Author Topic: What is Gaffer Tape?  (Read 30593 times)

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ORTaurean

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #30 on: Feb 28, 2007, 02:33 pm »
I am in awe that there are two pages dedicated to Gaff tape.
Acting is standing up naked and turning around very slowly.
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Balletdork

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #31 on: Feb 28, 2007, 04:47 pm »
LOL! You just made it three!  ;D

shatbox

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #32 on: Mar 01, 2007, 11:02 pm »
Is no one going to mention the courtesy tab? Anyone?

Ok. The courtesy tab is the fold over at the end of a tape run and/or roll that allows the next person who pulls it off/up to do so without getting the adhesive on your fingers or the tape all twisted up. It's one of those professional golden rules. Like anything, you just have to know when and how to use it.
Seek those with standards and meet them. Exceed them. Move forward. Set the standard.
iacosta@phillytheatreco.com

smalltimeSM

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #33 on: Mar 03, 2007, 12:14 pm »
I feel that for gaff tape you don't need a courtesy tab, because, 1.) its a wast of tape, 2.) you then have to rip the tape twice risking twisting and sticking. 3.) Its just annoying.  Anyway, I have yet to go to a space that does this.  Now mailing tape or something that is small and very thin is something that needs a courtesy tab.

Mac Calder

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #34 on: Mar 03, 2007, 02:47 pm »
I agree, the courtesy tab is unnecessary. Gaffer tape is pretty good, because it is thick, and the underside is white, so finding the edge is a matter of looking for a thin white line, and picking at it for a second - and if all else fails, whip out the leatherman and use that to lever up an edge (This is from a chronic nail biter who never has nails to assist with things like tape and opening softdrink cans)

Scott

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #35 on: Mar 04, 2007, 02:05 pm »

Courtesy tabs are fairly commonly used by tech crews.

I find I use them less commonly for the times that I am deploying gaffe as Stage Management, such: as actor-proofing cable runs on deck, scenic patches, silencing interns and apprentices.  More likely to be used in more techy kind of situations, for example dressing cable runs on vertical piping, especially for short term installations.

Judgement call  (like anything else) as to when to use them.  I'd say the cheaper the gaffe tape, the more need for 'em.

If you absolutely refuse to use them on principle, you may just find yourself someday be rebuked using...colorful language.

If on the other hand, you master the judicious use of courtesy tabs, you may someday find yourself lavishly praised...or at least thanked for the, ya know, courtesy.

What is this obsession with "wasting" gaffe tape anyway?  (Makes me want to rip a piece of the roll and curl it up into an impromtu gaffe ball just for the heck of it...back, did it, gosh that felt good..)

Daz

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #36 on: Mar 05, 2007, 12:45 am »
When in doubt, use Gaff.
There is very little in the world that cannot be fixed with some gaff and tie line.
:)
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*Nosce te Ipsum*

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SMJorge

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #37 on: Mar 07, 2007, 07:56 pm »
A courtesy tab need not be all that big, so it really isn't a waste of tape, but it will save you time when trying to pull it off...

Tempest

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #38 on: Mar 08, 2007, 11:33 am »
I, personally, find the courtesy tab annoying.  If I want a piece of gaff, I want to just rip it off once.  Not rip it off and then rip off the tab, too.  Good gaff is usually pretty easy to "start."
Jessica: "Of course I have a metric size 4 dinglehopper in my kit!  Who do you think I am?"

ljh007

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #39 on: Mar 08, 2007, 11:41 am »
Let X = gaff tape @ $12.25/60-yd. roll
and Y = IATSE stagehand at avg. $20/hour wage.

Written as: $(.25"/X) < $(.5'/Y)

If courtesy tab is .25", = $0.0014 worth of X
If Y takes .1 minutes to remove courtesy tab, = $0.033 in wages
If Y takes .5 minutes to fuss with roll of tape, = $0.60 in wages

If Y takes 1 minute to pick at cheap gaff (adjust cost of X down accordingly) while swearing at the cheap production manager who bought this junk, cost in wages will increase proportionately, plus exponential increase in cost of other stagehands stopping their work to laugh at the guy who can't get the tape going.
This equation would require some fun calculus.

(Personally I don't use a courtesy tab, and don't really like them so much. But I was a little bored this morning. Please permit me this indulgence.)


kjdiehl

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #40 on: Mar 08, 2007, 12:52 pm »
We electricians, (yes, I moonlight,) frequently refer to black gaff as "electrician's paint." It makes anything ugly become black and disappear, quicker and cleaner than spraypaint!

As to courtesy tabs, I think they're used less frequently on the roll itself. As has been mentioned, it's easy enough to "start" a roll, and sometimes you then have to tear off the tab as well because you need a clean surface. However, Scott's right in a big way. If you don't want technicians cursing your name and sticking pins in a little gaff taped voodoo doll of you, (yet another of its many wondrous uses!), be SURE to include a courtesy tab. Any time you're taping something that may one day need to be untaped, (taping cables to a deck, taping connectors together, etc.) the courtesy tab is vital. It takes far less time for you to add a courtesy tab than it takes for the technician at the end of the project to dink around with their fingernail trying to find the edge of the damn tape. And be sure to use the so-called "full" courtesy tab, (ie. folding over an entire 1/4" - 1/2"  strip of the end of the tape back onto itself,) rather than just the crappily useless "courtesy corner tab", (which is just folding over a little triangle at the corner of the strip of tape.) The corner tab sucks and is useless. :P

Oh, and better than silver sharpies are actual white, (or multi-colored) paint pens. Pentel makes the best. When the silver Sharpies first came out last year everyone was all excited about them, but we soon discovered that they weren't nearly as high quality as paint pens. They need to be stored upside down so their tips don't dry out, they have a tendency to leak, and they can only write clearly for a couple minutes of continuous use at a time, (not so handy if you're spending an entire day prepping lights for a show and writing channel & circuit numbers on every connector for hours on end.) That said, the silver does look cool and I still keep one or two handy for the odd brief occasions where I can work within the constraints.
-Kris Diehl, AEA SM

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shatbox

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #41 on: Mar 17, 2007, 08:46 pm »
Cool. kjdiehl understands. I was an electrician before an SM. During strike calls I need to get tape off before other things can be struck. I don't like to be the guy who's holding things up trying to pull tape with my knife after a show's four month run. That's why I use the tab. I never know how long the tape is going to be there and how often it's going to be stepped on. I guess it rubbed off into my SM jobs.
Seek those with standards and meet them. Exceed them. Move forward. Set the standard.
iacosta@phillytheatreco.com

avkid

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #42 on: Mar 19, 2007, 09:41 pm »
I recently used gaff tape to repair our drywall that is painted black.
Philip LaDue
IATSE Local #21 Newark, NJ

dwj0772

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #43 on: Mar 20, 2007, 10:19 am »
I used gaff tape to hold my car door shut when the latch froze open until I could defrost it and make it work again.

lydiaelaine

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Re: What is Gaffer Tape?
« Reply #44 on: Mar 20, 2007, 03:47 pm »
I <3 gaffer tape.
Stage manager: Totally responsible for everything.