# Name Something Duct Tape WON'T Fix **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 31, 2022, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059 "2022-03-31T17:52:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/21 "2022-03-31T19:22:42Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > I much prefer gaffer tape Last time I bought a roll, they offered me 10yr financing. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/22 "2022-03-31T19:27:50Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Last time I bought a roll, they offered me 10yr financing. Yeah, it’s pricey but the time I don’t have to spend rubbing Goo Gone to remove the residue is worth it. It also doesn’t tend to twist on itself and wrinkle up, either. Worth it, in my opinion. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/23 "2022-03-31T19:32:53Z")
Oh, yeah. And one looks like a boss when whipping out a roll of decent quality gaffer tape among the cognoscenti. My two secret tape weapons (OK: it’s time I examine my life) are gaffer and **[self-amalgamating](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-amalgamating_tape)**. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/24 "2022-03-31T19:36:36Z")
Centerline tape is great for applications where you need to remove it without residue or overstressing a cable. It’s not a replacement for proper heat shrink or p-clamps but for quick test setups just to bundle loose cables together or keep free connectors from being flailed around it is just the thing. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/25 "2022-03-31T19:47:38Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > I hate duct tape. It leaves an almost unremovable residue especially if left in place for any duration, the vinyl backing tends to stretch rather than tear quickly, and is used inappropriately as a structural fix-all that fails suddenly. For the applications it is suited, i.e. as adhesive tape I much prefer gaffer tape which tears cleanly and leaves little residue. If you actually want to bond things together structurally or stop leaks JB Weld is a far superior method to tape. I agree with this. Occasionally, someone will use duct tape to hold down an extension cord or power strip but when the event is over, the cord will be so covered in goo that I have just thrown it out. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/26 "2022-03-31T20:17:51Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > I hate duct tape. Add electricians’ tape to that list. And Goo Gone works pretty well but I really dislike how it leaves an oily sheen. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/27 "2022-03-31T20:26:54Z")
A broken glasses lens. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/28 "2022-03-31T21:12:30Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > It can’t fix stupid. No, but has been often been pointed out, it can muffle it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/29 "2022-03-31T21:25:01Z")
Oh, come now, it’s not _that_ expensive. On the Home Depot website, I’m looking at Gorilla duct tape 1.8"x30yds and it’s $9. The 3M multi-use duct tape at 60 yds is $8.88. On the B&H Website I’m looking at gaffer tape, ProTapes brand 2"x55 yds and it’s about $20. The XFasten brand is $12.49 for 30 yards on Amazon. It’s more expensive but much better for almost all my uses compared with duct tape. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/30 "2022-03-31T21:29:51Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Occasionally, someone will use duct tape to hold down an extension cord or power strip but when the event is over, the cord will be so covered in goo that I have just thrown it out. Electrical cords are at least pretty easy to clean; use some Goo Gone and follow up with an IPA wipe, or if you have time the IPA and some elbow grease will clean it up, but what a pain. > [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Add electricians’ tape to that list. The irony of “electrical tape” is that it should never be used around exposed wiring, only for marking or bundling wires together, and frankly with the modern availability of shrink tube, zip ties, and centerline tape there really isn’t a good reason to use it. I’ve got a roll that has been in my toolbox for going on twenty years (probably came with a parts kit or an extra somebody threw in) and I think the only thing I’ve used it for is wrapping plastic bags with loose hardware to make sure parts don’t bounce around. I hate even touching the stuff. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Oh, come now, it’s not _that_ expensive. On the Home Depot website, I’m looking at Gorilla duct tape 1.8"x30yds and it’s $9. The 3M multi-use duct tape at 60 yds is $8.88. On the B&H Website I’m looking at gaffer tape, ProTapes brand 2"x55 yds and it’s about $20. The XFasten brand is $12.49 for 30 yards on Amazon. That’s a 2X premium, and for people who don’t use it regularly it probably seems like an indulgence. Once you’ve used gaffer tape, though, you don’t go back. The only thing I use duct tape for now is in emergency kits for backcountry gear repair where the stretch and stickiness of duct tape is an advantage. Even at that, the adhesive does have a lifespan of \<10 years, whereas I’ve used 20 year old gaffer tape that seems to hold about as well as new. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/31 "2022-03-31T21:35:15Z")
I was going to say that it wouldn’t fix Chernobyl, but realized that I don’t know if it’s been tried. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/32 "2022-03-31T21:38:23Z")
A broken record. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/33 "2022-03-31T21:45:15Z")
I don’t think it could actually fix an LP but I did know someone who wrapped a layer of duct tape around Stereo-8 cartridges to keep them from wobbling around in the player in his truck. Why you would need to listen to anything on an 8-track cartridge is another question. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/34 "2022-03-31T21:58:21Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > The irony of “electrical tape” is that it should never be used around exposed wiring … Back when I did industrial field service, I sometimes had to try to solder wires and connectors with tape goo stuck on which sucked heavily. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/35 "2022-03-31T22:02:19Z")
Well, that is what methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is for. Now you just have to get your safety compliance officer to give you access to the hazardous chemcials storeroom. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/36 "2022-03-31T22:03:32Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > That’s a 2X premium, and for people who don’t use it regularly it probably seems like an indulgence. Once you’ve used gaffer tape, though, you don’t go back. Yeah, it’s 2+ times more, but on a roll of tape, that’s like $10. If you don’t go through it a lot, that doesn’t add up. That said, many, many moons ago, after buying roll after roll of gaffer tape and wondering why it was the tape substance of choice for photographers, lighting crew, DJs, etc., I decided to save a few bucks because, hey, duct tape is like half the price. I discovered exactly why duct tape sucks for my purposes (doesn’t tear anywhere near as easily as gaffer by hand and leaves behind a nasty residue if you want to get it off, and it just being a pain in the ass to get off in the first place.) Went straight back to gaffer tape, having learned my lesson. Now, I could see usages like what you mentioned where duct tape may be better suited. But for almost everything I need it for, gaffer tape works better and is worth the extra ten bucks a year I spend on it. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/37 "2022-03-31T22:09:14Z")
I’m with you, but … Gaffer tape isn’t very democratized. I wonder how many non-DIYer, and non-trades homeowners are even aware of it. My suspicion is that everybody uses duct tape for everything, and presumes that its weaknesses are just to be lived with. If somebody pitched gaffer tape as a new idea to the Shark Tank folks, my guess is that they’d say it’s a hard road to educate consumers about how wonderful your product is. So the delta – while quite small in absolute dollars – probably is _not_ a “sells itself” value proposition to the uninitiated. And I’m not going to tell them 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/38 "2022-03-31T22:10:36Z")
Yes. 🙂 This thread reminded me I have to order up a roll as my last one is winding down and photo season is upon me. I always feel a bit vulnerable without my roll of gaffer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2022, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/39 "2022-03-31T22:14:09Z")
There are a great many ways in which electronics can break, and most of them won’t be fixed by any sort of tape. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2022, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059/40 "2022-04-01T01:29:59Z")
Erectile disfunction. Oh wait… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-something-duct-tape-wont-fix/962059.md?page=3)