Gaffers tape – Gaffers Tape, Gaff Tape, Batteries & Production Supplies From TheTapeworks.com

“Alien Ears” Ruining Your Photos?

How many times have you had an otherwise good photo portrait ruined because your subjects ears glowed like something from Star Trek?

This is caused by having a light source behind your subject’s head that illuminates the backs of their ears. Since this tissue is very thin and translucent, the ears appear to glow. In extreme cases they can even look like they are separate from the head.

If you’re good with Photoshop or some other photo editing software, they you can “fix it in the mix”.

A simpler, quicker, and fool proof fix is to affix small pieces of gaffers tape to the backs of the subjects ears before shooting. This will allow you to have a strong light source from behind, but now the ears won’t glow.

Gaffers tape is safe for short term skin exposure and can be removed without leaving sticky residue behind.

TheTapeworks.com is your “go to” site for gaffers tape, ProCell batteries, tie line, extension cords and lots more “satisfaction guaranteed” production expendables.

TheTapeworks.com
Voice 866-386-8335
Fax 800-327-6651
Email sales@harrisonbros.com

Harrison Bros. Inc.
47 North Chatham Pkwy.
Chapel Hill, NC 27517

Need Quick Drying Paint? Try Gaffers Tape!

Last minute touch up painting on a stage or set can be a big problem. Being forced to take the time for paint to dry can bring an entire production to a screeching halt.

Using a hair dryer to dry paint can lead to blistering and discoloration and waiting for something to air dry so that it can be touched can seem like it takes an eternity.

Gaffers tape to the rescue?

Think of the twenty available colors of gaffers tape as “dry paint”. You can quickly cover an area needing paint with tape and it can be instantly handled. Color matching is easy and gaffers tape can be cut to whatever size you need to complete the repair.

Once your work is finished, the tape can be removed without damaging the underlying surface or leaving messy adhesive residue.

Oh, and I almost forgot “no messy brushes to clean“!

TheTapeworks.com is your “go to” site for gaffers tape, ProCell batteries, tie line, extension cords and lots more “satisfaction guaranteed” production expendables.

TheTapeworks.com
Voice 866-386-8335
Fax 800-327-6651
Email sales@harrisonbros.com

Harrison Bros. Inc.
47 North Chatham Pkwy.
Chapel Hill, NC 27517

UPS Steps Up Its Game

In an obvious attempt to take on new services by Amazon and the US Postal Service, UPS is now offering Saturday delivery at regular ground shipping rates on Saturdays.

Now that Amazon is operating its own fleet of delivery vans, UPS has lost a considerable amount of business to this new service.

Expanded delivery service by the Post Office, including Saturday and even Sunday delivery of parcels and first class mail has also eaten into UPS’s share of the parcel delivery business.

As of now, this service is available in only about 40 municipal areas, but, if successful, don’t be surprised if it is rolled out on a nationwide basis.

This means that you can now include Saturdays when counting the number of days before your ground shipment is delivered.

Not only are ground rates now offered for this service, there is no longer an additional fee for Saturday service.

Our order takers can help you understand when you should expect to see your order.

TheTapeworks.com is your “go to” site for gaffers tape, ProCell batteries, tie line, extension cords and lots more “satisfaction guaranteed” production expendables.

TheTapeworks.com
Voice 866-386-8335
Fax 800-327-6651
Email sales@harrisonbros.com

Harrison Bros. Inc.
47 North Chatham Pkwy.
Chapel Hill, NC 27517

We’re Not Saying It’s counterfeit, But…..

Counterfeits are a big problem, especially in e-commerce. Items manufactured in China and branded with designer labels lead to billions in lost sales for legitimate manufacturers.

“Fake” gaffers tape may not actually be counterfeit, but once you’ve bought a roll of it off of Ebay or Alibaba, you might be tempted to call it that.

Tape that is sold as gaffers tape but that is not made with woven cotton cloth is not real gaffers tape. If it is sold that way, then it is similar to other counterfeit goods.

Tape that has a low quality organic adhesive may not be fake tape, but after you finish cleaning the adhesive residue off your cables and your stage floor, you can be forgiven if you feel like you have been sold a fake.

There are lots of tapes that look like gaffers tape and which perform a lot of the tasks that gaffers tape is used for are out there. If you want to make sure you get the real thing, stick with well known manufacturers names and make your purchase from trusted vendors.

TheTapeworks.com
Voice 866-386-8335
Fax 800-327-6651
Email sales@harrisonbros.com

Harrison Bros. Inc.
47 North Chatham Pkwy.
Chapel Hill, NC 27517

Spike Tape? Here’s The Story

People in theatre, video and film know that spike tape is a valuable tool for making sure that performers, props and set pieces end up where they belong.

Spike tape is simply gaffers tape cut to a narrow, half inch width. Since it is available in 20 colors, it can be used to mark locations for different actors (you stand on the red mark while she stands on the blue) as they move through a scene.

Those who study theatrical history know of the legend where spike tape got its name.

In the days of Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre, the actual floor of the stage was dirt. In order to lay out specific locations on that stage, the director would actually put spikes into the ground to show the actors where to stand.

