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

[Ian Gordon Bilson]

The OP mentioned a product to remove adhesive residue , before applying the new tape. Citrus oil-based removers -I won't suggest a brand,given my location-work very well for this. Post cleaning with solvent obviously indicated.

[Curt]

http://talasonline.com

[Daniel Stone]

Hey all,

Well I've repaired 21 of my 5x7 holders thus far, and everything has gone (pretty) smooth thus far.
I received the roll of tape on Friday afternoon, and already had 10 or so holders "prepped"(basically the old tape and residue completely removed from the plastic flap pieces.
*I have tried various solvents, including naptha, and the one that I found worked the best was an orange oil-based cleaner/solvent called "De-Solve-it". I found it while at Smart & Final, and since they have a money back guarantee, I thought I'd give it a shot.
Well, it works, but since it is citrus-oil based, I found that it left a slightly greasy/oily residue where it was applied. I found that to be most effective on the glue residue, I needed to let it sit approx 1-2hrs or so, and then scrape the residue off with a fresh, sharp single-edge razor blade(I used a paint scraper/blade holder since I'm all-thumbs !). I ended up cleaning the remaining 16(I tested the first 5 holders with the De-Solv-it) holders of residual glue using the razor blade alone(so no extra solvent, etc). Not very hard, but I found that it is good practice to use caution, as the plastic that is used on plastic film holders is relatively soft, and a liberal use of force to try and power through the glue/adhesive residue resulted in making some divots in the plastic. Not a huge deal, but something to still take note of if you attempt a DIY repair.

I still have another 15 or so holders to replace the hinge tape on, but as they're currently loaded with film, they'll await replacement until after the film is shot.

My procedure for repairing the film holders was as follows:
1. Remove plastic flaps/tape from holders end(gently prying tape away from holder's center core, one side at a time worked best in my experience. TAKE YOUR TIME. Once you've done a couple, it'll become routine, but still be careful.
2. Scrape residual glue/material away from flaps end/surfaces where tape was adhered to. Repeat on actual film holders center "core" where the center of the tape adheres to. TAKE YOUR TIME. Scraping with a sharp blade doesn't just put your fingers/hands at risk, but the film holder itself.
3. (You can choose to omit this step if you want, I did it on the holders after the first 5 I tested on): Follow up cleaning with a quick wipe-down of the (formerly glued) areas w/ isopropyl alcohol to remove any potential fingerprints/finger oil smudges on the areas where the new adhesive is to bond.
4. Cut tape to size. For my plastic Lisco Regal/Fidelity Deluxe holders, I found that the size of [11.5mm(W) x 140mm (L)] provided just enough room to get end-to-end coverage and provide a nice, fully adhered hinge. I trimmed to lenth, usually a small 1-1.5mm wide piece was cut off.
5. Bend the hinges and run your finger along the full length of the tape, giving firm pressure to fully adhere the tape to the plastic.


I've shot a couple of pictures showing some of the stuff while doing a few holders this afternoon, just before writing this 'instructional' reply to my posting.

If you have any questions, please let me know here. I'm planning to get some replacement pieces cut up for sizing to modern Fidelity/Lisco 8x10, 4x5 and 5x7 holders, so if you'd like to order some tape(it has a backing material, so I can cut strips to exact sizes required), please let me know. I like this tape, because since it has the peel-off backing, I can peel only off as much as I want to as I'm applying it. Therefore, reducing unwanted sticking to fingers/workarea,etc...

cheers,
Dan

[ScottPhotoCo]

Thanks for sharing, Dan.

[Tin Can]

Great post Dan. I will try Demco as you linked a few posts earlier.

Good tape is never cheap and a roll will fix many holders for years to come.

Thanks!

[Tin Can]

Curt, your link has some great stuff, one thing that caught my was glass protection tape for shipping.

http://talasonline.com

They also carry a paper mending tape that disappears! Not that common tape.

[Ian Gordon Bilson]

The citrus-based cleanser De Solv-it) is the one I have to hand..Synergy I suppose. Removing the soapy scum :use the trimmed end of a cocktail stick, or any other wooden tool. It is much kinder to the plastic substrate of most holders than steel.

[imagedowser]

I took Sandy's advise on the Gaylord Book Binding tape. Did six 5x7 holders last night. The tape is easy working, doesn't over stretch and cuts cleanly. I bought a 2" roll so I can use the straight outside edge on first side, rap around the holder and trim cleanly with a sharp razor or exacto. With the 2" roll you can get 1 1/4 " strips for 11x14 holders, leaving you with enough to do 2x3,3x4,4x5 or 5x7 from the remainder.