Did a quick search in this forum and i couldnt find anything this might sound like an odd question but...

What type of tape do they use in formula one?

I had always assumed normal duct tape...

Tufty, this is F1. If it doesn't cost at least $5 a centimetre they won't touch it.

From what I can see, they don't seem to have much call for duct tape, racer's tape, etc. You can see what is known as "helicopter tape"... a clear urethane tape used to protect paint and keep edges from fraying. Often found on the leading edges of Indy car bodywork as the sustained high speeds essentially sandblast everything.

In NASCAR and the other tintops they use so-called duct tape on everything... actually a stronger, more attractive version, available in most any color so it will hide nicely. One source here: http://www.iscracerstape.com/index.html

There is also stuff called Bear Bond -- thicker, gooier, and comes in large sheets. Used for pit-road repairs of crash-damaged bodywork.

Tape was in evidence at the recent Japanese GP, black tape on at least one set of brake ducts.

Tape certainly comes in a variety of qualities. When I was mechanic'ing the 'Chief' insisted on a Japanese brand, as it tore cleanly across its width without leaving 'stragglers'. I still have a small roll of helicopter tape, given to me many years ago as I had expressed fears about scuffing of the sills of my pride and joy. I keep thinking I'll find a use for it...

Porsche use a thin, seemingly harder version on the leading edge of some of their more flaired rear wheel arches, possibly on all models. It is noticeable on dark colours when a less-particular owner has done a polish job, as the edge collects a white line of dried polish.

Helicopter tape has its pros and cons on road cars. Great protection against stone chips, etc, but... first, it yellows. Not so evident on dark colors but on white or silver it can look really bad. Also, it is a very effective UV filter, so when you remove it (for, say a show) the paint underneath will be a slightly different color.

Correct! My sample went yellow after only a couple of years in a cupboard. The adhesive also ages. I think the Marlboro Penskes must have had regular tape changes, but I always gave it the mearest hint of yellow in an illustration. I wonder how it was 'lifed' on helicopter blades.

Duck or Duct Tape? Here, allegedly, is a short history. Also known as tank tape....

Ive heard stories that teams at that level replace their nuts and bolts after every session. Even if the car only did an installation lap. And I've seen legal documents showing how much money Penske was budged by Marlboro for paint work, bearing in mind their livery needed all of three masking lines for resprays

apart from the tape types mentioned before here
Aluminium tape is also widely used, mainly in wind tunel testing

Lovely stuff, but very tacky, you have to get it in position first time. I keep a roll in one of my toolboxes, I don't often use it, but it is nice to know it's there, and sometimes it is the only tape that will do the job. I first saw it on wind tunnel models, and it looks really cool against the carbon bodies. In this application it has the advantage of being very easy to cut into precise widths, down to very narrow.

OK, why is Al tape rather than a polymer adhesive tape preferred for wind tunnel testing models and what is its function when used as such? Is it actually mechanically locating the composite parts relative to each other?

I have a roll of lead tape I use for selectively adding mass to my tennis racquets but I somehow doubt racers would find much use for it.

Penske is another deal entirely. His approach to race car presentation is singular in the industry. For example, he has a crew of polishing monkeys who do nothing but look after the suspension wishbones. Specially bred and trained for the purpose, they live under the facility in their own spartan but immaculate quarters. A few of them can speak English, though they don't have much to say. But every one of them gets an Xmas card, because that's just how the Captain does things.

I thought you were going to say you put in your boxing gloves...

I don't remember seeing any other team running polished wishbones, and the first time I saw them at Upton I did a double-take.

Wikipedia confirms the controversial history. Mildly interesting, you learn something new every day.

I just find it difficult to say 'duct tape'.

Bobby Brown had a little different approach to his utilization of duct tape.....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46681980@N03/...57623311357576/

IIrc: I was told that this was a trick snowmobilers used too.

Maybe Gloy should have followed Bobby's lead.....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46681980@N03/...57623311357576/

I use a fair bit of aluminium tape to hold my racer together and seal up some small gaps in a few internal panels. Good stuff, though the surface has to be very clean for it to keep sticking.

I have found that some tapes are far better than others. And some are good short term but more than a couple of weeks lose most strength.
Like a lot of people the Nashua brand is quite good.Though is not that waterproof, on my recent very muddy Birdsville track trip the corner light fell out on the Landcruiser, we had to redo it every day otherwise it would fall out again. Though will hold broken fibreglass together quite well.
I used to buy a cheap brand that came in several base colors, good for hiding broken flares though in the end I got rolls of quality singwriting material and that was very good to disguise small amount fibreglass damage and was waterproof and 7 year UV guarantee!
I use an alloy tape by Bear for little holes etc. Great stuff and probably would have held that corner light in too! Great for rust holes too. Crash shops use it to back holes to be bogged up.
There is also a silver 50mm wide PVC tape that a lot of tradies use on A/C ducting, it is good on brake ducts too but do not get it too near the rotor as it will melt

I've been fixing things in my new [to me] pre-owned house. And what I've learned is:

duck-tape is not duct-tape. Completely different animals. Duck tape is that dull-gray stick tape with fibers embedded in it. It is tied with coat-hangers for fixing things.

Duct-tape is usually some form of sticky aluminum (like the wind tunnel pictures). Duct-tape is second only to duct mastic for sealing ductwork. Duck-tape, unlike duct tape, sucks and will fail in 2-3 years.

wow ... im impressed by the responses i suppose all i can say is thanks

All I can say is I hope you've taped it all.

Over 20 posts and no part number yet...

Regards, Ian

Great, the forum software has turned ( r ) into ®...

http://www.tesatape.com/industry/products/tesa( r )_4651.html and remove the spaces...

Regards, Ian

Oh, boooo

I once asked for some duct tape in a store in a remote-ish mining town.
The assistant said "Duct tape? Oh, you mean Rape Tape!"
Er, yeah, I guess so..

good lord!

Yes.
And interestingly, the assistant was (vaguely) female..

It might have been a pick-up line.
Foreplay of sorts.

*shudder*

I'm just glad it didn't say "Yeah mate I think we've got some, lets go out the back and have a look.."

"Jesus, that duct needs taping up! I can't look..."

Some years back, the pro at our neighborhood tennis club was found dead in his office, dressed only in ladies' high heels and many feet of duct tape. "Accidental death by misadventure" was the coroner's finding. I like to consider myself worldly about such things, but have never been able to sort out that one. A mental picture of the tableau fails me. Not that I am asking -- simply making note of yet another use for the handy material.

Buck's night prank gone wrong. Happens all the time.

It does require a feat of imagination - and feet of tape - to work out how it is possible to auto-mummify, using tape that quite often clamps itself sticky-side to sticky-side, and either tears at an inappropriate moment, or won't tear at all. Harder to do, I would have thought, than to zip oneself into a sports bag in a fetal position, which is what someone managed to do in the UK recently.

Ah, the old reverse-Houdini manouvre..

Unfortunately, he didn't have Houdini's skill in getting out, and that is how the police found him, in a bag, in the bath, ready to go...

I think I'd have used gaffer's tape. It seems like it would mean a little less hair removal upon detaping.

Apparently it doesn't hurt when you're dead.

For you or for them?

btw, curious how quickly that story disappeared...

I'm just saying, you guys be careful. In the wrong hands duct tape can have serious consequences.

^^^...well, hurteth less than the pain from the burning brimstone he is feeling in hell for not cleaving to The Lords Commandments...whomsoever challengeth The Lord God by defying his Holy Commandments will sizzleth for time everlasting, or until the Rapture, whichever cometh first....

Edit-blimey, moves fast dunnit?

What time are you preaching tonight, RDV, I might be able to make it. I've just re-skinned my tambourine...

One gathers that ones ironic comment about the mummyfying of some churlish acquaintance of ones esteemed correspondents has been misaprehended. One is not attempting to intrude upon the most reverend Pastor Chuzzlewit, up to him to ponder on the Good Lords state of mind and misterious ways. Nay, one is more of a pensive and reflective persuasion.

As one walked the fields around the grounds of the estate this week, under the clear dark autumnal night skies, one reflected upon the stars. One has always been fond of the stars, you know. In a purely scientific sense, of course. One is not one of those pseudo-scientific 'astronomers' who make 'star charts' and fatuously blather on about what 'constipation' under which one was born. No, one is a strict, scientific astrologist, who depends upon telescopes, umpirical observations, and the Scientific Method.

One often hears reflections upon the stars from one's readers. (And one has it upon the greatest of authorities that one's readers are so many in number that were they each a single toothpick, one could build from them and several pots of glue a full-sized replica of the famed Taj Mahal and still have enough raw material left over for a good-sized outdoors privy. But one would never do such a thing, as one finds toothpicks to be vulgar.) "Sir Julius," they write one. "Do you not get depressed, gazing at the infinity of the night sky? Looking out and out and out into empty space, knowing that it spreads unto infinity, and knowing that in the cosmic scheme of things, you are but a speck, an atom, less than a mote of dust in the universe's eye? Does it not frighten you, to know that our lifespans are less than a blink of the eye, in the face of this massive eternity?"

And one replies: Bosh.

In one's scientific studies, one has made several discoveries. One will announce them here, in this forum, with publication of several scientific papers to follow, eventually, once one feels like writing them. And these discoveries should hearten those who are discouraged in the face of eternity, for they reduce it to a finite, contemplatable lump. And who among us would not prefer a simple cup of tea, perhaps with a slice of lemon, to an ocean's worth of murky brew in which heaven-knows-who has spent a penny?

Without further ado, then:

1) The notion that the universe is endless is perpetuated by untitled scientists for their own evil ends, namely, the extortion of monies from their governments. "There's so much out there!" they cry, as Presidents and Queens shovel money into their outstretched pockets. "We'll never finish studying it all!" Utter rubbish. The universe ends several miles out on a nicely lacquered surface. They merely want you to believe in light-years and other such nonsense.

2) The concept of 'infinity' is also nonsense. The highest number that exists is 42,378,229,100,725,084. "But Sir Julius!" one hears the cry. "Would not 42,378,229,100,725,085 be next?" The answer is a simple negative. One starts over, after that.

3) Most startling of all, one has come to the indisputable scientific conclusion that the universe revolves around oneself. One realizes, of course, the great responsibility that comes with this position. Why, if one were inadvertently to move too quickly, one might fling a few rainforests or tropical islands off into space. (Would that one could ensure it happened to Las Vegas or 'Graceland.')

4) Duct tape actualy keeps this earthen globe together, and woe on us if it should perhaps fray at the edges...why, the thought itself is enough to make one vote Labour...shudder.

Walking slowly to the liquor cabinet, one remains for yet another week,
Sir Julius

So any of you out there wanting to build a life-size replica of the Taj Mahal from toothpicks, the quantity required is zero. Apparently the last guy to try it ordered 42,378,229,100,725,084 toothpicks and ended up one short.