Taping down copper strips

[dberke]

Does anyone have any advice on taping down copper strips to a gym floor? As you would expect, we want to prevent any damage to the floor and the finish. Our prior use of copper strips was limited to a carpeted surface.

My current plan is to tape the strips with gaffer's tape like they use at national events. Supposedly the gaffer's tape will not harm the finish when removed. Has anyone experienced otherwise?

Also, I've been told it's a good idea to underlie the strips with a long piece of art paper to prevent the stray copper threads from scratching the floor. Is this a good idea or are there better methods?

Any other tips on taping strips to gym floors would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Dan

[SJCFU#2]

First lay down a protective layer - otherwise when you take the strip up it will look like someone stripped the floor underneath with a heavy-duty floor sander. Rosin paper from Home Depot may be more durable.

Starting at one end of the strip, tape down the end, then drag a HEAVY table (have a couple of people sit on it) to stretch it out while people follow along, taping down the sides. Tape heavily when you reach the other end of the strip (that seems to be when a lot of tension is lost).

I have not heard of any problems with gaff tape, however you may want to put a test piece down a few days in advance, just in case.

EDIT: One last thing - try to do any necessary strip repairs before you tape down the strip - it's a pain fitting a piece of wood under a taped-down strip to protect the floor from the soldering iron.

[esskreemr]

Originally Posted by SJCFU#2

First lay down a protective layer - otherwise when you take the strip up it will look like someone stripped the floor underneath with a heavy-duty floor sander. Rosin paper from Home Depot may be more durable.

Starting at one end of the strip, tape down the end, then drag a HEAVY table (have a couple of people sit on it) to stretch it out while people follow along, taping down the sides. Tape heavily when you reach the other end of the strip (that seems to be when a lot of tension is lost).

I have not heard of any problems with gaff tape, however you may want to put a test piece down a few days in advance, just in case.

Would roofers felt work? It's pretty cheap and comes in long quantities. It's impregnated with tar though, I don't know if that would gum up the floor...

[wbowman]

Newspaper will also work to protect the floor, and it's cheaper. On the other hand, since it involves laying down lots of pieces of paper and making sure they all overlap, if you can afford the rolled paper it would probably be easier. In the Kentucky Division in the 1980's we had some rubber mats that we used, but they were heavy and a big hassle to transport.
I second the suggestion of testing the tape you're going to use. Whether or not the tape will pull up the finish depends on the individual floor. I've seen it happen, but hopefully they're making gym floor finishes tougher these days.
In any case, you definitely want to get the thing taped down as tightly as possible, especially in the lengthwise direction.

[noodle]

the rougher the paper underneath the better. but use paper. make it nice and tight. i've fenced on paper padded strips that were wonderful and ones that sucked bigtime.

[esskreemr]

I've only fenced on copper strips once. It wasn't an enjoyable experience...

[grotto]

all the above is correct, now about the gaffers tape. yes it will work as described AS LONG AS THE VARNISH IS NOT CRAP. I have had great luck over 10 yrs of taping these damn things down, until this past season where the rec center gym had varnish older than I am, and it was peeling up in spots already. guess what Gaffers tape has more adhesion than the old varnish. I strongly recommend checking the floor before you begin and make sure the surface is not cracking or peeling or you will have a mess.
also do not pull the tape "up" pull it across itself so it makes a convex angle (less than 90) the smaller the angle the better off you are.

[reawl]

Purdue does the following:

• Roll out 60" kraft paper (we had to special order a roll from a local packaging store)

• Tape down kraft paper with gym floor tape

• Roll out copper strip

• Tape copper strip to gym floor tape using duct tape (or gaffers tape if you're feeling rich).

If you want to smooth out the copper strip before you tape it down you can do a couple of things, but ALWAYS sweep it first, otherwise all the little rocks and crap that people drag in will get ground into the copper and cause tears at some point.

We used to use the cardboard tub and just run that down the strip to smooth it out. Or you can use the table idea (though it'll destry the table top so get a table you don't like). You can "kick the strip" where you get a row or two of people kicking down and forward to flatten the strip. I've seen good results with this last one, and I've seen terrible results, you have to have good kickers.

The last option is to use tapedown plates. Most strips have a metal bar at each end with a few holes. Use a coupler and some tape down plates and you can tighten the strip till it's as tight as a drum.

