33 vs 88 vs 1700 ?? 3m tapes

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rt66electric

Senior Member
Location
Oklahoma
Does any body have a good website that describes the charatristics of the various tapes??? I have always wondered if a $8 roll of tape is really much better than a $4 roll as compared to a $0.79 roll ???
 

ohmhead

Senior Member
Location
ORLANDO FLA
Well to me and this is just by using lots of the 3 m products there the best and it is what you pay for thats good and bad .

Last month we had a 3 m rep come to our shop for a show and tell during a meeting with the foreman crew he had new tapes and products he was showing a brand new tape they just patented & now manufacture .

It will when used cover a cut or nick in a wire but also was made to after rolled on conductor insulation not only adhere to it but can bond itself into the insulation and i mean become part of the insulation like it was new again .

3- M is the best but i dont pay the bills my company does .
 

jeremysterling

Senior Member
Location
Austin, TX
Great link, thanks.

This stuff brought back memories. We called it "E.B. Red."

3M? Performance
Plus Duct Tape
8979N-Nuclear


6 month clean removal duct tape. Sunlight
resistant, leaves behind no sticky residue.
Critical containment for utilities and
nuclear power plants. Outdoor use, without
deterioration up to 1 year
.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
We often use 33+, but to me it does not seam like it sticks as well as it did in the past. Has anyone else noticed this or is it just me?
 

wireguru

Senior Member
Great link, thanks.

This stuff brought back memories. We called it "E.B. Red."

3M? Performance
Plus Duct Tape
8979N-Nuclear


6 month clean removal duct tape. Sunlight
resistant, leaves behind no sticky residue.
Critical containment for utilities and
nuclear power plants. Outdoor use, without
deterioration up to 1 year
.

I use that. Best duct tape ever...
 

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
We often use 33+, but to me it does not seam like it sticks as well as it did in the past. Has anyone else noticed this or is it just me?

I hadn't noticed...but it depends on your definition of past. I've only been doing this 5+ years...:)

I'm strictly a 3m guy, they'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands.;) Everything else isn't worth the time and aggravation when it doesn't stick properly to the wire...:mad:

33+ for everyday work, making up heads, etc.
Super 88 for motor and aerial splices.
 

GUNNING

Senior Member
its 33+ for me!

its 33+ for me!

88 is thicker than 33. 88 is good for a colder weather climate. The phone co around here uses 33 above grade and underground. Making up pull heads to covering up nicked wire to wrapping splices. Personally I'm too cheap to use it for everything but its a great product and I use it when the margin costs can justify it. Translation, its on my truck but I'm not buying it for the crew or their house. Its an attractive nuisance. Ill reach for it before the PVC stuff. Its safer to wrap those hot wires when your pulling off that metal box. Sticks in all weather and moisture. One great American invention. I really like the classy plastic pill box.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
I hadn't noticed...but it depends on your definition of past. I've only been doing this 5+ years...:)

I'm strictly a 3m guy, they'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands.;) Everything else isn't worth the time and aggravation when it doesn't stick properly to the wire...:mad:

33+ for everyday work, making up heads, etc.
Super 88 for motor and aerial splices.
I have noticed the change in the last 18 months or so.
I too like 3M products for tape. When I tape motor leads I will use 130C and then 33+, if I don't use the Raychem GelCaps.
 

ohmhead

Senior Member
Location
ORLANDO FLA
Well over the years if you do HV splicing & terminating work for most jobs of high profile work you must be certified to get this card in your hands you go to school we go once a year and General Electric teaches the course at our shop .

Your not going to splice it with out this card.

Its a 4 day program of classroom theory of power cable construction & testing then one day of actual field splicing you make the old hand splice the t connection the straight splice and do it the old way no kits .

Each team of two men must then test the splice with a GE instructor present if your splice passes you get a card if it doesnt you make it over it takes hours to prep clean measure crimp barrell connects tape & cut & HI pot testing last . Different tapes like conductive tape and non conductive tapes are used lots of raps and there is a special way to pull on the tape as you apply it in one direction 1/2 lap ect ect .


But GE uses 3M and also Plymouth Bishop electrical tapes only so do the math if GE uses it must be good tape .

What i hate is the cheap colored tape that we use on low voltage work its so thin you actually use more tape to make it look good so your company is still spending more as we use lots of rolls to make it look good anyway .
 
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wireguru

Senior Member
ive noticed a change in it as well. They probably had to change the formula due to some new environmental BS.....
 

ohmhead

Senior Member
Location
ORLANDO FLA
ive noticed a change in it as well. They probably had to change the formula due to some new environmental BS.....

Well they found out that with budget cuts in the plant less glue is better now they dont use control buttons on the assembley line anymore they have computers today which just applys enough glue to just let it stick check your dates on your tape it doesnt last forever most people dont but when its old its no good .

Kinda like duct tape theres good duct tape and theres cheap duct tape and electricians can tell you after 2 months it falls off or the sun will break it down so it falls off i wish they would come out with a tape that will last a long time on our pipe and can go on with water ?
 
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