Adam Savage hates duct tape!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Great video, and once again, I have to agree with him, depending of course on how your define duct tape.



Def

[Chako]

Red Green loves it!

 

Yes, I knew about Adam's aversion to it. He has mentioned it a few times in the past.

[Altis]

Red Green loves it!

 

Yes, I knew about Adam's aversion to it. He has mentioned it a few times in the past.

The handyman's secret weapon 

[Gareth]

I just found out Adam Savage and I have very different ways of pronouncing "cludge" (kludge).    I've never heard it said in any way that doesn't rhyme with "judge".

I do agree that gaffer tape is generally more useful but buying it seems to be increasingly hard.  Almost no-one seems to draw a distinction between gaffer and duct tapes and so if you buy "gaffer" online there is a very good chance you'll end up with duct tape anyway. 

[Nix]

I've found gaffer, but duct/cargo tape is easier to find and less expensive. 

Gaffer is nice, though.   

[GearedForwards]

I think my most generally used tape is probably electricians tape, it has a bit of a cushiony effect I like and it isn't bad on residue.

I like duct tape but don't think I've had many causes to need it, I have duck brand 

I will say though that I'm thoroughly unimpressed by gorilla tape, it has never stayed in the few times I've tried it and the residue is very, very bad compared to other tapes.

[pomsbz]

I just found out Adam Savage and I have very different ways of pronouncing "cludge" (kludge).    I've never heard it said in any way that doesn't rhyme with "judge".

I do agree that gaffer tape is generally more useful but buying it seems to be increasingly hard.  Almost no-one seems to draw a distinction between gaffer and duct tapes and so if you buy "gaffer" online there is a very good chance you'll end up with duct tape anyway. 

gaffertape.com, UK company that I've used for decades, us photographers eat, breathe and live gaffer tape and their stuff is the real deal. Good quality, suitable for pro application.

[Fuzzbucket]

I think my most generally used tape is probably electricians tape, it has a bit of a cushiony effect I like and it isn't bad on residue.

I like duct tape but don't think I've had many causes to need it, I have duck brand 

I will say though that I'm thoroughly unimpressed by gorilla tape, it has never stayed in the few times I've tried it and the residue is very, very bad compared to other tapes.

  Gorilla tape's horrible stuff - it over engineered to the point of uselessness.

[Fuzzbucket]

gaffertape.com, UK company that I've used for decades, us photographers eat, breathe and live gaffer tape and their stuff is the real deal. Good quality, suitable for pro application.

Flints used to be excellent for gaffer, nice big rolls and tears brilliantly. I've not bought from them for a while though. They do excellent podgers too... I'm not making that up. 

[Chako]

 

[Gareth]

gaffertape.com, UK company that I've used for decades, us photographers eat, breathe and live gaffer tape and their stuff is the real deal. Good quality, suitable for pro application.

[Don Pablo]

Gorilla tape's horrible stuff - it over engineered to the point of uselessness.

I guess that's why I got it to stick to the road in front of our house. must be going on a few years, the cars driving over it are wearing it away but it's still there!

[Fuzzbucket]

I guess that's why I got it to stick to the road in front of our house. must be going on a few years, the cars driving over it are wearing it away but it's still there!

It's too thick and rigid, it's not malleable enough...for me that is. Anyway, what are you doing sticking it to roads you wee hoodlum?!  Can't you just do proper stuff like setting bins on fire like normal adolescents! 

[pfrsantos]

 

I think I know how they got the duct tape in the closet:

[pfrsantos]

It's too thick and rigid, it's not malleable enough...for me that is. Anyway, what are you doing sticking it to roads you wee hoodlum?!  Can't you just do proper stuff like setting bins on fire like normal adolescents! 

 

[GearedForwards]

I guess that's why I got it to stick to the road in front of our house. must be going on a few years, the cars driving over it are wearing it away but it's still there!

I've tried using it for holding cabling up on desks before, they were a little weighty due to adapters/connectors but I would have thought it'd work okay... yeah no came down like an hour later and the residue was awful. Maybe I got a bad batch, it was just an impulse buy in the tool aisle of Tesco afterall 

[gadgetman7]

I tend to use a lot of Gorilla Brand and have had good luck with it. I’ve jury rigged antennas, put together a temporary shelter and patched leaks with the stuff and done too many things to mention with Gorilla tape and it’s always worked great.

It can leave a residue but if that’s an issue Goo Gone gets rid of it quickly. I know we once held in a windshield with it in the field when a gasket was damaged. Not safe but it worked. The residue did come off the glass.

Having said that, I’ll have to try some gaffer’s tape and see how it works. Maybe it is better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pomsbz]

Gaffer tape isn't better, it's different. Designed not to leave residue but not as strong or permanent as duct tapes like Gorilla.

[Nix]

Having said that, I’ll have to try some gaffer’s tape and see how it works. Maybe it is better.

I wouldn't say, "better", just different.

I've had gaffer's tape leave residues as well.

Maybe I don't pay close enough attention to my tapes.

In my experience, electricians tape is good for wrapping wires and not much else. Seems to come off easily from many surfaces, but sticks to itself well. I keep the stuff on hand, but don't seem to use it much.