[sabreur]

We use the hold-down plates, tighten the strips, then tape the edges using duct tape--the method requires two people--one holds the duct tape and pulls out about six feet at a time--the other smooths the tape down by shuffling his feet over it--it helps to wear smooth-soled shoes (actually, leather-soled dress shoes are the best) when doing this.

It is a pain in the tuckus. Most of the gym floors in Germany have a synthetic surface, and I haven't notice any problems using the duct tape.

MR

[DHCJr]

Avoid Duct tape. The dragging the table can work. Let me make a method that I have found works better. The only negative, it does take bodies, 6 or 7. As has been suggested tape down one end, firmly. Stretch out the strip using a table like a lever. This will take at 2 or 3 with the end people locking the strip from sliding with their foot. You will have 2 others at each side, one pulling the tape and one pressing it down with their foot. As they get closer keep lowering the lever, but keep it tight.

The width of the tape is important, 3" is preferred, the wider the better. Also presumably the strip will have been taped up. Remove all old tape before putting it down and remove all tape when you take it up.

[hpfencing]

Originally Posted by reawl

Purdue does the following:[list]Roll out 60" kraft paper (we had to special order a roll from a local

Instead of using the Kraft paper we have started using painter's drop clothes. They are cheap and re-usable, it's catching on in our area and other clubs are now doing the same thing.

[telkanuru]

I advise you to get those cam-lock aluminium strips...

Barring that, I haven't seen much luck with gaffer's tape. The strips at the Big One (collegate thingee) used that, and they didn't stick very well. It could have been the people doing the taping, but I hope the MIT team would be competent in that area

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by telkanuru

I advise you to get those cam-lock aluminium strips...

Barring that, I haven't seen much luck with gaffer's tape. The strips at the Big One (collegate thingee) used that, and they didn't stick very well. It could have been the people doing the taping, but I hope the MIT team would be competent in that area

MIT always has a poorly laid strip.

[DJ Apostrophe]

A few things leland:

Smith wasn't allowed to use gaffers tape, they had to use 'vinyl tape' which has considerably less adhesion, and wasn't quite wide enough to get the job done.
The ones that stayed down had much more tape than the ones that didnt... there wasn't enough tape.

also,
MIT is surprisingly bad at anything involving or relating to equipment maintenence... (Thier box at the brandies invitational powered by a 12VDC powersupply, with a cigarette lighter adaper plugged into that and the other end of the cigarette lighter adapter attached to the box, while inventive... was just stupid)

-w

Originally Posted by telkanuru

I advise you to get those cam-lock aluminium strips...

Barring that, I haven't seen much luck with gaffer's tape. The strips at the Big One (collegate thingee) used that, and they didn't stick very well. It could have been the people doing the taping, but I hope the MIT team would be competent in that area

[DHCJr]

If you ask any Armorer on the East coast for the worst maintained school equipment, they will all say MIT. Those on the West coast will say CIT (Cal Tech).

This has been discussed for many years and it is considered that they are into theory, not practical.

[telkanuru]

Originally Posted by DJ Apostrophe

Smith wasn't allowed to use gaffers tape, they had to use 'vinyl tape' which has considerably less adhesion, and wasn't quite wide enough to get the job done.
The ones that stayed down had much more tape than the ones that didnt... there wasn't enough tape.

Sorry, I was told it was gaffers instead of Duct. I noticed that it still left residue on the floor anyway

[neevel]

Originally Posted by DHCJr

If you ask any Armorer on the East coast for the worst maintained school equipment, they will all say MIT. Those on the West coast will say CIT (Cal Tech).

This has been discussed for many years and it is considered that they are into theory, not practical.

True exchange from back in college, between my adviser and another of the physics faculty, while we were making some signal filtering circuitry for an independent project of mine:

"Have you ever had a day where you just couldn't get a simple rectifier to work?"
"Yes, that's when I became a theorist."

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by DJ Apostrophe

also,
MIT is surprisingly bad at anything involving or relating to equipment maintenence... (Thier box at the brandies invitational powered by a 12VDC powersupply, with a cigarette lighter adaper plugged into that and the other end of the cigarette lighter adapter attached to the box, while inventive... was just stupid)

-w

That box that kept losing power and wasn't on the new timings? A real class act, it was.

[DJ Apostrophe]

I believe they were one in the same.