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lifehacker.com: Magnets, velcro, and binder clips are all helpful in managing cables. But they're all probably less abundant in your house than tape. The only problem with tape is the sticky residue, but this folding trick can eliminate that annoyance.
16 comments:
Sarah Keller
said...
This is a fun idea, and it would be useful if you really have to organize some cords and only have access to duct tape, but it seems pretty impractical for regular use. Having to cut pieces out of each individual strip, then fold it over nicely without getting it stuck to itself in the wrong position (it's harder than it looks!) just seems like it would take a lot more time and effort than simply using tie line, a twist tie, or a zip tie (depending on how permanent you want it to be). It's a good tip in a pinch, but I definitely wouldn't make a habit of organizing your cables this way.
But look at all that effort! You could just grab a twisty-tie and do that a lot faster. All cords (for home devices) come with twisty-ties to package them, so just keep the twisty-tie on there and use it to coil the cord like it was in the first place. This would be useful, I guess, if you are using second hand cords, or you are trying to wrap cable. I assume that duct tape could be replaced with Gaff tape if the need arises and that is more accessible than duct tape. The problem with this is that you can't take it off without having to make a completely new tape wrap. Plus one for the twisty-tie.
Well they aren't lying when they say it'll work but I question the usefulness of this method. Maybe if there are literally no other alternatives I might considering do it this way but really only if I've exhausted any other option. That being said, I don't think this article is really aimed at people in our industry, or really any industry for that matter. This is probably helpful for someone wiring up their home A/V system and having extra cables that need to be thrown in the basement. Otherwise, velcro cable ties, tie line, or even zip ties would be better alternatives. All that being said, I have come across gear that has been taped up and it would have been nice if whoever had done it had known this trick. I doubt I'll ever actually use this unless it's an emergency and all I have is gaff or duct tape.
Duct Tape. I’ve used it for so many things, besides wrapping cords, it’s a list far too long. My uncle always had this joke with “if it’s broke, use duct tape, if that don’t work, buy a new one.” Of course that was just humor, because as we all know it can’t fix everything, Sure I’ve used duct tape on plenty of patchwork, such as patching a hole on tube to go floating down the river, but I want the tape to stay, so who cares if there is a resin left on. I’ve just never had a need to use duct tape to wrap a cord with. I guess it will do the job, as seeing that duct tape works best when it’s acted upon itself. But also when using duct tape like this, I guess you’ve got to be careful that you leave yourself enough workable space for the duct tape to adhere, otherwise, there goes the entire reason you were using it to begin with. If you don’t give it enough leeway, it’s bound to fail; and with the types of cables that are used in the theatre, it will fail. Simple as that, it’s a go big or go home situation we’ve all been put in.
Using a twist-tie or a piece of thin rope (attached to one end and then wrapped around and bow-tied off) is infinitely easier and reusable. Can you even reuse this duct tape wrap after you take it off? I think you could... but only if you're really careful not to stick the sticky ends together when you initially put it on, which could be another useless annoyance. Also, they give you an idea of how long to cut the tape, but that's only useful for exactly that thickness of cable; it would take a while to get used to cutting the right length for each of the amounts of cable. Overall, not that helpful.
Okay, so I get the point that this article is trying to make, by saying that duct tape is widely available at most peoples houses and itll work for this purpose, but this whole concept just strikes me as rather stupid. This duct tape method is so makeshift and cumbersome to deal with. I dont understand why someone would want to take the time to deal with making this ridiculous duct tape system work as opposed to going to get actual cable ties for like $5 at a local store. Also if you really need a quick fix with an easily found item, why are you suddenly jumping to duct tape before just tying it up with string?
This. Is. Stupid. So much effort expended on a worthless idea. You can buy 50-packs of reusable velcro cable ties for like $5. Hell, even zip ties would be a better alternative to painstakingly folding and reusing duct tape. Now, I'm not saying that everybody should have tie-line or anything in their home, but even the plastic twist-ties that come in the packaging with each cable would be a better alternative.
All that being said, I think I've seen much more cables in people's homes that were just a giant tangle or an unorganized mess. So perhaps no cable wrapping device is standard operating procedure..
