Duck tape

[Beo]

Anyone else, ahem, repaired car bodywork with duck tape and then coloured it in with appropriately coloured marker pen?

Of course! I was lucky enough to have a silver Mondeo estate which I managed to reverse into a wall. The large hole in the rear valance was invisibly repaired with silver duct tape. No one ever knew ?

[Canal Cuttings]

Ahem.. Going back to the original discussion, there can be discussions about whether it is duct or duck tape, but I have heard (and believe) that the name actually comes from the Dutch for linen canvas - "doek". The linen was treated (rubberised??) to make it waterproof and later it became a type of tape - you may have noticed that duck tape has a woven interior which gives it strength. The "canvas duck" name lives on in the name for car hoods. For older cars, you are usually offered vinyl, double duck, or mohair finish, depending on your budget. Double duck is two layers of black linen canvas.

[bizzard]

Its all double Dutch to me.

[Graham Davis]

Ahem.. Going back to the original discussion, there can be discussions about whether it is duct or duck tape, but I have heard (and believe) that the name actually comes from the Dutch for linen canvas - "doek". The linen was treated (rubberised??) to make it waterproof and later it became a type of tape - you may have noticed that duck tape has a woven interior which gives it strength. The "canvas duck" name lives on in the name for car hoods. For older cars, you are usually offered vinyl, double duck, or mohair finish, depending on your budget. Double duck is two layers of black linen canvas.

 

Doesn't have to be black, it can be all sorts of colours. The original hood on my Lomax was off-white, but I am having a black doubl-doek made for me.

[blackrose]

Ahem.. Going back to the original discussion, there can be discussions about whether it is duct or duck tape..

Ahem.. That wasn't the original discussion.

[Nightwatch]

'Black Maskers'. Is the only name I have called it for years.

[Mac of Cygnet]

For years I referred to it as 'agritape', as the stuff I bought was called that and supplied to farmers.

Edited January 15, 2017 by Mac of Cygnet

[stegra]

While on the subject of tape, I recently discovered self amalgamating tape, which I used on some exterior satellite cable connectors. Now that stuff really has got some dark magic in its production. I now call it Harry Potter tape!!!

 

I was going to mention that myself. Wonderful stuff. Not sure how long it's been around but its use was well established when I did my electrical YTS, 32 years ago.

Edited January 15, 2017 by stegra

[mross]

I've always thought the story about duck tape in WWII was nonsense, I found this bit of research.............

 

According to etymologist Jan Freeman, the story that duct tape was originally called duck tape is "quack etymology" that has spread "due to the reach of the Internet and the appeal of a good story" but "remains a statement of faith, not fact." She notes that duct tape is not made from duck tape and there is no known primary-source evidence that it was originally referred to as duck tape. Her research does not show any use of the phrase "duck tape" in World War II and indicates that the earliest documented name for the adhesive product was "duct tape" in 1960. The phrase "duck tape" to refer to an adhesive product does not appear until the 1970s and isn't popularized until the 1980s, after the Duck brand became successful and after the New York Times referred to and defined the product under the name "duct tape" in 1973.

 

Freeman, Jan (March 14, 2010). "Tale of the tape". Boston Globe. Retrieved September 27, 2012.

[RLWP]

I hate the stuff

 

Just saying

 

Richard

[Mac of Cygnet]

You know, this thread reminds me of when my son worked in the bar of a remote Highland pub. Once the subject of 'potatoes' was deemed to be exhausted after a fortnight, but 'hammers' only lasted a week.

 

Edited to say that I've just spoken to him and he says it reached a stage when people brought in potatoes or hammers to illustrate their points, and he kept finding them underneath the tables at the end of the long winter nights.

 

It was always in winter.

Edited January 15, 2017 by Mac of Cygnet

[ditchcrawler]

I've always thought the story about duck tape in WWII was nonsense, I found this bit of research.............

 

According to etymologist Jan Freeman, the story that duct tape was originally called duck tape is "quack etymology" that has spread "due to the reach of the Internet and the appeal of a good story" but "remains a statement of faith, not fact." She notes that duct tape is not made from duck tape and there is no known primary-source evidence that it was originally referred to as duck tape. Her research does not show any use of the phrase "duck tape" in World War II and indicates that the earliest documented name for the adhesive product was "duct tape" in 1960. The phrase "duck tape" to refer to an adhesive product does not appear until the 1970s and isn't popularized until the 1980s, after the Duck brand became successful and after the New York Times referred to and defined the product under the name "duct tape" in 1973.

 

Freeman, Jan (March 14, 2010). "Tale of the tape". Boston Globe. Retrieved September 27, 2012.

I first used Duct Tape in 1968 when I worked for the Eastern Electricity Board installing electric ducted heating in houses and it was in use before I joined.

[mross]

That's what it says! "the earliest documented name for the adhesive product was "duct tape" in 1960"

Edited January 15, 2017 by mross

[ditchcrawler]

That's what it says! "the earliest documented name for the adhesive product was "duct tape" in 1960"

I was basically supporting that view

edit

I wonder how they sealed ducting in 1959?

Edited January 15, 2017 by ditchcrawler

[cereal tiller]

I was basically supporting that view

edit

I wonder how they sealed ducting in 1959?

They used Gaffa tape?

 

CT

[mross]

Oh, I just thought you'd misread it! Apologies.

[BruceinSanity]

I thought the main difference between duct and gaffer tape was that the former is silver grey to match the alloy ducting whilst the latter is black to be inconspicuous on set.

 

I too first knew it as agritape when it was being used to repair canoes at an outdoor pursuit centre in the Marches.

[WotEver]

I was using silver, white, and black Gaffer Tape in the early 70's. Marketed and sold as such. The quality was then as now highly variable. To my mind decent Gaffer Tape is very flexible, incredibly sticky (if you stick a strip to itself throw it away because it'll never unstick), and easily torn into narrow strips.

[ditchcrawler]

Oh, I just thought you'd misread it! Apologies.

No probs

[dor]

 

I was going to mention that myself. Wonderful stuff. Not sure how long it's been around but its use was well established when I did my electrical YTS, 32 years ago.

 

I discovered self-amalgamating tape a few years ago. Before that I hankered after the old tarry insulation tape that you used before plastic insulating tape took over. That stuff, any colour you like as long as it is black, also had good self-amalgamating properties, although you didn't need to stretch it like the modern rubbery stuff. Also you didn't have to spend 10 minutes trying to get the backing off!

[cereal tiller]

 

I discovered self-amalgamating tape a few years ago. Before that I hankered after the old tarry insulation tape that you used before plastic insulating tape took over. That stuff, any colour you like as long as it is black, also had good self-amalgamating properties, although you didn't need to stretch it like the modern rubbery stuff. Also you didn't have to spend 10 minutes trying to get the backing off!

Got some of that Tarry tape in Lidls a while ago

 

Maybe they still make it in Jairmenny?

 

CT

[stegra]

If I never have to us this stuff again, I won't be disappointed.

 

[WotEver]

If I never have to us this stuff again, I won't be disappointed.

 

Got the black off your fingers yet?

[ditchcrawler]

If I never have to us this stuff again, I won't be disappointed.

 

I have some of that in the garage

Got some of that Tarry tape in Lidls a while ago

 

Maybe they still make it in Jairmenny?

 

CT

If you see it again let us know please

[Cheshire cat]

I went into our local B&M Bargains yesterday. Ductape was £3.00 a roll.