Self amalgamating tapeRecently i asked about

[Athy]

Recently I asked on here about securing the ends of new ropes so that they would not fray, and I received many helpful answers. One of the most popular was to wrap self-amalgamating tape round the ends.

 

Duly enlightened, yesterday I went to a branch of Britain's biggest DIY store to buy some of this tape. I was met by total incomprehension from several of the staff. they did not stock it and indeed they had never heard of it.

 

Does anyone know a brand name for this stuff, and a DIY store which actually sells it, please?

[Guest]

Recently I asked on here about securing the ends of new ropes so that they would not fray, and I received many helpful answers. One of the most popular was to wrap self-amalgamating tape round the ends.

 

Duly enlightened, yesterday I went to a branch of Britain's biggest DIY store to buy some of this tape. I was met by total incomprehension from several of the staff. they did not stock it and indeed they had never heard of it.

 

Does anyone know a brand name for this stuff, and a DIY store which actually sells it, please?

Any proper electrical wholesalers nearby? Failing that, plenty on fleabay, which is where I normally get it.

Also, Maplin appear to have it if there is one near to you:

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/self-amalgamating-waterproof-tape-10m-black-kw29g

 

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/auto-parts/car-tape-glue-velcro/halfords-self-amalgamating-tape-19mmx5m

Edited July 10, 2014 by Guest

[Supertramp]

http://bit.ly/1jfShdW

 

screwfix

[bizzard]

Recently I asked on here about securing the ends of new ropes so that they would not fray, and I received many helpful answers. One of the most popular was to wrap self-amalgamating tape round the ends.

 

Duly enlightened, yesterday I went to a branch of Britain's biggest DIY store to buy some of this tape. I was met by total incomprehension from several of the staff. they did not stock it and indeed they had never heard of it.

 

Does anyone know a brand name for this stuff, and a DIY store which actually sells it, please?

Screwfix, Maplin, Amazon for a start.

[by'eck]

Available from Screwfix. If you can get it the red stuff freely available in USA is more UV resistant.

[David Schweizer]

I have never used self amalgamating tape, but have often wondered whether i shoud have some on the boat. Has anyone ever used it, and does it work?

[Athy]

I think some people on here said that they had stuck with it.

 

 

 

If you see what I mean.

 

 

Thanks for all your replies.

[bizzard]

I have never used self amalgamating tape, but have often wondered whether i shoud have some on the boat. Has anyone ever used it, and does it work?

Mainly intended for weatherproofing electrical cable joins but also ideal for temporary, 'well permanent really' repairs of rubber water hoses and pipes ect.

It has a film wound between each wind of tape on the real to stop it self amalgamating to itself. When using you keep a firm stretch on the tape whilst winding it on and it will bond into itself.

[Athy]

My garden hose and I thank you for this supplementary information!

[Nickhlx]

I got my last lot from Lidl - Yes - definitely have a roll at home and on the boat at all times, and as other have said its not "rare".

 

Being into electronics, radio and things electric, I usually stock up at the radio rallys where traders have it at good prices.. these are happening nationwide and there is usually one on most weekends somewhere in the country

 

Nick

 

Here's a link but there are others too... http://www.m0mvb.co.uk/uk-radio-rallies.html

 

(Apparently there is one in Reading this weekend)

Edited July 10, 2014 by Nickhlx

[by'eck]

Mainly intended for weatherproofing electrical cable joins but also ideal for temporary, 'well permanent really' repairs of rubber water hoses and pipes ect.

It has a film wound between each wind of tape on the real to stop it self amalgamating to itself. When using you keep a firm stretch on the tape whilst winding it on and it will bond into itself.

 

IME is won't effectively repair water hose under pressure (despite using some expensive chandelry version dedicated to the task). It is ideal for general weather-proofing though. See here the red stuff I referred to in use. Probably any colour will be an improvement on the black stuff in sunlight.

 

[Nickhlx]

In desperation I actually used some to repair my pressure washer hose a few weeks ago..

 

I wound on a couple of thicknesses of the tape, I then overwound it with tinned copper wire, close wound and tightly, then another few layers of tape, and more of the close-wound tinned copper wire, very tightly wound on. To my amazement it did hold for the rest of the job that I just had to get done...

 

Nick

[bizzard]

 

IME is won't effectively repair water hose under pressure (despite using some expensive chandelry version dedicated to the task). It is ideal for general weather-proofing though. See here the red stuff I referred to in use. Probably any colour will be an improvement on the black stuff in sunlight.

 

Oh I don't know If you wind enough on it'll hold considerable pressure. My 26 year old car has a top hose completely bound with it after it burst on the road about 3 years ago. The hose is now almost all moulded amalgamating tape, so reliable that up until now I'd forgotten all about it. The systems running pressure is 13 psi.

[Phil Ambrose]

During my time as a service engineer I always had self amtape with me it came with a cloth type tape which was also selfam to a degree. To repair hoses the thing was cloth/tape/cloth layer, worked a treat.

Phil

[Nickhlx]

The other thing about S A tape is that it is not UV stable, so you have to over wind it with plastic insulation tape if the joint is going to be out in the sun ( or even daylight) for it to last well..

 

The other thing I have used for years (decades) is Evo-Stick - it is 100% UV stable and weatherproof and I have used it successfully for waterproofing connections in all sorts of applications, where appropriate

 

Nick

[Guest]

I have never used self amalgamating tape, but have often wondered whether i shoud have some on the boat. Has anyone ever used it, and does it work?

Yes, yes and yes. We used it many years ago on high voltage cables and it is brilliant stuff for many jobs. Without SAT and cable ties, we would not have survived. Worth keeping a roll on the boat because you could bodge a leaking hose with it to get you home for example. Great for making a neat job of crimped connections on battery cables, that sort of thing, and many other uses you would find, such as tidying up a rope.

Edited July 10, 2014 by Guest

[Nickhlx]

The other thing definitely having a selection of is heatshrink sleeving - possibly better than S A Tape for ropes as UV stable, and you can get it lined with adhesive to help seal / stick on the thing it will be shrunk onto..

 

Like this but also on E-Bay http://www.hellermanntyton.co.uk/site/products/heat-shrinkable-tubing/ha67-19.03.2/321-30000

 

Again I got a selector box of about 15 sizes (diameters) each about 75mm long a while ago from the sometimes useful Lidl !

 

Nick

Edited July 10, 2014 by Nickhlx

[Guest]

The other thing definitely having a selection of is heatshrink sleeving - possibly better than S A Tape for ropes as UV stable, and you can get it lined with adhesive to help seal / stick on the thing it will be shrunk onto..

 

Like this but also on E-Bay http://www.hellermanntyton.co.uk/site/products/heat-shrinkable-tubing/ha67-19.03.2/321-30000

 

Again I got a selector box of about 15 sizes (diameters) each about 75mm long a while ago from the sometimes useful Lidl !

 

Nick

agree 100%. Heat shrink is damn good stuff too.

[saltysplash]

I have never used self amalgamating tape, but have often wondered whether i shoud have some on the boat. Has anyone ever used it, and does it work?

 

I was coming back up the Medway on one trip in my old MFV and one of the raw water coolant hoses split just after the water pump which was spraying sea water around the engine room and being a large engine the pump was also large.

 

Self amalgamating tape secured the hole in the hose while water was still pumping and also coped with the pressure of the pumped water and got us safely back to Chatham

[luctor et emergo]

Hang on.. Are you saying that this stuff is better than duck tape??