While this is a useful technique, I don't think it's very practical. Sure duct tape is less expensive, but the idea of having to make individual, specially made, wraps to prevent sticky cable it ridiculous. No one has the time to hand make cable wrappings. Seriously, just cut off some tie line or something! Really, anything would be faster than making these. I understand the desire to stay cheeper, but the cost is not worth the extra time it takes to make these cable wrappings. Use tie line, or a pipe cleaner! Anything else!
Everyone seems dissatisfied with this; I think they are just the wrong audience. This does not make sense on a large scale like we work with in theater but that I don’t think it is us that this advice is meant for. Most people are not going to have cable ties or zip ties in their house, but most people these days are going to have a bunch of cables whether it is from a computer, tv, game systems, drones, printers, lasers, robots, automated laundry folders… the list goes on. These are normal people who just want a way to clean up the wires they have without making them all sticky. These are not people who are going to spending hours cleaning up wires in a theater. Also these kinds of people are very unlikely to have wire ties and very likely to have duct tape. Yes it is impractical on a large scale but that’s not where its use is being proposed
I have to agree with Isaac in this case when I say that this is the wrong audience which is why there is such a poor reception of this article. However, I can't tell you how many times I've seen people just go for tape when dressing cables, especially when they are taping them down to the floor and they have excess cable at the end. While I know that zip ties or tie line is a better alternative and all-in-all quicker, people will still resort to tape out of shear laziness. Therefore, I see this as a great method to teach workers since inevitably there's going to be a point in time when someone just uses tape and would make the cable super sticky if this method wasn't used.
Ok so I just tried this and it's not as easy as the article made it sound. Maybe if you were at home, doing a spring cleaning, this would be effective, seeing as you have lots of time. Doing this in a work setting like ours? Not so much. Duct tape residue is the bane of many technicians existence. If I have to work on a bunch of cable for my lighting call, I'm not going to reach for the duct tape and make cutesy little strips. No, I'm going to tie it up with tie line, or tape it down with gaffers tape. I'm going to exhaust all my other options before I reach for the duct tape. I agree with Isaac: we are the wrong audience for this article.
I think this way to wrap cables tightly is interesting, however lacking much in practicality. There is a whole series of steps you need to go through just to prep the tape, multiply that by the number of ties you need for a long cable run, or numerous coils that need to be secured before putting away and suddenly its a lot less time efficient. This idea represents an interesting tradeoff between the limited resources of time and money. While it costs less to use duct tape the time for the prep work eats up a ton of time that might better be used elsewhere. If these strips came in a cheap inexpensive roll that was ready to go then I might say that it serves as a good idea, but for now, I don't see the benefit in using it over something like wire ties or tie line, which cost more but can be reused, are proved to work and durable, and simply get the job done in a quick and efficient way.
This does seem like a good idea when you only have tape and you need to tie up cords. It may be more useful to use another material to tie. String is very good at holding cords together and when tied properly it is easy to untie. Tie-line is the most popular way to tie up cords in theatre, but most people do not have that in their homes. Many people may have rope, zip ties, or twist ties in their homes that they can use instead. This duck tape method could work well if it your only option.
Another fun and creative idea of how to deal with sticky tapes. Although I have to admit that I laughed a bit with how fuuny (and a bit stupid) this is. But you know what? I think this can be worked pretty well, who knows? I think I would have try doing it sometimes and see if it's really works. I wonder if there's any other easy techniques that we can use with spike tapes to make it last longer without having to put something on top of it (like Marley tape, which is good, but sometimes if you didn't peel it off on time, it will just forever stick there. And isolated tape? should give it a try) or anything that will last long, don't ruined the floor, and easy to peel of. Still searching for it.
So my first thought was, this would be a very interesting hack to use if you're trying to organize your tapes by color. But this would not work any other way because if you were to use this idea to hold the cable still or to stabilize it this idea would be meaningless. Not that this idea isn't good, it's just not the best way to organize in the theatre. And any tape has the ability to break on you. With tie line it's short and sweet. Maybe this would be good for those you have extension cords in their home they want to organize, or maybe a place for storage. But for an everyday use kind of thing, this hack seems like a hassle.
