their 6 dot scale of strenth, they only had up to dot 2 which is minimal hold so that wouldn't work.  Would an instrument store possibly have it?  Other Hardware stores?  Any info is appreciated and I assure you I won't be abusing any small animals!

Humerous Definition I found doing a Google on Gaffer Tape
gaffer tape n. The heavy, slightly meshed sticky tape used to silence potential murder victims and to reliably and effectively attach small animals to tables. I had originally defined this as being "duct tape" but I'm told this is eroneous because duct tape melts and welds onto things, while gaffer tape doesn't. As my contributor points out: "seven years of work in the theatre industry has taught me... don't use duct tape on $2400 lights". I am told that our term derives from the film studio, where the gaffer will use the stuff extensively to hold bits and pieces down on set.

[kennedy]

home depot carrys gaffers tape but they call it "contractors" tape

[mmmatt]

I have a concert this Friday that I might be taping from my seat and the footprint of my stand is quite large...was thinking about keeping the stand footings closed and taping it to the seats in front of me which seems easy enough provided the tape is strong enough, but not too strong like duct tape which might damage the seats and leave sticky residue all over the place.  I've seen and heard about gaffer tape, but don't think I'd get it in time if I ordered now.

Any idea of what kind of store would carry it?  Went looking at Lowes and Home Depot on my lunch break and saw some painters tape the could possibly do the trick as it's guarenteed not to leave any residue behind, but on their 6 dot scale of strenth, they only had up to dot 2 which is minimal hold so that wouldn't work.  Would an instrument store possibly have it?  Other Hardware stores?  Any info is appreciated and I assure you I won't be abusing any small animals!

Humerous Definition I found doing a Google on Gaffer Tape
gaffer tape n. The heavy, slightly meshed sticky tape used to silence potential murder victims and to reliably and effectively attach small animals to tables. I had originally defined this as being "duct tape" but I'm told this is eroneous because duct tape melts and welds onto things, while gaffer tape doesn't. As my contributor points out: "seven years of work in the theatre industry has taught me... don't use duct tape on $2400 lights". I am told that our term derives from the film studio, where the gaffer will use the stuff extensively to hold bits and pieces down on set.

Any store that sells PA equiptment or lighting equiptment should be able to rake you over the coals for a roll of it.  Best is probably on-line.  I get mine at Markertek  http://www.markertek.com/SearchProduct.asp?item=BGT%2D60&off=5&sort=prod  I haven't used other brands or shopped online extensively but this works well for me and is reasonable imo.

Matt

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Permacel.

[rokpunk]

http://www.tecnec.com/SearchProduct.asp?off=0&sort=prod

Markertek prolly has the same item, and they sell to end users. If you can't find it, drop me a line and I'll mail a roll out to you.

[kennedy]

I tried some of that HD contractors tape, and its just black duct tape.

well nevermind that then, never tried it just seen it...

[rokpunk]

I tried some of that HD contractors tape, and its just black duct tape.

well nevermind that then, never tried it just seen it...

yeah, if you use it once, you'll never use it again. what a sticky mess...

[mmmatt]

http://www.tecnec.com/SearchProduct.asp?off=0&sort=prod

Markertek prolly has the same item, and they sell to end users. If you can't find it, drop me a line and I'll mail a roll out to you.

Any store that sells PA equiptment or lighting equiptment should be able to rake you over the coals for a roll of it.  Best is probably on-line.  I get mine at Markertek  http://www.markertek.com/SearchProduct.asp?item=BGT%2D60&off=5&sort=prod  I haven't used other brands or shopped online extensively but this works well for me and is reasonable imo.

Matt

This link is for tecnec and they also carry permacel at markertek.  the 2" x 60 yrd tecnec is $13 per roll

[poorlyconditioned]

I have had a hard time finding this.  I finally bought from Markertek.

Gaffers tape is cloth.  It is impossible to rip, and it leave very little residue.  I use it for taping gear together, sometimes adding hot melt glue underneath for strength.

  Richard

[anodyne33]

gaffers tape is flat black

also available in colors.

my vote is for ProGaff. we use 6" wide rolls at work. expensive? yep. heavy? yep. kick ass tape that you will never want to leave the house without again? abso-freakin-loutely.

