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A New Tape Tale

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Learning a new craft is hard at my age… you can't teach an old dog new tricks, right? So I have really been studying, trying to get better at shooting video . There is a lot to learn. It is hard. Like a foreign language, maybe written in Cyrillic. And to some extent, this new learning experience has completely ruined television and movies for me. I no longer follow the story, but instead look at lighting, try to figure out how many cameras were used, the shot angles, the cuts from scene to scene. I also study the credits. It is amazing how many people are involved in making what appears to be a simple show. A credit I never before gave enough credit to is the "gaffer."

On a movie or television set, the gaffer is the electrician in charge of lighting. Truly an artist, who paints with light. But also a technical genius who knows lumens and lux like you and I know saws and chisels. The "gaffer" supposedly got his name because to move the overhead lights, he or she used a "gaff;" essentially a long pole with a hook on the end. The gaffer's job is huge, because everything you see and appreciate in film and video is largely due to the expert placement of lighting. The job is also fraught with danger, since every cable and power line has to be hidden from sight and secured so as to not present a danger. If the multi-million-dollar star of a show tripped on a cord and damaged his or her pretty face, it would be a bad, very bad, day for the gaffer.

Figure 6 - Specifications for "true" gaffer's tape are quite rigid... knock-off gaffer's tape will not perform as well

Somewhere along the history of film making, gaffers helped create "gaffer's tape." A very special tape, it needed certain qualities. First, it needed to be black and not shiny, so as to not show on stage floors or cast unwanted reflections. Second, the special "gaffer's tape" needed to stick well, but also be able to be removed easily without harming the underlying surface. Third, gaffers wanted a tape that could be torn easily by hand, since they always need to work fast and efficiently, and fourth, the tape needed to be heat resistant, especially in the old days when studio and stage lights were hot, hot, hot.

The answer was a fabric-backed tape with a rubber-based adhesive made to very exacting standards. The fabric back allows the tape to be torn off the roll easily and even ripped lengthwise into smaller widths when needed. The rubber-based adhesive sticks tenaciously, but doesn't leave residue behind when it is removed and won't harm most surfaces. All these aspects of gaffer's tape make it perfect for a lot of woodworking activities.

Often when dry-assembling and test-fitting the parts of a project, a little "help" is needed to hold parts together, but clamps don't work or get in the way. I've tried using painter's masking tape , but for any project bigger than a bread box, it just does not hold well. Gaffer tape is perfect. Even a large carcass can be temporarily "gaffered" together without fear of the assembly falling apart and without fear of damaging the precious wood… no residue also means no future bad interactions with whatever finish is ultimately applied to the project.

Figure 7 - Gaffer's tape (left) and duct tape (right) are often confused, but they are nothing at all alike

There are many more uses around the shop. In fact, anywhere you might have used duct tape in the past is a prime candidate, and gaffer's tape will work better. I've used it to hold down feather boards, to mark fence locations, to temporarily attach work lights, and to stick down troublesome trip hazard extension cords. And yes, in homage to its roots, I have used gaffer's tape to hold studio lights when making videos and to make a mark on the floor where I should stand so as to be in focus.

Gaffer's tape is as strong as duct tape, but unlike duct tape, will not leave a gunky adhesive residue behind when you remove it and it tears easier and doesn't leave strings of fabric behind (notice the string that wound up under the tape in Figure 7). As an experiment, I stuck a piece of duct tape and a piece of gaffer tape to a sheet of glass. Both were equally tenaciously adhered (and equally difficult to remove) but after only an hour, the duct tape left behind a noticeable "haze" of adhesive on the glass, and the gaffer tape left no residue. I tried for a picture, but my photographic talents apparently don't extend quite that far, yet. Bottom line, duct tape works well for semi-permanent repairs (shovel handles, muffler patches, etc.), but gaffer tape does pretty much everything duct tape does and more, more easily and without the nasty drawbacks of duct tape.

Gaffer's tape costs a bit more than duct tape, but is worth every penny. Beware of cheap imitations! I like Gaffer Power brand, 2-inch wide, 30-yard long rolls in a variety of colors, and made right here in the U.S.A. Try a roll, and you will soon be a believer.
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Part 4 of the Big Giant Bookshelf video series is now available for viewing, and for all the folks out there who have ever felt like they "bit off more than they could chew" with a project, this installment is sure to hit home. It's okay to laugh at my trials and tribulations… it's almost like a public service!

Many of us right now are in our woodshops, deep into making holiday gifts . Some of us are even starting by now to panic a bit! Will I get this finished in time? Well, relax! Please! That's what woodworking is all about. Even if the woodworking gift you are making is a little late, the recipient will appreciate it just as much. So please, stay safe, don't rush, and have a great holiday season!

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Steven Johnson is retired from an almost 30-year career selling medical equipment and supplies, and now enjoys improving his shop, his skills, and his designs on a full time basis (although he says home improvement projects and furniture building have been hobbies for most of his adult life). Steven can be reached directly via email at sjohnson@downtoearthwoodworking.com

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