16 comments:
This is a fun idea, and it would be useful if you really have to organize some cords and only have access to duct tape, but it seems pretty impractical for regular use. Having to cut pieces out of each individual strip, then fold it over nicely without getting it stuck to itself in the wrong position (it's harder than it looks!) just seems like it would take a lot more time and effort than simply using tie line, a twist tie, or a zip tie (depending on how permanent you want it to be). It's a good tip in a pinch, but I definitely wouldn't make a habit of organizing your cables this way.
But look at all that effort! You could just grab a twisty-tie and do that a lot faster. All cords (for home devices) come with twisty-ties to package them, so just keep the twisty-tie on there and use it to coil the cord like it was in the first place. This would be useful, I guess, if you are using second hand cords, or you are trying to wrap cable. I assume that duct tape could be replaced with Gaff tape if the need arises and that is more accessible than duct tape. The problem with this is that you can't take it off without having to make a completely new tape wrap. Plus one for the twisty-tie.
Well they aren't lying when they say it'll work but I question the usefulness of this method. Maybe if there are literally no other alternatives I might considering do it this way but really only if I've exhausted any other option. That being said, I don't think this article is really aimed at people in our industry, or really any industry for that matter. This is probably helpful for someone wiring up their home A/V system and having extra cables that need to be thrown in the basement. Otherwise, velcro cable ties, tie line, or even zip ties would be better alternatives. All that being said, I have come across gear that has been taped up and it would have been nice if whoever had done it had known this trick. I doubt I'll ever actually use this unless it's an emergency and all I have is gaff or duct tape.
Duct Tape. I’ve used it for so many things, besides wrapping cords, it’s a list far too long. My uncle always had this joke with “if it’s broke, use duct tape, if that don’t work, buy a new one.” Of course that was just humor, because as we all know it can’t fix everything, Sure I’ve used duct tape on plenty of patchwork, such as patching a hole on tube to go floating down the river, but I want the tape to stay, so who cares if there is a resin left on. I’ve just never had a need to use duct tape to wrap a cord with. I guess it will do the job, as seeing that duct tape works best when it’s acted upon itself. But also when using duct tape like this, I guess you’ve got to be careful that you leave yourself enough workable space for the duct tape to adhere, otherwise, there goes the entire reason you were using it to begin with. If you don’t give it enough leeway, it’s bound to fail; and with the types of cables that are used in the theatre, it will fail. Simple as that, it’s a go big or go home situation we’ve all been put in.
Using a twist-tie or a piece of thin rope (attached to one end and then wrapped around and bow-tied off) is infinitely easier and reusable. Can you even reuse this duct tape wrap after you take it off? I think you could... but only if you're really careful not to stick the sticky ends together when you initially put it on, which could be another useless annoyance. Also, they give you an idea of how long to cut the tape, but that's only useful for exactly that thickness of cable; it would take a while to get used to cutting the right length for each of the amounts of cable.
Overall, not that helpful.
Okay, so I get the point that this article is trying to make, by saying that duct tape is widely available at most peoples houses and itll work for this purpose, but this whole concept just strikes me as rather stupid. This duct tape method is so makeshift and cumbersome to deal with. I dont understand why someone would want to take the time to deal with making this ridiculous duct tape system work as opposed to going to get actual cable ties for like $5 at a local store. Also if you really need a quick fix with an easily found item, why are you suddenly jumping to duct tape before just tying it up with string?
This. Is. Stupid. So much effort expended on a worthless idea. You can buy 50-packs of reusable velcro cable ties for like $5. Hell, even zip ties would be a better alternative to painstakingly folding and reusing duct tape. Now, I'm not saying that everybody should have tie-line or anything in their home, but even the plastic twist-ties that come in the packaging with each cable would be a better alternative.
All that being said, I think I've seen much more cables in people's homes that were just a giant tangle or an unorganized mess. So perhaps no cable wrapping device is standard operating procedure..
