duct tape

Background

Duct tape is a cloth tape coated with a poly-ethylene resin on one side and very sticky rubber-based adhesive on the other. Unlike other tapes, the fabric backing gives duct tape strength yet allows it to be easily torn. Duct tape is also very malleable and can adhere to a wide variety of surfaces. While it was primarily designed for use in air ducts and similar applications, consumers have found a broad range of uses for this popular product. It can be used for a number of household repair jobs, as a fastener instead of screws or nails, and in car maintenance. Snowmobilers have even been known to apply duct tape to their noses to thwart frost-bite and sunburn. The product has generated so much interest, that there are books and web sites dedicated to its unconventional, and often comical, uses. For example, The Duct Tape Book describes how to use duct tape to make aprons and trampoline covers.

History

There are conflicting accounts concerning the history of duct tape. According to Manco, Inc. (maker of DuckTm Brand tape), it was created by Permacell—a division of Johnson and Johnson—during World War II in the 1940s. Other experts claim that the tape product was invented in the 1920s by researchers for the 3M Company, led by Richard Drew. Most accounts agree, however, that Permacell perfected duct tape during the war. Using state of the art technology, their research team developed a process to combine multiple layers of adhesive onto a polyethylene coated cloth backing. Some say this early product was nicknamed "duck tape" because it repelled water like the bird's feathers or because the fabric mesh was made from duck cloth.

Regardless of its origin, the military found many uses for duct tape. One of its earliest applications was to hold ammunition boxes together. For this reason, soldiers referred to it as "gun tape." The Air Force found other uses for the product and duct tape was used to cover gun ports on planes to cut down the air friction during take off. Like many other military products, duct tape was originally colored olive green, but after the war it was changed to the more familiar silver color. Manufacturers began marketing it to household consumers who found a variety of new uses. The tape is easier to use and just as effective as screws and bolts when it comes to holding together the kind of ductwork that is found in new homes with forced-air heating.

As the consumer demand grew, marketers began packaging their tapes in a more consumer-friendly fashion. According to Manco, they were the first company to shrink-wrap and label the duct tape so that it could be easily stacked on display shelves. This packaging improvement made it easier for shoppers to distinguish between the different grades. By 1999, Manco was selling approximately 5,900 short tons (5,352 metric tons), or 246,217 mi (396,240 km), of tape each year.

Design

Duct tape is designed for different application based on its grade. The grade is determined by the combination of adhesive type and the strength of the backing material. The strength of the cloth fabric depends on the number of threads it contains; this number determines the rip strength of the cloth. For example, military grade tape has a 40-lb (18-kg) rip strength while the strength of less expensive tapes is in the 20-lb (9-kg) range. Tape designed for use by the federal government must comply with a lengthy 12-page specification guide that dictates the strength and other factors. Commercial grades are less demanding and are typically classified as either utility, general purpose, or premium grade. Other speciality grades include "nuclear tape," which is used in reactors and a "200-mi (322-km) an hour" tape specifically designed for race cars.

Raw Materials

Cotton mesh

Cotton mesh forms the backbone of duct tape. It provides tensile strength and allows the tape to be tom in both directions. Cloth that has a tighter weave and higher thread count is of a higher quality, provides greater strength, and gives a cleaner tear. A premium quality tape can have a thread count of 44 x 28 threads per square inch. Accordingly, tape made with this fabric is more expensive. The cotton fabric is called a "web" when it is spread across the coating machinery.

Polyethylene coating

The cotton fabric is coated with polyethylene, a plastic material that protects it from moisture and abrasion. This plastic coating is flexible and allows the tape to adhere better to irregular surfaces. The polyethylene is melted and applied to the fabric in a preliminary coating operation. The coated fabric is then stored on rolls until the manufacturer is ready to apply the adhesive.

Adhesive compound

The adhesive used in duct tape is unique for two reasons. First, the adhesive itself is formulated with rubber compounds that ensure long-term bonding. Other tapes typically use adhesive polymers that are not as binding. Second, the adhesive is applied to the substrate in a much thicker coating than those used on cellophane or masking tapes. This too serves to increase the adhesive properties of the tape.

