Shrink Tape?

[LI-ghtcycle]

I have heard of a product out there that only bonds once heated, and comes on a roll like tape, and is structurally strong enough to bind together pipe in a "cross" shape apparently used by plumbers?

The closest I have seen is the non-hardening flexible tape that sticks only to it's self at Harbor Freight but it's not really designed to be structural, just to wrap around a hose or pipe to fix a leak like this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-x-10-ft-self-bonding-super-tape-68401.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/370x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_11295.jpg

Well, anyhow, I understand that with enough layers most any tape will do, but I'm looking for more of a permanent solution, I guess I could do the fiberglass in strips method, but if there is this heat activated tape out there, that sounds even better.

 

[SamTexas]

I've never heard of it. I think it'd a great product. I have completed so many wire connections only to realize afterward that I had forgotten to include the heat shrink tube.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

I've never heard of it. I think it'd a great product. I have completed so many wire connections only to realize afterward that I had forgotten to include the heat shrink tube.

Well, that would be great too, but this stuff is more for structural strength than just a insulator, but I imagine since one exists, the other might too.

I have been using the paint on stuff, but it's messy and doesn't stick as well as I would like.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Well, this isn't what I was looking for, but it looks really interesting, and sounds like it might do what I want too:

http://www.fernco.com/plumbing/pow-r-repair/pow-r-wrap

(check the video link at the bottom, funny how they say "permanent repair" and yet the testimonial talks about a temporary repair, CYA I guess hehe)

Either way, I'd much rather have something that I can just wrap on and use my heat gun to finish.

I have some of the HF stuff, I'll give it a try.

 

[SamTexas]

For structural repair or strengthening of metal I just use cold weld.

 

[dogman dan]

I have taken wide heat shrink tube, spiral wrapped it around something, taped the loose end down, and shrunk it in place. Then wrap with regular tape. More for a chafe proofing than an insulation.

 

[StudEbiker]

I have seen the same stuff in the allelectronics catalog and been interested in trying it out, but haven't bought any yet.

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/SFT-5/SELF-FUSING-RUBBER-TAPE/1.html

 

[oldpiper]

I have seen the same stuff in the allelectronics catalog and been interested in trying it out, but haven't bought any yet.

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/SFT-5/SELF-FUSING-RUBBER-TAPE/1.html

You can find this type of tape made by 3M at Lowe's or Home Depot (or, I guess, at most hardware stores).

Cameron

 

[MikeFairbanks]

There's a kind of tape I buy at Home Depot that looks a lot like electrical tape, but is a little wider. It's in the same section that sells heating/ac stuff. Vents, ducts, etc. are there. Head to the place on the aisle right by where they sell stove-top vents and you'll find it. It's a blue package. The tape is black, about an inch wide, and has a film backing. You peel off the film and wrap it while stretching it to provide tension. It then forms essentially a plastic sleeve. I use it a lot for electric builds, but mostly to wrap cable or to cover some zipties. I don't think it has a ton of strength (not sure what your purpose is), but it's really meant to seal pipe. No heating or glue necessary, and it works amazingly well. It works so well, in fact, that you can't peel it back off. It's almost as if it melted into one thick sleeve. You have to tear or cut it away when you want to remove it.

good luck.

Here it is:

 

[Hugues]

You can find this type of tape made by 3M at Lowe's or Home Depot (or, I guess, at most hardware stores).

Great idea, I really need this too. Found the 3M specs here:
https://www.distrelec.ch/ishop/Datasheets/Scotch23_eng_TDS.pdf

I'll buy some

Thanks

 

[ddk]

we used the tape in the op's post to protect the delicate coax cabling near the engine exhaust of jet fighters. (not really delicate but unable to withstand the heat)
It works very well for that purpose.
I've used it to repair leaking plumbing and as a damper between connections of structural materials but I wouldn't trust it for structural strength, although you can use it for your purposes as most of your joints don't require much strength- but expect to end up with a 'bulgey' joint

It will hold far longer than any duct tape I know of but any duct tape will have stronger adhesive (initially) and you would only need a couple of layers of duct tape to hold the plastic pipes together (less bulge)

 

[ddk]

...oh

and cable ties work great for your particular application

you can get cable ties with all sorts of differing strengths* and materials including ties made of stainless steel
Grainger is a source as is McMaster-Carr but I usually buy mine at surplus electronics stores

*the colored ones are the weakest

 

[StudEbiker]

I bought some of this awhile back form HF and have found it to be mostly useless for anything I tried to use it for until yesterday when I was working on my GF's daughters bike and needed a rim strip and didn't have one. I was trying to think of something to use and thought I'd just put some electrical tape around the rim, but then I remembered this stuff. It works great as rim tape. Nice and thick and super stretchy. I'll be buying more of this, but I haven't found any use for it before using it for rim tape.

 

[ddk]

I bought some of this awhile back form HF and have found it to be mostly useless for anything I tried to use it for until yesterday when I was working on my GF's daughters bike and needed a rim strip and didn't have one. I was trying to think of something to use and thought I'd just put some electrical tape around the rim, but then I remembered this stuff. It works great as rim tape. Nice and thick and super stretchy. I'll be buying more of this, but I haven't found any use for it before using it for rim tape.

I've never tried the HF version...
the 3m version you can use for repairing pressure pipes. electrical insulation. heat insulation etc... and it only sticks to itself.
Makes it easy to remove (think: new razor blade)
I think I have a roll for on-the-road radiator hose leaks somewhere in my truck :lol:
It is far better than electrical tape for electrical tape's purpose because it leaves no glue residue
and the little tins it comes packaged in make great project boxes :lol: