Tape

[bdt]

Anybody have a recommendation on what tape to use for securing pixels to polyester strap similar to Walter Monkhouse Pixel Tree setup. I’ve tried using the Scotch Super 88 electrical tape he suggest but I’m guessing our weather must be a little harsher than his because the tape is coming lose. I planned on using heat shrink but the polyester strap softens and stretches. So far my solution is to use zip ties over the tape but its taking way too long.

 

[cdbrown]

There's lots of positive comments regarding that tape adhesive holding up well against both heat and moisture. You could put double sided velcro over the bits you've done. Are you wrapping the tape over itself a few times for strength?

 

[bdt]

I am, i give it 3-4 wraps. I built 4 strings Sat, it got cold and rained Sun and tonight when i went out to build some more stings more than half were starting to unravel. Double sided velcro is a good idea i'll check into it. thx

 

[bjpc2716]

3m double side tape or silcon

 

[i13]

You might be able to get double sided velcro from places that order car parts to repair cars. It's a packaging thing and they throw it away.

 

[AAH]

Polyester is very hard to stick to as I found out with the pixel clips I have been playing with for my mega tree. Any standard adhesive that doesn't "set" may have issues in the Aussie sun. Velcro also has been known to have issues as it's friction co-efficient drops dramatically when it gets wet. The Dow Corning 732 Silastic is the best thing that I found to stick to the polyester wire I'm using. Other acetic cure silicons may work but I've found over the years that the 732 is pretty amazingly good stuff.
http://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php/topic,7919.msg71447.html#msg71447 is where I was talking about sticking my clips to polyester wire.

 

[bdt]

Alan,
I saw your clips a few days ago but didn’t think they would work since I installed c7 covers on my pixels. If you want to send me a couple samples I’d love to try them. If they work I’ll need ~3,200 of them, how much would they cost? You can see in the picture I’ve tried a few things. My first design was lay the pixels along the strap securing them with heat shrink. That didn’t work so I tried zip ties, the zip ties are slowing slipping off due to the angle from the c7 covers. Next I tried tape and it started to unwrap in just a couple days so I added the zip ties over the tape but they are slipping off as well, much slower but still coming off. I finally decided that the best thing to do is stand the pixels straight out with tape and zip ties on both sides of the pixel, however it’s taking about an hour to wrap each string – not that I’m running out of time but I need to find something that's a little faster! Thanks for the other suggestions.

 

[AAH]

I have a few km of the polyester wire and zero clips so far. I had intended to build up a 3d printer so that I could print some out myself but life has got in the way and it looks most likely that I won't get to touch the printer until after my display is fully up and running sometime early in December (I hope).