The Manufacturing Process

Adhesive compounding

• The rubber-based adhesive used in duct tape is prepared in a multi-step process. In the first step the adhesive is compounded in a mixer known as a Branbury-type mixer consisting of a stainless steel tank equipped with a steam jacket to heat the compound and a high torque mixer. The rubber compounds are introduced in pellet form, then heated and mixed until they are melted and homogenous. Other ingredients are added to the blend tank as specified in the formulation. These include tackifying agents, viscosity modifiers, antioxidants, and other adjuncts. The final mixture is thick but smooth enough to be pumped to a holding tank connected to the coating equipment.

Adhesive application

• The adhesive and the fabric are combined using sophisticated coating equipment. First, the adhesive is further softened by heat on a roller mill. A roller mill consists of closely spaced hollow rollers which are made of heavy gauge stainless steel. The rollers are attached to high torque gears and a motor that rotates the them at a set speed. The temperature of the rollers is controlled by continuously pumping water through them. The top roller is held at a temperature of 260°F (127°C) and the center roller is kept at 100°F (38°C). The cylinders are fixed in place so that only a small gap exists between them. As the rollers tum, the rubber compound is fed into this space. The friction generated heats and softens the rubber. This arrangement allows the molten adhesive to form a thin sheet across the surface of the rollers.
• The cloth is then fed into the coating machine through another set of rollers. It runs against the third roller (held at 199°F [93°C]) that is in contact with the adhesive. During this process, known as coating, the adhesive is transferred to the cloth. By controlling the gaps between the rollers, the machine operator can determine how much adhesive is applied to the cloth. When the adhesive is ready, the cloth backing material—which has been pre-treated with polyethylene—is fed off its storage roll and onto the coating rollers. As the backing material comes in contact with the third roller, it picks some adhesive up off the transfer roller. This process used to apply such heavy adhesives is known as calendaring. Coatings as thin as 0.002 in (0.05 mm) can be used but they become less uniform below 0.004 in (0.Imm). These fluctuations occur because the rollers experience a small degree of bending as they rotate. This creates uneven gaps between the rollers which cause variations in coating weight across the web.
• After coating, the tape fabric is wound onto large cardboard cores. When enough tape has been coated and the roll is full, it is removed from its spindle and moved to another area where it can be cut to the proper size. These storage rolls are approximately 5 ft wide and 3 ft in diameter (152 cm x 91 cm).

Respooling and slitting

• After the coating process is complete, the roles can be cut to their final size. This is done by "unspooling," or unwinding, the large rolls onto a machine equipped with a series of knives. The knives cut the web into more narrow segments which are then rewound on smaller cardboard cores. This process is known as "slitting."

Packaging operations

• 6 In this final stage the rolls of duct tape are packaged for sale. They are typically shrink wrapped, either singularly or in packages of two or three. These packages are then boxed and marketed for shipping.

  Depending on the manufacturer, the steps described above can be combined through automation into fewer steps. For example, Permacell uses a self-contained apparatus which mixes, heats, and fastens the adhesive onto the backing. This method allows the glue to be prepared without pollution-causing solvents.

Quality Control

Duct tape must meet a series of standard tests described by the American Society for Testing and Materials. These methods measure two key properties of the adhesive: its adhesive strength (which determines how well the tape will adhere to another surface) and cohesive strength (which shows how well the adhesive will stick to the cloth backing). One common method of evaluating these properties involves applying the tape to a standardized stainless steel plate, and then measuring the force required to rip it off. The plate is then examined to determine how much, if any, of the adhesive residue is left behind. The adhesive coating itself is monitored to evaluate how well it sticks to its backing. Conditions where the adhesive leaves a residue is known as creeping, crazing, oozing and bleeding. Quality control technicians also watch for fisheyes, the term used to describe an uneven application of adhesive.

In addition to the standard tests, each manufacturer has their own proprietary methods for evaluating their products. For example, companies may measure the duct tape's breaking point. Others evaluate the "scrunch" sound of the tape as it unwinds because consumers believe a noisy rip off the roll is a sign of strength. Other tests are designed to measure quick stick. One way this is done is by shooting ping-pong balls at tape strips with the sticky side up to measure how far they roll before they are stopped by the tape.

