At 11:02 AM 4/18/2002, DaveC wrote:
>Duct tape consists of a cloth backing and a rubber
>adhesive.  "We think that heat degrades the glue, and that's
>what's killing the duct tape," Walker says.

We use duct tape - various brands --  underwater (salt water, ~60F) for the
summer, then leave it out for the winter.  It's generally in pretty good
shape after a year of this, i.e it doesn't fall off and doesn't get
gummy.  You can remove it to put the new on (it's sealing a bunch of holes
in the bottom of a tin rowboat, and it gets scraped up on rocks).

Every time I've used it outdoors above water year-round, it gets gummy then
dries up and falls off.

I think Mr. Walker may be on to something, though I think sunlight may have
some effect as well.

david
ps - haven't tried, but wouldn't expect it to live long in an oily environment.
pps - I have...umm... reservations about using WD40 as a lubricant on motor
bearings; I think 20W machine oil is more appropriate in this usage.  I
also wonder how one a) keeps oil off the commutator which should run clean
and dry and b) supplies oil to the bearing at the other end which is
enclosed in the blower rotor.
ppps - whoever mentioned the fire possibilities wasn't just, er, blowing
smoke.  I know someone who uses WD40 in a potato cannon and it works quite
well thank you...

--
David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"