Comments on: Tool of the Week: Duct Tape

By: jjd241

jjd241 — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:31:39 +0000

100 mile an hour tape! While my 71 toyota PU never went 100mph, duck(t) tape did get me home once. While out hooning it up in a gravel pit she pooped out. After a few backfires I noticed that the rotor under the distributer cap was not turning when the engine was cranked. The little notch that holds it in place on the shaft was broken. A strategicaly placed piece of tape got it to stay in place long enough to get back to the pavement.

By: JayP71

JayP71 — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:23:08 +0000

The shop at the terminal used to use this aluminum repair tape on our trailers. Incredible stuff.

QuickPlas (the same guys make QuickSteel) is another good plastic repair product, even though you have to paint it. The air dam on my wagon is currently held together by duct tape. It will get the QuickPlas treatment if I can’t find one at Pull-A-Part.

By: Mad_Science

Mad_Science — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:40:40 +0000

A section of the speedometer cable on my ‘67 Ford is wrapped in duct tape to prevent it from leaking tranny fluid onto the exhaust, causing lots of smoke and further exacerbating the “WTF is that POS?” impression it makes in certain situations.

I did it as a quick kludge until I could find a correct, reasonably priced replacement speedo cable. It’s been 18 months with no issues.

That said, I’ve recently become a big fan of foil tape when it comes to sealing/patching. If something needs to be held in place, I go for zip ties or baling wire.

By: Sofar

Sofar — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:22:52 +0000

Knowing the story of how this waterproof adhesive tape was invented always made it difficult for me to refer to it in text. I can’t call it duck tape, even though the rolls made by the original manufacturer Johnson and Johnson still have a picture of a duck on them, because people will think I was uneducated. Honestly I wish people would give me more credit. Certainly if I’m making such a simple mistake I must have a good reason. But I digress.

The only thing that is held together with duck tape on my car is the hose that connects the airbox to the manifold, it has a hole in it that confuses the mass air meter and stalls the car when it takes a right turn or goes backwards. Unforunately duck tape has a tendency to melt at temperatures above ninety degrees, so it melts off after a while.

There is another product that works better on ducting that goes by the name duct tape as well, it’s made of aluminum rather than plastic and cloth though, and whereas the glue doesn’t melt at low temperatures like duck tape it is not waterproof.

By: stumblingblock

stumblingblock — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 04:01:39 +0000

Duct tape really has it’s uses (radiator hose repair for one), but once one has graduated to gaffer’s tape, one never will look back.

By: "Sparky" Pete

"Sparky" Pete — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:28:19 +0000

I can’t wait for Shamrock shakes!

By: Mike Bumbeck

Mike Bumbeck — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:50:51 +0000

Making the hay bales would in fact require baling wire. We stand corrected! That two-part material that Robai is talking about is pretty amazing stuff. Stay tuned for a how-to. And even though there will be no Shamrock Shakes until March, now is the time to be more careful of parking lot entrance ramp angles.

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:25:13 +0000

Robai – Could you have missed the point by any wider of a margin? Do yourself a favor, stop the meds and let your mind run free…