[rokpunk]

We use mostly black and hot pink. Pink is great for labeling road cases, and also works perfectly for marking steps/rails/etc on a stage and for a load in. It's like caution tape, only pinker.

BTW....gaffers tape isn't impossible to rip, as claimed above. It's simple to rip, and it rips in a straight line every time.

[MattD]

BTW....gaffers tape isn't impossible to rip, as claimed above. It's simple to rip, and it rips in a straight line every time.

I think he meant in tension, but you're correct. I've also used gorilla tape in a lab to hold stuff down. It's not residue-free, but strong as hell - way more so than duct tape.

BTW, get the 1" thick gaffers, not the 1/2". You can always rip the 1" in half lengthwise if you need thinner pieces.

[rokpunk]

2" and 3" are the "standards". 1/2" wouldn't hold much down!

[mmmatt]

I like the 2" and if you leave it on something for a long time it will leave resedue just like duct tape.  The tecnec will anyways, and like duct tape it is a mess if you touch two adhesive sides together, so if you are taping down cords, then make sure you pull the tape before the cord otherwise you will be breaking out the scissors.  Another tip is to buy a color other than black and write your name on the inner side of the roll so house sound doesn't assume it is theirs (from experience).



Matt

[rokpunk]

well, yeah, if you touch two adhesive parts together it'll stick. if it didn't, it wouldn't be tape.


/yes, gaf tape grows legs and walks at shows, so guard it with yer life.
//that and sharpies.

[MattD]

2" and 3" are the "standards". 1/2" wouldn't hold much down!

Oops, I meant 2" instead of 1". Take Viagra and double every size listed in my post.

[rokpunk]

We use this Tunnel Tape (in black) too . .

No adhesive touches the cables at all. It doesn't lay nearly as nice as gaff, but for big bundles of audio and video cables, it sometimes works better.

[Oysterhead00]

Wow, thanks for all the comments  As for the offers of sending me some and places to order I appreciate it, but I'll order some soon enough...I have horrible luck with the mail and everything seems to take forever (my Netflix headquarters is about 40 miles away and I still get the movies 2 days after they're scheduled to arrive) so I'll check the yellow pages and see if I can find any lighting stores that might have it.  After Friday I won't need it until mid-August so I'll have plenty of time to search around online.

Another question, is the best way to put up the stand to stick it in the nook between two chairs in front of you and then tape the crap out of it to keep it still?  That would be my assumption, but you know what happens when you Ass-U-Me.  I have a pretty heavy duty 13' light stand so I want to make sure it's secured in the event that someone bumps it and the mics start swaying.  This is my first time taping from my seat with the big stand, previously I had a 2 piece, small and low footprint 8' 2-piece one.

Thanks again for all the help!

[Krispy D]

correct. my bad. all I buy is black.
they do have it in camo as well! 

any tape that is available in camo is worth it to me!

[bhtoque]

I've been using this stuff for about a year now. I like the 30yd roll because it is less weight, and it holds as well as stuff costing 2x the price. Findtape.com may not be flashy, but the prices are very good across the board, and I've never had any service problems with them.

http://www.findtape.com/product163/JVCC-GAFF30YD-Premium-Grade-30-Yard-Gaffers-Tape.aspx?cid=22&idx=2&tid=1&info=Sale%252fClearance

[bgalizio]

I've been using this stuff for about a year now. I like the 30yd roll because it is less weight, and it holds as well as stuff costing 2x the price. Findtape.com may not be flashy, but the prices are very good across the board, and I've never had any service problems with them.

http://www.findtape.com/product163/JVCC-GAFF30YD-Premium-Grade-30-Yard-Gaffers-Tape.aspx?cid=22&idx=2&tid=1&info=Sale%252fClearance

That's where I got my tape as well. IIRC, the shipping is more than the price of the tape, but it's still a good value.

[mmmatt]

well, yeah, if you touch two adhesive parts together it'll stick. if it didn't, it wouldn't be tape.

Just call me Captain Obvious!