Despite duct tape's reputation for superior adhesion, testing done by independent researchers has found that the tape does not work as well as it is intended to. In 1998, researchers Max Sherman and lain Walker of the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory evaluated 12 different kinds of duct tape. They designed an accelerated aging test that mimicked the temperature conditions of a home or office building from night to day and winter to summer. They used a series of standard finger joints which connected a smaller duct to a larger one. Wrapping each test connection with a different brand of duct tape, they evaluated the seal under temperature and humidity conditions designed to be similar to those found in home heating and air conditioning systems. The researchers also performed a bake test in which the sample joints were baked at higher temperatures. Most of the joints tested were found to be leaking by 50% or more, according to the researchers. Their test results also showed that a large proportion of the tapes failed to function when temperatures dropped below freezing (32°F [0°C]) or rose over 200°F (93°C). However, the tape industry disputed these findings, claiming that for optimal efficiency their tape products should be assisted by collars or clamps.

The Future

Environmental and price considerations drive researches to identify new adhesive formulations at a lower cost—general price for one 2 in (5 cm) wide, 50 yd (46 m) roll of all-purpose duct tape is about three dollars—that maintain high functionality with-out being damaging to the environment. In addition, marketing considerations drive product improvements. In response to criticism that duct tape does not function well at extreme temperatures, manufacturers are creating more advanced formulations specially designed to withstand severe heat and cold fluctuations. For the first time, formal standards are being created specifically for duct tape to be used on flexible duct work. Tape manufacturers support this plan because they believe that certification by Underwriters Laboratories (a product safety testing organization) will boost their sales.

Where to Learn More

Books

Berg, Jim, and Tim Nyberg. The Duct Tape Book. Duluth, MN: Pfeifer-Hamilton Publishers, 1995.

Satas, Dontas. Handbook of Pressure Sensitive Adhesives. Second edition. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1989.

Periodicals

Baird, Christine V. "U.S. Duct Tape Sales at $75 Million a Year and Growing." Knight-RidderlTribune Business News (October 21, 1996): 1021B0195.

"Duct Tapes Flunk Berkeley Lab Tests." Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News 204, no.18 (August 31, 1998): 1.

Harder, Nick. "Bring On the Duct Tape to Show Creativity." Knight-RidderlTribune News Service (April 15, 1999): K0467.

Turpin, Joanna R. "Duct Tape: The Ultimate Tool." Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News 201, no. 16 (August 18, 1997): 9.

Other

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. http://www.ul.com (January 2001).

[Article by: Randy Schueller]

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a wide silvery adhesive tape intended to seal joints in sheet metal duct work but having many other uses

A roll of glossy, grey duct tape.

Duct tape is a vinyl, fabric-reinforced, multi-purpose pressure sensitive tape with a soft and tacky pressure sensitive adhesive. It is generally silver or black in color but many other colors have recently become available. With a standard width of 1+⁷⁄₈ inches (48 mm), duct tape was originally developed during World War II in 1942 as a water resistant sealing tape for ammunition cases. This is when it was first created, as duck tape, due to the revolutionary waterproof features; it is still commonly referred to by this name.^[1][2] Permacel, then a division of Johnson & Johnson, used a rubber-based adhesive to help the tape resist water and a fabric backing to add strength. It was also used to repair military equipment quickly, including jeeps, firearms, and aircraft because of these properties.

In military circles, this variant is known as "gun-tape", typically olive-green, and also known for its resistance to oils and greases. It is also called "Riggers Tape", "Hurricane Tape", or "100-MPH tape",^[3] - a name that comes from the use of a specific variety of duct tape that was supposed to hold up to 100 mph winds. Another version attributes this to the fact that soldiers often refer to something that exceeds expectations as "High Speed."

In Germany the tape is also known as "Panzertape" (tank-tape), a name which emphasizes its general toughness.

Contents 1 Common uses 1.1 Usage in spaceflight 1.2 Usage on ductwork 2 Alternative uses 3 Etymology 4 Different meaning in Australia and New Zealand 5 Variants 6 In popular culture 7 See also 8 Notes and references 9 External links

Common uses

It is commonly used in situations that require a strong, flexible, long lasting adhesive, particularly when exposure to the elements is a concern.

A more specialized product, commonly known as gaffer tape, is preferred in entertainment circles, as it does not leave a sticky residue when removed and is more easily torn into thin strips for precise application.

