Sources for Bag Sealing Tape aka: Tacky Tape

General Composites Discussions Products Talk
#1

Hello forum!

I was wondering if I’ve overlooked something in my many searches and years of purchases.

I’m looking for the best supplier (product and cost factor) for bag sealing tape “tacky tape”. My current typical pricing is about $7-$12usd per roll of 25 feet. I’ve used the yellow from Airtech, some red and some black stuff. I’ve also purchased some grey “tacky tape” stuff that didn’t give the greatest seal in my opinion.

The yellow from Airtech seems to be the best I’ve used thus far, but it seems like I blow through rolls so fast my head spins, I was just wondering if I could get the cost down a bit or find longer rolls or something…

What have you guys had good luck with and what are you guys paying for it?

-C

#2

Whats your application? Im guessing based on the tapes below its a 250F cure or something?
A lot of people use the cheapest tape possible for debulking and then a better tape for elevated curing, so perhaps there are cost saving options there.
I was working on a project at home one sunday and needed to do some debulking and had forgotten the tacky tape elsewhere - so I went to the local hardware store and picked up some double sided putty tape (Think its used to hold corrugated upvc roofing panels together). It was about 2/3rd the width of the standard tacky tape. Cheap and held the vacuum well. Cant find the name of it here but can find out this evening

#3

If vacuum integrity is critical, use decent tape.

Sealant tape (tacky tape is a registered trademark of Schnee & Morehead) is very personal. Of course heat resistance is important, but also very important is the feel of the tape. Do you like tackyness?

I used the AT200Y, but for me it is too stiff, and does not stick too well. (you can correct the vacuum film though). I like something more flexible and more sticky. This also depends on temperature. I can imagine that in CA, with the heat you have, AT200Y is more soft than over here in cold and rainy Holland.
Give Airseal 2 or Airseal 2HT also a try.

Also keep in mind that some tapes (Airseal 3 and AT200Y) cure somewhat when at high temperatures (80C or higher) so they are easier to remove.

Gee, I should be paid by Airtech for this post…

#4

Fiberglast sells the 25’ yellow tape for $7.95/roll, which seems to be on the low end of what you’re currently paying.

They also have a case of 40 for $250 which is $1.70/roll discount, so that’s $68 savings on 1000’ of tape. Personally, I’d buy my consumables in bulk to get my savings rather than downgrade to a product that doesn’t work for me.

#5

USA is very expensive country :stuck_out_tongue:

I pay for such tape around 20$ per 50 meters

BTW if anyone is interested, and know costs of transport i Can get some cheap materials like resins, carbon fibers etc.

#6

ACP composites is also a supplier, slightly cheaper that fiberglast as well

#7

We use some of the Airtech products at our shop and purchase them directly from Airtech. We use the AT200Y, AT199 and the GS95. The GS95 low tack and doesn’t really like to stick to bags but when heated (we were going to 70C and it’s rated to 107C) becomes very soft and sticky and is a pain to remove. The AT199 is nice, has good tack and strips clean but the one drawback is that it only comes in 1/16th x 3/8. Some people at the shop like the smaller size for detail work and getting in tight corners but other people aren’t so into it. The 199Y is as Herman said a little harder and lower tack but is nice for oven cooks. As for pricing the GS95 and 200Y are about the same price when bought by the case, around $4.00 a roll and the AT199 is around the same price but for 50’ rolls instead of 25’. I looked into getting some Schnee-Moorehead “Tacky Tape” and found one that is very nice but around 40% more and 30 case minimum order size…

#8

Please feel free to delete this if it is inappropriate. We sell GS213 for $6.10/roll or $194.75/40 roll case. avtcomposites.com

#9

http://www.roofthings.com/butyl-tape-1-2-3-32-50.html

They have different dimensions. I just used it for the first time today. I’m not confident in my bagging skills to begin with, but I had very minimal leak down.

My cost breakdown is .28$/ft from USComposites. At roofthings, I bought 8 rolls @ 3.69, + 17.45 shipping, and total cost is .12$/ft. I’m very pleased.

I work for a roofing company and looked at the bagging tape and I knew I could get it cheaper. Here it is!!

#10

Now the real question is was the minimum leakage from you or the tape? Because if it’s the product I think everyone will say there should be ZERO leaks and would rather pay a little more for tape than to redo a part.

Let us know though if you can or more importantly can not seal 100% next time.

#11

Working on it. My seventh set, and I haven’t had a 100% seal yet and this set turned out to be my best. Perfect cosmetically, but still some release film wrinkles in the back, but that also, has not been perfect yet, and is also my best looking part yet. For me, i’m sold. 33% of the price, and performs for me as I’d like.
I think I get more leak from my air fittings than from the tape!

#12

With that tape you should be able to get a 100% seal.

#13

Herman.

So what you’re saying is that’s a great find and that for us new infusers that are looking for tape that are just curing at room temperature and NOT in an oven we should buy this tape over let’s say the gs213 that’s been discussed earlier in the thread?

#14

Most butyltapes are very soft, tacky and have a low melting point.

I use them very often, as they are easier to work with than the harder high temp tapes.

I must also say that Airtech has other tapes than GS213 and AT200Y. For long the AT200Y (the yellow tape) has been the workhorse in the lower temperature range, but recently Airtech added some interesting tapes, such as Airseal 2, Airseal 2HT, and Airseal 2ST.

The Airtechonline.com website requires a username and password, but the Airtech.lu site has all datasheets easily accessable.

I really recommend checking the datasheets from time to time, to see what is new.

#15

I did a dry test bag. I got imperceptible leak down over 20 minutes. The bag was still tight after I pull the hose. It’s not thick enough though for the stretchlon bag. It pulls across the bridges before the bag can stretch.

#16

Ah, stretchable bag… For stretchbag you should take a harder tape. Also strechtable bags can develop untracable porosity when stretched. Personally I do not like stretchable bags at all, except for some very specific applications.