Tape Spindle

Duct tape is undeniably an amazingly versatile thing. I couldn’t imagine not having some on me. The stuff I’ve been using, seemingly forever, is what’s known colloquially as 200 MPH tape. It’s the stuff the military uses and is essentially duct tape on steroids. I gather that if a helicopter gets shot up, they can be kept operational until proper repairs can be done by patching the bullet holes with this tape. Compared to the duct tape found commercially, a lot of which has the tack of a post-it-note, this stuff is crazy sticky. Anything that this is put on will likely never have all the gooey residue removed from it again.

But carrying it on a roll is just too bulky. I had an idea for carrying it in a tool or utility pouch that would pack better, ie square, and still be easy to handle. Drew up an idea, and gave it to my pal Kevin, a very gifted machinist. It took him about a year to get to it, by which point he had lost the drawing. He did it from memory, so it wasn’t quite what I wanted, but close enough. He measured a roll of duct tape he had, the commercial stuff, which was a bit wider than the stuff I use. As it turns out, that size was perfect for two of the 1" stuff I had side by side.

Despite the square centre, the tape bundle becomes rounded as it winds around the centre. It’s made from aluminum and it’s a bit heavier than I had naively imagined it might be. Works like I thought it would though.