Best place to get 1/16 copper tape

[thayghetucsb]

here is the link for 1/16" copper tape. It seems like this is the only place that has it.
http://www.electronix.com/catalog/ad...r+tape&x=3&y=9
Radio shack has excellent variety of LED, just make sure you get the right voltage and view angle.

[flyinfool]

Originally Posted by thayghetucsb

here is the link for 1/16" copper tape. It seems like this is the only place that has it.
http://www.electronix.com/catalog/ad...r+tape&x=3&y=9
Radio shack has excellent variety of LED, just make sure you get the right voltage and view angle.

From that link

6 foot roll of self-adhesive tape used for making quick PC circuit board repairs. 1/18" wide.

I have not found anyplace that still makes 1/16 wide copper tape.
At this point your only choices are to cut your own from wider tape or find someplace with old stock.

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by flyinfool

From that link


I have not found anyplace that still makes 1/16 wide copper tape.
At this point your only choices are to cut your own from wider tape or find someplace with old stock.

Any reason why the 1/18 isn't big enough? It is probably fine.

Rick

[flyinfool]

After looking more closely at the picture, I think that 1/18 is a typo in their description. The package in the picture says 1/16 wide.
I just called the GC Electronics factory and they do not have any or make the 1/16 wide tape anymore.

I would say that if you need any 1/16 tape to call to be sure that they actually have some in stock and are not just listing it on the website, and buy it while you still can.

[marked23]

Yeah, I'm bummed about tape availability.

3m will sell you a set of 1/8" 1181 tape. But the one place I've found it has a minimum order of $700 for them to stock the stuff. I'm using the 1/4" 1181 and cutting it in half with a blade. (Will a monokote trim cutter do better?)

I wonder if we can get enough people together to place an order for the 1/8" stuff? Any takers? I bet if we can come up with half that (about $350), we can convince this place to stock it.

BTW, I prefer 3M 1181 because the adhesive is conductive... If you need to make a junction, you just overlap the tape a bit and the connection is made. It's also very thin stuff. I don't have enough experience with the adhesive to know how well it stands up to nitro residue, but so-far so-good for the blades I've made.

-Mark

[flyinfool]

Originally Posted by marked23

Yeah, I'm bummed about tape availability.

3m will sell you a set of 1/8" 1181 tape. But the one place I've found it has a minimum order of $700 for them to stock the stuff. I'm using the 1/4" 1181 and cutting it in half with a blade. (Will a monokote trim cutter do better?)

I wonder if we can get enough people together to place an order for the 1/8" stuff? Any takers? I bet if we can come up with half that (about $350), we can convince this place to stock it.

BTW, I prefer 3M 1181 because the adhesive is conductive... If you need to make a junction, you just overlap the tape a bit and the connection is made. It's also very thin stuff. I don't have enough experience with the adhesive to know how well it stands up to nitro residue, but so-far so-good for the blades I've made.

-Mark

I have thought about getting the 6 inch wide tape and using a Monokote trim cutter, I see no reason for it to not work as long as you have a new sharp blade so that you do not roll the edge of the copper while cutting.

Interesting that you should mention the adhesive.

I think most of the brands are using about the same adhesive, at least they all call it an acrylic adhesive.

Most of the copper tapes that I have found do have a conductive adhesive. The conductive adhesive is not a reliable connection, you still need to solder them.
GC makes the 1/8 wide in 20 foot rolls or 6 foot rolls. The 20 foot roll has adhesive on both sides, the 6 foot is adhesive on one side. As far as durability, the tech told me that for our use where we only want adhesive on one side that alcohol or most flux cleaners will wipe it right off. MY reading into that is that I will need to be careful about cleaning the blades since many cleaners are alcohol based, and I'll just bet that fuel residue will take it off also.

Looks more and more like I will be clear coating my night blades once finished and my current set will get cleared as soon as I get home from IRCHA, if they last that long.

[Joe.]

Anyone tried aluminum foil? Maybe a little acrylic or other adhesive (3M 77?) to keep it all together.

[flyinfool]

Soldering the LEDs and resistors to aluminum will be tricky, I know that there is a solder made for aluminum, but I have never had much luck getting it to wet out on the aluminum, or you might have to use something like a conductive epoxy for the connections.

Then you still have the same issue of cutting it to size.

We are all just basically being lazy and want to buy the size we want, instead of slicing it down to size by ourselves.

[marked23]

>The conductive adhesive is not a reliable connection, you still need to solder them.

I've built several sets and I haven't had that be a problem yet. Where I have my tape-to-tape junctions, it's usually a piece of 1/4 meeting a piece of 1/8 at a right angle. So I have, at minimum, a 1/8x1/4 patch as mutual contact area.

If I happen to join 1/8 to 1/8, it's usually inline and I will overlap them about an inch.

If I have a tape-to-tape failure in the future, I'll post about it.

[flyinfool]

With enough area it might work better, Most of my connections are 1/16 meeting 1/8 at right angles.
With that small of area I have not had reliable connections without soldering.

[Blender.az]

I was wondering if anyone had tried bare metal foil which is commonly used on models. The drawback is it is so thin it may be difficult to solder.

Ive been the following into fourths as i can order LEDs from the same place:
http://www.mouser.com/Search/Product...DRKo7l4Q%3d%3d

[DarkHeli]

FYI GUYS: The copper trace repair tape that can be bought at electronix IS in fact 1/16th!!! I got mysef about 12 feet of the stuff, would this be enough for a set of 600mm and a set or 2 of 325mm's?

[flyinfool]

If you plan everything out very carefully and don't mess up and waste any you might be able to get one set each of 600's and 325's. It will be close.

[thayghetucsb]

Originally Posted by flyinfool

After looking more closely at the picture, I think that 1/18 is a typo in their description. The package in the picture says 1/16 wide.
I just called the GC Electronics factory and they do not have any or make the 1/16 wide tape anymore.

I would say that if you need any 1/16 tape to call to be sure that they actually have some in stock and are not just listing it on the website, and buy it while you still can.

i received 6 rolls of 1/16 copper tapes 5 days after i order from electronix.com

[flyinfool]

I tried to order some and was told that there is no stock left.

Bummer....