Duct tape, in its guise as "racer's tape", has been used in motorsports for more than 40 years to repair fiberglass bodywork. Racer's tape comes in a wide range of colors to help match it to common paint colors.^[4] In the UK it is usually referred to as "tank tape" in motorsports use.^[5]

Usage in spaceflight

Improvised wheel fairing extension via duct tape, Apollo 17.

NASA engineers and astronauts have used duct tape in the course of their work, including in some emergency situations. One such usage occurred in 1970, when the square carbon dioxide filters from Apollo 13's failed command module had to be modified to fit round receptacles in the lunar module, which was being used as a lifeboat after an explosion en route to the moon. A workaround was made using duct tape and other items on board Apollo 13, with the ground crew relaying directions to the spacecraft and its crew. The lunar module CO₂ scrubbers started working again, saving the lives of the three astronauts on board.

Ed Smylie, who designed the scrubber modification in just two days, said later that he knew the problem was solvable when it was confirmed that duct tape was on the spacecraft: "I felt like we were home free", he said in 2005. "One thing a Southern boy will never say is, 'I don't think duct tape will fix it.'"^[6]

Duct tape was also used aboard Apollo 17 to improvise a repair to a damaged fender on the lunar rover, preventing possible damage from the rooster tails of lunar dust as they drove.^[7]

In a 2001 NASA manual for spaceflight operations aboard the International Space Station, duct tape is even called for in case of "acute psychosis" during a space mission; NASA procedures call for the use of duct tape to restrain the affected astronaut.^[8]

Usage on ductwork

To provide lab data about which sealants and tapes last, and which are likely to fail, research was conducted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Environmental Energy Technologies Division. Their major conclusion was that one should not use duct tape to seal ducts (specialty tapes are available for this purpose). (They defined duct tape as any fabric-based tape with rubber adhesive.) The testing done shows that under challenging but realistic conditions, duct tapes become brittle and may fail.^[9] Commonly duct tape carries no safety certifications such as UL or Proposition 65, which means the tape can violently burn, produce toxic smoke, ingestion and contact toxicity, irregular mechanical strength, and low life expectancy for the adhesive on the tape. Its use in ducts has been prohibited by the state of California^[10] and by building codes in most other places in the U.S. However, metalized and aluminum tapes used by professionals are still often called "duck/duct tapes".

Alternative uses

Christmas light-impregnated duct tape space suit costumes used by Chicago based rock band Ophur. Model ship made with unusual materials: rolled-up tubes of paper, Express Mail labels, and duct tape. During the week prior to the traditional USC-UCLA rivalry football game, the Tommy Trojan statue is covered in duct tape to prevent the spray-painting of rival UCLA's colors on the statue.[11]

Duct tape's widespread popularity and multitude of uses has earned it a strong place in popular culture, and has inspired a vast number of creative and imaginative applications.

Duck Products annually sponsors a competition that offers a college scholarship to the person who creates the most stylish prom formal wear made from Duck Tape. The number of uses to which duct tape can be put is a source of humor (many of these are collected in books by "The Duck Tape Guys"). One of Duck Products previous competitions was for vehicles covered in duct tape called "Stuck in Traffic". Entries included rabbits, a castle, a van decorated as Van Gogh's Starry Night (titled VanGo), and won by a truck called the Dragonracer - a half dragon, half two-toned race car.

Some people enjoy making novelty items out of duct tape or decorating objects with it. Increased interest in creating these novelty and fashion pieces (such as duct tape prom dresses and handbags) has given rise to designer duct tape handbags, wallets, belts and related items.^{[citation needed]}

A medical study by Adam Doorn announced on major news networks on October 15, 2002, stated that application of duct tape can be used as an effective treatment for warts.^[12] This treatment is often called by the name duck or duct tape occlusion therapy. A more recent study claimed to have debunked these findings, pointing out the original researchers didn't actually examine participants to determine if the warts were in fact gone, but instead phoned participants and asked.^[13] In the 2006 study of 103 children [Haen et al.], duct tape did not perform significantly better than a placebo. This study compared clear duct tape, applied six nights a week to corn pad placebos, which were applied one night a week. In a study released in 2007, a study among older adults found duct tape helped only 21% of the time and was no better than moleskin, a cotton-tape bandage used to protect the skin. However, researchers used transparent duct tape that unlike the grey duct tape does not contain rubber. "Whether or not the standard type of duct tape is effective is up in the air," said Dr. Rachel Wenner of the University of Minnesota, who started the new study as a medical student. "Theoretically, the rubber adhesive could somehow stimulate the immune system or irritate the skin in a different manner."^[14] The Wenner study was published in the March 2007 issue of Archives of Dermatology.

