Holder hinge tape: options(and pro's/cons)

[Dan Dozer]

I second Sandy's recommendation on the book binding tape from Gaylords. I use that in repairing my 8 x 10 holders and it's always worked very well.

[Daniel Stone]

Thanks everyone.

I was looking at a few other options this past evening, and after comparing some things(including that the final trimmed width of the tape hinge when done: 1/2"W X 5.438"(7/16).
The coverage area will only be at the end of the holder, so the tape will not wrap around to each side of the flap. Therefore I settled on a higher-tack product, this one in fact:

Demco Vinyl-Coated Cloth Tape With Liner
4"W x 30 Yds Black
Item #: WS13573590
http://www.demco.com/goto?PRD13573430

Should be here middle of next week, so I'll do some preliminary testing to see how things go. I liked that since it had a liner(they also sell a non-liner version of the same tap, albeit in a 15yd length), it'll be easier to handle during the trimming/fitting process. Less "sticky finger syndrome" I foresee, and hopefully less chance of the adhesive oxidizing/drying.

I'll report once I've got it in-hand and have tested it out for a few weeks to see if the adhesive works well for this purpose.
If it all works out, I'll be happy to cut down sections of the remaining roll if anyone wants to purchase some, pre-cut/sized so it'll be ready-to-go.

cheers,
Dan

[Jim Becia]

Jim from Mpex recommended ripstop repair tape; that's all I've used and have had no problems.

I have used ripstop repair tape that I bought from REI and it seems to work nicely.

[John Kasaian]

Book binder tape #1
Gaffers tape a distant #2
I wouldn't mess with anything else.

[alexn]

Do what I did... get fed up with old holders that fall apart, pony up and buy new ones... I have a lovely set of Chamonix wooden 4x5 holders that whilst they were horridly pricey, they have been cheaper than all the repairs you would eventually do to 20~30 year old holders... not to mention, that new darkslide feeling vs the old grindy slides on some of my older, 2nd hand holders...

[Daniel Stone]

Nice idea Alex, but that's a buttload of cash mate, especially for (25) 5x7 holders

[AtlantaTerry]

I read every posting here. What found interesting is no one mentioned sizes.

How wide should the roll of tape be so one does not have to trim it for every repair.

What about thickness? If too thick the end of the sheet film holder will be lifted away from the plane of focus and it might cause a light leak, too.

Why haven't these things been mentioned?

Now that I brought it up, what IS the correct black self-adhesive tape for repairing plastic 4x5 sheet film holders that won't be too wide or too thick?

BTW, I have about 80 that I would like to repair...

[Daniel Stone]

Terry,
the tape that (I) went with isn't super thick, and since MY 5x7 holder only have tape on the END of the holders, I don't believe that it'll cause any "raising" issues with the holder sitting flush against the frame of the back.

The roll I purchased is 2" wide. For my use in repairing my 5x7 holders, I need a 1/2" wide piece. Hence the reason that I purchased the tape with the backing material, so I can roll out a certain length, then use a fabric roller cutter to trim to the desired width(1/2"). Attempting to do this with a tape that doesn't have the protective adhesive backing material(to keep the roll from sticking to itself) would be pretty much near impossible, even if I had 4 hands or another person to help me.

When I get the tape in-hand, I'll make sure to shoot some pictures showing my process as I've thought it out. I want to make this both a functional, but visually appealing repair. I like good looking equipment(see my other post about my DIY dividers in the "show off your camera" thread here):
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...amera!/page211

So, for ME, "doing it right" is key, the first time. The roll of tape I bought WAS NOT cheap. But I felt that for me and my pursuit of a quality, good-looking repair, this would be the easiest and friendliest method of doing the job; again, for me...

-Dan

[winterclock]

@ Terry, I found that my 5x7 wooden holders require tape 1" wide. I haven't looked at my 4x5 holders yet, but it would be easy enough to cut the tape narrower once it is in place on the holder. The tape for my plastic holders is narrower, but I haven't had to replace it yet. For the wooden holders I use a sharp chisel to remove all the old glue before taping, tape one flap, wrap around to the other flap, then burnish the tape down with the handle of an Xacto knife. I much prefer wooden holders so they get the most use, and as I have said, I have had no problems in four years despite my gear being left in the car in all sorts of weather and being used extensively. The one time I tried gaffers tape it fell off within a weeks time, duct tape was pretty much useless, lasting for only one loading. Get the tape Sandy recommends, he knows what he's talking about!

[mdarnton]

Just a data point here. I bought a roll of self-adhesive book tape, not one with a protective cover. I measured 24mm needed for my holders, and thought I'd be clever and just run it over the old tape, which is securely attached (since the holders had film in them). That didn't mess with the registration on the fronts of the holders, but the thickness of the tape made the one holder I tried it on too long to fit and still allow the light trap at the other end drop into its slot. So that's an issue to watch out for. I'm pretty sure that if I had cleaned the old tape off, there wouldn't have been a problem.

Second, the easy way to handle tape cutting is to cut a strip and stick it onto a clean piece of glass. Use a ruler and knife to slice off the width you need, and peel it off the glass to apply. Very easy, and makes cutting precise sizes a cinch.