While this is a useful technique, I don't think it's very practical. Sure duct tape is less expensive, but the idea of having to make individual, specially made, wraps to prevent sticky cable it ridiculous. No one has the time to hand make cable wrappings. Seriously, just cut off some tie line or something! Really, anything would be faster than making these. I understand the desire to stay cheeper, but the cost is not worth the extra time it takes to make these cable wrappings. Use tie line, or a pipe cleaner! Anything else!
Everyone seems dissatisfied with this; I think they are just the wrong audience. This does not make sense on a large scale like we work with in theater but that I don’t think it is us that this advice is meant for. Most people are not going to have cable ties or zip ties in their house, but most people these days are going to have a bunch of cables whether it is from a computer, tv, game systems, drones, printers, lasers, robots, automated laundry folders… the list goes on. These are normal people who just want a way to clean up the wires they have without making them all sticky. These are not people who are going to spending hours cleaning up wires in a theater. Also these kinds of people are very unlikely to have wire ties and very likely to have duct tape. Yes it is impractical on a large scale but that’s not where its use is being proposed
I have to agree with Isaac in this case when I say that this is the wrong audience which is why there is such a poor reception of this article. However, I can't tell you how many times I've seen people just go for tape when dressing cables, especially when they are taping them down to the floor and they have excess cable at the end. While I know that zip ties or tie line is a better alternative and all-in-all quicker, people will still resort to tape out of shear laziness. Therefore, I see this as a great method to teach workers since inevitably there's going to be a point in time when someone just uses tape and would make the cable super sticky if this method wasn't used.
Ok so I just tried this and it's not as easy as the article made it sound. Maybe if you were at home, doing a spring cleaning, this would be effective, seeing as you have lots of time. Doing this in a work setting like ours? Not so much. Duct tape residue is the bane of many technicians existence. If I have to work on a bunch of cable for my lighting call, I'm not going to reach for the duct tape and make cutesy little strips. No, I'm going to tie it up with tie line, or tape it down with gaffers tape. I'm going to exhaust all my other options before I reach for the duct tape. I agree with Isaac: we are the wrong audience for this article.
I think this way to wrap cables tightly is interesting, however lacking much in practicality. There is a whole series of steps you need to go through just to prep the tape, multiply that by the number of ties you need for a long cable run, or numerous coils that need to be secured before putting away and suddenly its a lot less time efficient. This idea represents an interesting tradeoff between the limited resources of time and money. While it costs less to use duct tape the time for the prep work eats up a ton of time that might better be used elsewhere. If these strips came in a cheap inexpensive roll that was ready to go then I might say that it serves as a good idea, but for now, I don't see the benefit in using it over something like wire ties or tie line, which cost more but can be reused, are proved to work and durable, and simply get the job done in a quick and efficient way.
Friction tape!
This does seem like a good idea when you only have tape and you need to tie up cords. It may be more useful to use another material to tie. String is very good at holding cords together and when tied properly it is easy to untie. Tie-line is the most popular way to tie up cords in theatre, but most people do not have that in their homes. Many people may have rope, zip ties, or twist ties in their homes that they can use instead. This duck tape method could work well if it your only option.
Another fun and creative idea of how to deal with sticky tapes. Although I have to admit that I laughed a bit with how fuuny (and a bit stupid) this is. But you know what? I think this can be worked pretty well, who knows? I think I would have try doing it sometimes and see if it's really works. I wonder if there's any other easy techniques that we can use with spike tapes to make it last longer without having to put something on top of it (like Marley tape, which is good, but sometimes if you didn't peel it off on time, it will just forever stick there. And isolated tape? should give it a try) or anything that will last long, don't ruined the floor, and easy to peel of. Still searching for it.
So my first thought was, this would be a very interesting hack to use if you're trying to organize your tapes by color. But this would not work any other way because if you were to use this idea to hold the cable still or to stabilize it this idea would be meaningless. Not that this idea isn't good, it's just not the best way to organize in the theatre. And any tape has the ability to break on you. With tie line it's short and sweet. Maybe this would be good for those you have extension cords in their home they want to organize, or maybe a place for storage. But for an everyday use kind of thing, this hack seems like a hassle.
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