Another question, is the best way to put up the stand to stick it in the nook between two chairs in front of you and then tape the crap out of it to keep it still?  That would be my assumption, but you know what happens when you Ass-U-Me.  I have a pretty heavy duty 13' light stand so I want to make sure it's secured in the event that someone bumps it and the mics start swaying.  This is my first time taping from my seat with the big stand, previously I had a 2 piece, small and low footprint 8' 2-piece one.

Thanks again for all the help!

A swaying light stand isn't as bad as you would think.  Just make sure it doesn't tip over.  In Theater seating I tape to a seat, on stage I tape the cord near the stand and the tips of the legs, FOB in a busy room I tape the shit out of the feet.

Matt

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Just call me Captain Obvious!

Not that obvious....  A company like permacel has hundreds, if not thousands, of adhesive formulations for tapes. Part of each tape specification is how well the front of the tape sticks to the back of the tape (gaff tape does poorly there).. Similarly another metric is how much the tape sticks adhesive to adhesive.  Not all tapes do that. It is a property that is specifically engineered in/out of the tape.  And when I say "sticks" that is further broken down into "shear adhesion" vs. peal back, etc. And I'm sure there are metrics for time - how much does it stick immediately after application vs. 60 seconds vs. 6 years..  In aircraft, tape longevity is measured in decades.

At Boeing Surplus they have bins of tape and generally you don't know what it is until you look the mfg numbers up on the internet. A lot of it is thin, light epoxy based electrical tape.

[BayTaynt3d]

I usually buy mine with the monthy B&H purchase (LOL!), but for the record, you can buy gaffer's tape at pretty much any Guitar Center too.

[newscane]

I've also read about people using tape that's used to make grips on hockey sticks.  Get it at a place like Dick's Sporting Goods...

[Oysterhead00]

I've also read about people using tape that's used to make grips on hockey sticks.  Get it at a place like Dick's Sporting Goods...

I have PLENTY of it and use it all the time (you probably saw me recommend it a few times for stealthing shows).  Definately not strong enough to tape a stand to some seats for a whole show, I'd knock someone out when it fell after 5 min  

I finally found a place that sells it, a place that rents out smoke machines, kareoke stuff, lights, and other party equiptment.  Going tomorrow so I'll be all set for Friday, then I'll check out a place to buy some more online.

Thanks for all the help!

[newscane]

I've also read about people using tape that's used to make grips on hockey sticks.  Get it at a place like Dick's Sporting Goods...

I have PLENTY of it and use it all the time (you probably saw me recommend it a few times for stealthing shows).  Definately not strong enough to tape a stand to some seats for a whole show, I'd knock someone out when it fell after 5 min  

I finally found a place that sells it, a place that rents out smoke machines, kareoke stuff, lights, and other party equiptment.  Going tomorrow so I'll be all set for Friday, then I'll check out a place to buy some more online.

Thanks for all the help!

heh, maybe that was it 

[John R]

http://www.tapemonster.com/index.html

[mmmatt]

http://www.tapemonster.com/index.html

have you used this?  It seems to cheap to be true!

matt

[John R]

http://www.tapemonster.com/index.html

have you used this?  It seems to cheap to be true!

matt

i personally have not.  i get tape at shows i work.  i believe rabhan or another member recommended it a while back.

[John P]

There's no way I bring a whole roll with me to shows..  I re-roll some tape on a small aluminum tube,.. about 3/4" ID. Just big enough to get a finger in.  Plenty of tape for a few shows but very light and small in the bag.

This is definitely the way to go

[Oysterhead00]

I've been using this stuff for about a year now. I like the 30yd roll because it is less weight, and it holds as well as stuff costing 2x the price. Findtape.com may not be flashy, but the prices are very good across the board, and I've never had any service problems with them.

http://www.findtape.com/product163/JVCC-GAFF30YD-Premium-Grade-30-Yard-Gaffers-Tape.aspx?cid=22&idx=2&tid=1&info=Sale%252fClearance

Thanks for everybody's advice! 

I ordered a couple rolls of this in black and then some 1" florescent yellow to make my stand legs look like bumble bees to keep people from banging into them (have a dull light option that should make them stick out like crazy without distracting anybody enjoying the show).

[treespine]

I get tubes of 15 glow braclets at my dollar store.  I tape one to each leg of my stand.