A tip in this months mag

I agree. Rubber bands do dry up and become brittle over time even in dark dry places.

Ditto on the dark dry places.  I had various items banded together and put in a closet for safe keeping.  Went to check on some and found the rubber bands all in pieces and stuck to the items under and above them.  Luckily they were wrapped in saran wrap as they were a sticky mess.

Jim 

does not sound like a good tip for any kit one intends to keep for any time more than an initial photo. Because, yes, rubber bands do not have a long service life in pretty much any conditions.

Maybe someone should put an editorial about not  using rubber bands as seat belts in FSM magazine.

I was cleaning out my garage yesterday and encountered a "melted" rubber band on a computer cable. It was such a gooey mess I threw out the perfectly good cable to avoid dealing with it.The cable and band were not out in the heat ever.....

The cabinet it was in was put out there this winter, from my nice cool basement....

Rudy

I did like the tip about dipping tweezers in liquid electrical tape...haven't tried it yet.

Not sure of how they will react with different paints, glues or plastics but if not stretched they stay very pliable.  Its something about the stretching that causes a start to a reaction in the rubber.

I'm also uncomfortable with the (apparently pretty frequent) suggestion to use masking tape for straps and belts. I don't know about the newfangled ones like Tamiya and Frog Tape, but plain old tan masking tape cuts loose in six months or less.

I recently saw where somebody used tape dryly dental floss for tie down straps... That looked real good in scale effect.

Tamiya tape makes good belts.

I rather use the PE belts. If not then scratch them out from wine bottle foil which cuts very easy and retains the shape you need so they drape on with a more realistic look.

mississippivol

I did like the tip about dipping tweezers in liquid electrical tape...haven't tried it yet.

After reading the tip, I immediately bought liquid electrical tape.  It worked like a charm.  Now all my tweezers have rubber-like tips, grabbing tiny parts securely.

Metal foil tape works great for seat belts.  

Thanks, Chris!

I too did the tweezer dip.

However I used a product called "Plasti Dip" it works well but requires a couple of dips and has a very long curing time.

After a full 48 hours the plastic still seemed tacky.

Oh I also dipped the handles for my needle files, makes for a nice no slip grip.

Chrisk-k

mississippivol

I did like the tip about dipping tweezers in liquid electrical tape...haven't tried it yet.

After reading the tip, I immediately bought liquid electrical tape.  It worked like a charm.  Now all my tweezers have rubber-like tips, grabbing tiny parts securely.

Metal foil tape works great for seat belts.  

Where did you find the liquid electrical tape?  Is it solvent-resistant?

Gary

I couldent get liquid electrical tape so I got this!

www.amazon.com/.../ref=sr_1_5

Gary,

Try the Home Depot, Lowes, or even auto parts stores should have it.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_0_14/181-6934882-1222508?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=liquid%20electrical%20tape&sprefix=liquid+electic%2Caps%2C137

That's exactly what I need for the alligator clips on my 3rd hand tool!

As for seat belts, you might try this:

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Foil-Tape-3381-Silver/dp/B00A7I5L86/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1431668207&sr=8-2&keywords=aluminum+duct+tape

Foil Insulation Tape or Aluminum Duct Tape.  Very useful stuff, including making panels, hatches, various small parts.  It sticks very well, as it's made for HVAC use.

I got mine for free as apparently the builders at one apartment I rented left a few rolls in the closet where the HVAC unit was located.

I bought my bottle at Walmart. About $7

I've also seen it at Lowes. They have different colors.

I use it when I'm lighting a model and need to protect wires or leads from shorting. I also use it to cover an LED to prevent back scatter.

Never thought about using it to coat tools.