Found this while cleaning out Dad's house, there are several rolls.
Material is 1" wide, less than 1/16" thick, roll is 16" diameter. It is flexible, won't stretch in length and won't crease or break when folded. I thought it was textile fabric at first but it isn't.
It appears paper like and fibery but strong. Can tear it by hand with a lot of effort and pull apart across the width with effort.
I think it's from my grandfathers era who passed away in the early 80's at age 81.
Probably an easy answer but beyond me. I've never seen it anywhere else and I'm 64.
I'm stumped.
JThw8 said:
Drywall tape?
That crossed my mind also, but only 1" wide. Could be.
There is no drywall in this house. Built in 1915 it's all lath and plaster that I know of. But plastering use?
CLH
Reader
1/21/23 7:00 p.m.
Looks like breakaway tape, but not quite. When rigging a sling load for an air assault lift, the sling legs get tied to the load with breakaway tape to hold them where they need to be for the load to lift correctly. When the aircraft lifts the load, the tape "breaks away" as tension is placed on the sling legs. I seem to recall that breakaway tape was cotton, and about that width. Definitely white.
Edit: Never mind. Went and looked it up to refresh my memory. Cotton webbing used for breakaway is 1/4". This is definitely not that.
RossD
MegaDork
1/21/23 7:18 p.m.
Is it the stuff you use around your neck at the barbershop?
RevRico
UltimaDork
1/21/23 7:21 p.m.
I feel like my grandfather had a few rolls of that. He used it to stake plants with, no idea what it's really for.
The material sounds like Tyvek.
Looks like Tyvek strips are used in bookbinding. Plausible?
Also, there's this.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1053265212/tyvek-strips-for-fabric-bundling-tagging
Keith Tanner said:
The material sounds like Tyvek.
Looks like Tyvek strips are used in bookbinding. Plausible?
Also, there's this.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1053265212/tyvek-strips-for-fabric-bundling-tagging
Could be. My grandfather was a scrounger. He could build something from nothing, a real grassroots kinda guy.
He'd haul his old junk to the scrapyard and come home with fresh junk for his projects.
In reply to CLH :
The large roll reminded me of strapping material. I'd think the material could be post WWII through the 60's. Package strapping? Dunno.
Stuff seems familiar but I cannot place where from. Something to do with clothing? Or bandage material? It seems awfully similar to medical tape sans adhesive.
OTOH if he packratted stuff that might be useful, who knows.
I've seen dumpsters of stuff at work I'm convinced I should bring home.
Once we had 50 rolls of 3/4" x 50' rubber steam hose wrapped in new packaging in the dumpster. I told my coworker we should take home and sell on eBay except the overseas factory forgot to make it with the steel wire reinforcement inside so the stuff was good for 10psi of pressure.
That looks like ceramic fiber gasket tape for sealing burner doors and similar hot things. Try heating a piece with a torch, if I’m correct it won’t burn.
EvanB
MegaDork
1/21/23 9:54 p.m.
My first thought was binding tape for clothing but I think that's usually more of a thicker twill fabric or something.
Asbestos gasket tape? Older but same use as 11GTCS ceramic. Same test. Also do not inhale the dust.
11GTCS said:
That looks like ceramic fiber gasket tape for sealing burner doors and similar hot things. Try heating a piece with a torch, if I’m correct it won’t burn.
I'll try the torch next time out, also soaking in water.
Grandpa had a coal stove and a gravity coal furnace which he was a master of. I could see that use and him keeping a stock of it. The fibers do look asbestos like.
Heat shrink tape? Used in transformers, etc.
Pete. (l33t FS) said:
Stuff seems familiar but I cannot place where from. Something to do with clothing? Or bandage material? It seems awfully similar to medical tape sans adhesive.
OTOH if he packratted stuff that might be useful, who knows.
I thought it was a textile fabric at first. Given the size of the roll thinking sewing factory which there were several in the area back then. Hem and seam reinforcement I would think.
Bandage? or plaster cast wrap material. Could be.
My first thought was asbestos tape. Definitely try the torch test and don't breathe the dust!
Cut a 6" strip and torch tested. In vertical up it lit easily, burned quickly and there was nothing left. Surprising.
Soaked a strip in a pail of water for 15 minutes. No loss of strength characteristics vs dry.
Ties easily in a tight knot and holds. I always had the thought it was used for tying tomato plants to the poles. Dad and grandpa were both avid gardeners.
Measured thickness with dial calipers at 0.009" thick. Dang it's strong tho.
Judging by the size of the roll I still think it came from commercial/ industrial use. Or contractor size if drywall/ plaster/ construction use. Hard to imagine anyone buying these for residential use.
Grandpa worked in the coal mines and retired around 1960, maybe from there? He had a good collection of dynamite boxes and blasting wire. He was a shot fire in the mines, the blasting guy.
Nothing found on the googles or images yet. Keep tryin'.
Maybe an old timer from that era would know, but not many left now.