The Duck Tape Guys (Jim Berg and Tim Nyberg) as of 2005 have written seven books about duct tape. Their bestselling books have sold over 1.5 million copies and feature real and wacky uses of duct tape. In 1994 they coined the phrase, "It Ain't Broke, It Just Lacks Duct Tape". Added to that phrase in 1995 with the publication of their WD-40 Book was, "Two rules get you through life: If it's stuck and it's not supposed to be, WD-40 it. If it's not stuck and it's supposed to be, duct tape it". Their website features thousands of duct tape uses from people around the world ranging from fashions to auto repair. The combination of WD-40 and duct tape is sometimes referred to as The Redneck Repair Kit.

Many people also create bookbags, wallets, model houses, and less commonly, guitar straps out of duct tape.

As a quick fix, duct tape can be used as a temporary bandage, until proper medical treatment and bandages can be applied to a wound.^[15]

Etymology

The origin of the name of the product, "duck tape" or "duct tape", is the subject of some disagreement.

One view ^[16] is that it was called "duck tape" by WWII soldiers either because it resembled strips of cotton duck or because the waterproof quality of the tape contributed to the name, by analogy to the water-shedding quality of a duck's plumage. Under this view, soldiers returning home from the war found uses for duck tape around the house, where tents were forgotten and ductwork needed sealing, not ammunition cases. Other proponents of this view point to older references to non-adhesive cotton duck tape used in Venetian blinds, suggesting that the name was carried over to the adhesive product. The Oxford English Dictionary says that perhaps "duct tape" was originally "duck tape". This view is summarized most notably in a New York Times article by etymologist William Safire in March 2003. Safire cites use of the term "cotton duck tape" in a 1945 advertisement for surplus government property.^[17] The Oxford English Dictionary gives a 1902 quotation for "100,000 yards of cotton duck tape" being used to protect the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge.^[18] Thus a fabric duck tape was available to which an adhesive could have been added.

In any case, whether it is an error or a preservation of the original usage, the term "duck tape" is used for the product today.^[19] Duck Tape is also a brand name for this product in some countries.

Different meaning in Australia and New Zealand

Australian "duct tape".

The term duct tape can lead to confusion between people more familiar with the North American usage of the term and those from regions such as Australia and New Zealand, where a completely different type of tape is sold as duct tape, as shown right. This duct tape is a 48 mm (1.9 in) wide PVC tape (usually silver in color) with no cloth backing and much weaker clear adhesive.^[20] 3M sells a similar tape in the United States, calling it "Electrical Tape".

Duck brand cloth-backed tape in Australia is labeled as Power Tape (a purely promotional term), and other cloth-backed tapes are generally labeled as cloth tape or gaffer tape. The use of this definition varies between Australians; many refer to duct tape as the same product as is sold in North America.^{[citation needed]}

Gaffer tape generally is coated with a different type of adhesive, so as to permit its use to hang such production items as lighting instruments from walls without taking off paint and wallpaper when removed. Another wide tape similar to gaffer tape is the US branded Gorilla tape, which is made on a cloth backing, but has a much stronger adhesive than either duck tape or gaffer tape.

Variants

• Duct tape is currently available in various colors from many online retailers and some stores.
• Camouflage duct tape is available from Duck Products, most military surplus stores and catalogs, and some hunting and fishing supply stores, and is useful for making repairs to hunting equipment and other outdoors materials.
• 3M now sells transparent duct tape[1]. The company claims it lasts longer than regular duct tape while making repairs less obvious.
• Gorilla Glue, Inc. released Gorilla Tape, a variation on the standard duct tape. By adding more adhesive, and using two offset layers of fibers, the tape is claimed to be stronger, but easy to tear horizontally.
• Speed tape which is composed of adhesive aluminium foil and is used for temporary airplane repairs.