Duct tape is my gold standard. A lifetime of binding stuff together with duct tape makes this a go-to tape for sticky situations. I've less experience with Gorilla tape. I agree that it is too thick and bulky, but it is strong. Like duct tape, G-tape can leave a messy residue. Ick. I've made temporary knife sheaths and axe masks with Duct tape and cardboard.

Gaffer's tape is good stuff, but I'm not sure it holds quite as well as duct tape. It seems less likely to leave a residue, but does anyway.

One of my favorites is the silicone stuff  that sticks to itself but little else. It can be pulled really tightly and holds (to itself) incredibly well. Last Fall I wrapped an exterior plug-to-plug connection with it to waterproof the connection. That wrap endured the entire Fall, Winter, and early Spring before I removed it (with considerable effort). It survive sub-zero temps, snow, rain, and ice. I'm very impressed with the stuff.

Duct tape (and G-tape) makes good tinder for emergency fire starting. I keep some wrapped around a lighter.

Duct tape (NOT G-tape) makes good first aid tape. I've used it to cover blisters (taking it off is a bit of a joy, not.) and bind small wounds. I always have a little bit, wrapped around a card or something, in my hiking/camping kit.

[Nix]

Gaffer tape isn't better, it's different. Designed not to leave residue but not as strong or permanent as duct tapes like Gorilla.

   pomsbz beat me to it.

[Scorpion Regent]

Duct tape and gaff tape are two similar tools that have overlapping uses, but both can do things for which only they are suited.  For a long time I was a barbarian  using duct tape for everything.   :face palm:   When you need it duct tape can save you,  it's really blunt instrument, crude and effective, in all the worst and best ways.  Gaff tape will keep you from turning your fix into a mess, it's professional, It isn't as strong, but it isn't meant to hold forever.  It's value lies in that it can be removed clean without residue and it is non reflective.  Macgyver uses duct tape, the people who film him use gaff tape.  Once you start using gaff tape it's easy to start using it a lot, but it's not cheap.  I have been using blue painters masking tape constantly for the last five years.  It may not be as durable as gaff tape, but is so much less expensive and it comes off clean, it's economical.  Clear plastic shipping tape is relatively transparent and can be very useful.  It's great if you want to DIY laminate something on the fly.  If I want to label something I use blue painters tape and a sharpie, if I want that label to last, I cover it with clear shipping tape.  It also helps keep things water resistant.  Some one all ready mentioned electrical tape, with rare exception I uses it as intended, electrical insulation in tape form.

I have a two assortments of go to tapes: The first is: duct, gaff (grey and black), & blue painters.  It's all together on a DIY gaffer's sling, (para-cord and a carabiner).  The second is: teflon & electrical.  Both of those are on their own day glow zip ties on a shared carabiner.  The plastic shipping tape is on it's own tape gun.

You can web search the multiple uses of all of these tapes, they are legion.

This video is a good start:

[Sea Monster]

It took me a while to decipher all the jargon, and I'm still not sure I've understood it -

We use cloth tape, variously referred to (rightly or wrongly) as duct tape, duck tape, 100 mile an hour tape, or cloth tape.

It's....the cloth one that tears easy....

Presumably we get away with the sloppy naming convention because "real" Duct tape is so rarely employed that no one even imagines that's what you are talking about.



It's usually compared to a non-cloth tape (also usually silver, also usually 2" wide) that is (vinyl?) backed, has to be cut with a knife, and tends to stretch, curl in the sun, and is otherwise basically useless, but tends to attract people using it in abundance - I assume because of the cool sound it makes as it comes off the reel.

One of the distinguishing features between them (at a distance) is that cloth tape tends to come on wide rolls - maybe 4" across, presumably because the cloth doesn't like a tight radius, and the vinyl smurf comes on a much tighter.


I have two rolls of the latter...and I've had them for about 10 years, because it's basically pretty smurf, and I'll exhaust my supplies of cloth tape, electricians tape, and reinforced packing tape before I contemplate using it....

[SteveC]

Gorilla tape's horrible stuff - it over engineered to the point of uselessness.

I would tend to agree for most uses . I have had great luck with it in patching a hole in my front bumper. It has stayed on for two years now through two winters and many car washes. Still sticking and no deterioration from UV light.

[Tasky]

It took me a while to decipher all the jargon, and I'm still not sure I've understood it -
We use cloth tape, variously referred to (rightly or wrongly) as duct tape, duck tape, 100 mile an hour tape, or cloth tape.

As I understand it:
 - Proper duck tape (including Duck™ tape) is cotton duck cloth usually covered in a shiny or semi-shiny plastic, which insulates against electricity.
 - Gaffer tape is similar cotton duck, but backed with a matte fabric so as not to show up under the gaffer's lighting during a theatrical production.
 - Proper duct tape is used primarily on heating and ventilation ducts and is usually backed with foil or a similar metallic form of temperature insulation (rather than electrical).

[GearedForwards]

I would tend to agree for most uses . I have had great luck with it in patching a hole in my front bumper. It has stayed on for two years now through two winters and many car washes. Still sticking and no deterioration from UV light.

I can see it doing well in those circumstances, the tape isn't actually under load at all and the copious amount of adhesive probably cures out over time to a solid patch.

I still use electrical tape on everything though, just last week I taped the smurf out of a whiteboard to make it door mounted