TheTapeworks.com
Voice 866-386-8335
Fax 800-327-6651
Email sales@harrisonbros.com

Harrison Bros. Inc.
47 North Chatham Pkwy.
Chapel Hill, NC 27517

How The FedEx/Amazon Split Might Impact Gaffers Tape Prices

We were surprised to find out that Fedex and Amazon were ending their relationship and that Fedex would no longer be delivering packages for the retail giant.

Fedex will still use UPS and USPS, but, more and more, they will depend on their own fleet of delivery vehicles for Amazon deliveries.

Since non-Amazon sellers of expendables like gaffers tape will have one fewer option for getting orders to their customers, UPS has less motivation to hold down prices in order to compete with for businesses who ship with UPS.

We know that what our customers really care about is the “delivered” price, and that price is bound to rise, since UPS knows that, in most cases, tape purchased from non-Amazon vendors will be less expensive even if UPS raises the shipping cost.

Matte Finish Is One Of Gaffers Tape’s Best Features

Gaffers tape is woven cloth tape, made from cotton thread, it is not shiny like duct tape (reinforced vinyl), and thus does not reflect light.

Set designers and stagehands rely on this finish because it means that they can make repairs, secure cables, and hide things the audience shouldn’t see, simply by applying a strip of tape. It is almost invisible in most performance environments.

A tape that does not draw attention to itself and doesn’t reflect bright lighting has countless uses.

TheTapeworks.com
Voice 866-386-8335
Fax 800-327-6651
Email sales@harrisonbros.com

Harrison Bros. Inc.
47 North Chatham Pkwy.
Chapel Hill, NC 27517

I Thought Engineers Drove Trains

It is always amusing to me me how the live events business has allowed such practices as referring to sound persons as “engineers“. This is a good example of how the special events production industry has evolved outside of the mainstream. Real engineers have college degrees. They face rigorous testing and must be licensed before they ply their trade. All a sound “engineer” needs is a Sharpie and some gaffers tape!

I’ve Been There and I’m No Engineer

We were in the outdoor staging business for many years, and I must disclose, upfront, of being guiulty of more than one questionable decision. We are all deeply committed to the concept that “the show must go on“. I am now amazed that over a period of more than 20 years no one ever asked me who designed this roof, who built this stage, and what are their qualifications? The ability to buy imported trussing and lifts makes things even worse.

Somewhere along the way, our commitment to hard work and quick thinking manage to allow us to escape the scrutiny (government and otherwise) that similar industries must submit to every day. Those days will end.

Can “Fly By Night” Be A Good Thing?

We joke that building stages was like having a construction job without a lunch break. The joke should also include “and without a permit“. The building of temporary structures puts performers and audience members at the same sort of risk they would be exposed to when shows are in permanent buildings. The fly-by-night nature (I don’t mean this in a derogatory manner, since we literally do “fly-by-night) of what we do allows the work to escape the inspection and permitting process.

The evolution of stage roofs a tent over a flat bed truck to massive structures like that ones in use today happened in rapid fashion. The notion that an unlicensed contractor can hang thousands of pounds of equipment over the heads of audience members and performers without being subjected to formal training, licensing and inspection now must come to an end.

TheTapeworks.com
Voice 866-386-8335
Fax 800-327-6651
Email sales@harrisonbros.com

Harrison Bros. Inc.
47 North Chatham Pkwy.
Chapel Hill, NC 27517

Gaffers Tape-It’s All About The Specs

I spend a lot of my time on the phone with new customers.

Having a great crew to take care of shipping orders, purchasing from vendors, managing web sites and taking care of administrative duties means that I get to talk with people who use our products. Above all, it is the best part of my job.

Today we have posted a number of spec sheets about gaffers tape. Prospective customers want to know about the differences in the gaffers tapes we sell. These spec sheets hopefully will provide some of the information they are seeking.

Until you have used a number of different products, it is hard to understand how something as seemingly insignificant as one mil (1/1000 of an inch) in tape thickness can make a difference.

You’d be amazed at how much easier it is to handle a 12 mil tape than a 10 mil tape. Often prospective customers want to know why the gaffers tape we sell is more expensive than some others that they have heard of.

The specs tell the tale.

When comparing tapes, here are the three most important specs to check out:

Thickness-Gaffers tape is offered in thickness as thin as 10 mils. Choose a tape of at least 11.5 mils (12 mils is better). It won’t c-u-r-l back and stick to itself, and, above all, it is stronger and tears more cleanly.
Adhesion-“Adhesion to steel” is the quantifiable spec for determining how sticky a tape is. For instance, look for an adhesion number of at least 60 oz. per inch to insure that the tape will hold properly.
Adhesive composition-The best gaffers tape uses a synthetic rubber adhesive. Less expensive products use an acrylic adhesive which is not as strong and which will not stand up to tough environments. Our comparison page includes both products we sell and others that are offered by our competitors. In conclusion, we hope you find it useful.

Harrison Bros. Inc.
TheTapeworks.com
Voice 866-386-8335
Fax 800-327-6651
Email sales@harrisonbros.com

Harrison Bros. Inc.
47 North Chatham Pkwy.
Chapel Hill, NC 27517