In popular culture

As might be expected from its widespread use, duct tape has featured in many references in popular culture. Its image is one of "make-do", or "cheap fix", and it is particularly associated with men. For instance, in the US sitcom Frasier, Martin Crane's beloved and ugly old armchair, complete with pieces of duct tape covering rips in the fabric, sat in the middle of an otherwise impeccably furnished room. The character Red Green, of the Red Green Show, sees duct tape as the answer to any problem, dubbing it "the handyman's secret weapon" and spawning a major motion picture called Duct Tape Forever. The title character of the television series MacGyver, also a master of improvised inventions, made frequent use of duct tape, a flattened roll of which he frequently kept in his back pocket. The MythBusters devoted an entire episode to duct tape by lifting a car with it, repairing and making a boat out of it, and creating a duct tape cannon.

Popular culture has also created an image of duct tape as an indispensable part of a criminal's inventory, due to the numerous movies depicting its use as a means to tie up and gag a victim.

See also

• Gaffer tape
• Pressure sensitive tape
• Duct tape alert
• Duct tape occlusion therapy
• MacGyver
• The Red Green Movie Duct Tape Forever
• Speed tape
• Pressure sensitive adhesive

Notes and references

1. ^ JOC Michael Foutch. "Submarine Force Technology:Building a better way of life for the future". Undersea Warfare: The Official Magazine of the U.S. Submarine Force (Winter 2004). http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/usw/issue_21/subforce.htm. 
2. ^ Phil Ament (2006-04-05). "Fascinating facts about the invention of Duct Tape by Johnson & Johnson Co. in 1942.". Ideafinder.com. http://web.archive.org/web/20080717060704/http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/ducttape.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
3. ^ IMS-Plus
4. ^ Racers Tape Products
5. ^ Demon Tweeks website
6. ^ Associated Press article, referring to the use of duct tape on Apollo 13.
7. ^ "Lunar Dust and Duct Tape". Apod.nasa.gov. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040417.html. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
8. ^ Space Station's User Guide | SpaceRef See Specific Emergency Medical Procedures — Behavorial.
9. ^ "Sealing HVAC Ducts: Use Anything But Duct Tape". Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Energy Performance of Buildings Group. 1998-08-17. http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/duct-tape-HVAC.html. 
10. ^ "California Energy Commission Title 24 of the Building Energy Efficiency Standards". Energy.ca.gov. http://www.energy.ca.gov/title24/changeout/. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
11. ^ Rajan Menghani, Pranks of the past, present, The Daily Bruin, December 01, 2005.
12. ^ "AAFP tips page". Aafp.org. 2003-02-01. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20030201/tips/8.html. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
13. ^ "Efficacy of Duct Tape vs Placebo in the Treatment of Verruca Vulgaris (Warts) in Primary School Children". Archpedi.ama-assn.org. 2006-11-01. doi:10.1001/archpedi.160.11.1121. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/160/11/1121. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
14. ^ "Study: Duct tape wart cure overstated". Usatoday.Com. 2007-03-19. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-03-19-duct-tape_N.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
15. ^ "archive of defunct About.com Frugal Living Page on Duct Tape". Web.archive.org. 2006-04-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20060429023929/http://frugalliving.about.com/cs/tips/a/ducttape_2.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
16. ^ "Snopes article". Snopes article. http://www.snopes.com/rumors/ducttape.asp. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
17. ^ "THE WAY WE LIVE NOW: 3-02-03: ON LANGUAGE; Why A Duck", New York Times, March 2, 2003. Retrieved April 17, 2008.
18. ^ Brooklyn Daily Eagle 21 Nov 1902 Considering..that 100,000 yards of cotton duck tape must be wrapped around the cable with neatness and exactitude, it may be imagined that this method of cable preservation is quite expensive.
19. ^ Contractor School Online. "Contractor School Online — Contractor Glossary of Terms". Contractorreferral.com. http://www.contractorreferral.com/glossary/index.php?letter=D&limit_index=570. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
20. ^ Constructing A Fibreglass Rapier accessdate=2007-12-05

External links

• Etymology provided by Jan Freeman, Boston Globe (reproduced)
• Duct Sealant Longevity
• Duct tape not good for ducts from the California Energy Commission
• http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/duckvsduct.html

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