Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: This Is Busting a Splicing Tape Myth

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Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 06-05-2009, 04:09 PM:

A while back I made a comment about the yellow coloration of Neumade splicing tape making it more visible on the screen, Brad said it has the same refractory index as film, maybe it does, but I just did my own visibility test...Using a piece of ordinary single strength window glass as a base I affixed a 3 frame length piece of unprojected clear film, an equal length of Neumade tape and an equal length piece of Jack Roe tape. The projector was our 1928 vintage Brenograph, the light source was an HX754 lamp, 3200K. Light passed thru 1 glass condenser and one plastic fresnel lens before passing thru the test subjects, after the subjects there is a single element lens and a first surface mirror. All optical components were clean.

The film was visible as a lightly shaded area with very visible perforations, and edges.

The Neumade tape was visible as a medium shaded area with edges visible and apparent ripples in the adhesive.

Jack Roe tape was slightly less shaded than the film with visible edges. It also has occasional cross line that wipe off with finger tip or a cloth.

Different results might be obtained with a different light source and optical path.

Positions of the test materials were changed with no discernible difference.
Bill

Posted by Jim Bedford (Member # 4) on 06-05-2009, 05:13 PM:

Not to hijack your thread Bill, but sticking with the Myths about Splicing Tape theme, I have a couple of questions about aging tape. Does (Did) splicing tape shrink and/or stretch? Does it slip? What has made tape better or worse over the 35 years or so since it's been commonly (now exclusively) used?

I have some reels of trailers that were tape spliced together in the late 70's and some have not been looked at since. I know these were spliced flush butt to butt but many have now developed a space (some almost a mm wide) I'm assuming the tape stretched; and no, I have no clue as to the tape brand(s) I used 30 years ago.

Has anyone done other tests on splicing tape in addition to Bill's that are available or published (other than the endorsements we've seen discussed elsewhere on Film-Tech)?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-05-2009, 06:58 PM:

You need to analyze it on a loop of clear film, and with the standards films are printed at today (meaning xenon light illumination). Also you should make some splices and then leave them for awhile. Watch what happens as each year goes by.

I've got Neumade tape splices that are literally 20 years old and will STILL pull off without leaving a nasty residue, yet they look beautiful on screen.

Jim - that is why I firmly advocate the slight overlap splice as explained in the splicing tips page. As your film shrinks over time, you won't be left with splices that hinge and pop. I've also had less shrinkage with winding emulsion out, but before Guttag chimes in here, I think the two of us are starting to lean towards the climate as being a major factor in winding orientation. You could always do what I do and take two identical trailers, wind each of them over to a 1 inch core (one emulsion in and the other emulsion out) and leave them for a couple of years and see what happens. [Wink]

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-08-2009, 01:25 PM:

polyester film doesn't have a measurable shrinkage factor
The adhesive on most tape is a rubber base
I find that neumade has the poorest adhesion particularly on dirty or oily film
Jack Roe tape rules [Big Grin]

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 06-08-2009, 02:21 PM:

I came across a box in my basement with a few unused rolls of original "Guillotine" brand splicing tape that would have been bought new in 1979. Aside from some yellowing, the rolls of tape are starting to noticeably develop a vinegar smell.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 06-08-2009, 03:33 PM:

You can't get Neumade tape anymore, at least not from Neumade. louis

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 06-08-2009, 04:57 PM:

quote: Louis Bornwasser
You can't get Neumade tape anymore, at least not from Neumade. louis

I was just about to ask if anybody else has had any recent problems buying Neumade tape. I tried ordering some through our vendor back at the beginning of April and Neumade had apparently told them that it was on backorder. Still hadn't received any by the end of May and the vendor said that Neumade didn't know when they were going to get any more ib stock. This got to wondering if Neumade was dropping the tape line.

Anyway, I ordered Jack Roe instead. Haven't actually used it yet. Hope its just as good and not as awfull as the CPI stuff I had to use when I worked for Regal.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-08-2009, 05:25 PM:

Jack Roe was the maker for CPI tape, so it would be the same tape but with different labeling.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-08-2009, 05:31 PM:

The Jack Roe tape will defintely stick better but it will also gum up your splicer too.

Steve

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 06-08-2009, 05:32 PM:

That's not good to hear. Any other brand(s) worth checking out?

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 06-08-2009, 05:59 PM:

quote: Louis Bornwasser
You can't get Neumade tape anymore, at least not from Neumade. louis

Not true. (The bold part) I just got 16 rolls from Mark G at CLACO. [Big Grin]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-08-2009, 06:21 PM:

I recently got some Neumade tape as well, but the paper cores do not have the Neumade/Neutape logo on them, just plain white. Everything else is identical... the sleeves they came in as well as the tape itself. It also took me forever to get some spindles for my shitty PRT Ultra rewind table as well, but I did get them. Maybe Neumade has laid off a bunch of employees leaving only a few to do the jobs of many.

Posted by Gregory N. Jones (Member # 805) on 06-09-2009, 04:02 PM:

We are still supplying splicing tape in limited quantities. Please see a post titled Neutronic info needed, dated in February 2009 on this site for more information.

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 10-26-2009, 11:47 PM:

I've been trying to order Neumade tape for almost a year now from UCS and haven't had any luck. Anybody else had any luck?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 10-27-2009, 06:14 AM:

We got our shipment of Neumade tape in recently...at least what was on order.

Steve

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 10-27-2009, 06:17 AM:

We also received our order, now dispersed; with excellent communications from the Neumade staff.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-27-2009, 04:05 PM:

Isn't Splycemar the same exact tape?

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 10-27-2009, 06:24 PM:

Same source from Japan.....

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 10-27-2009, 06:29 PM:

Interesting. My sales rep was told by someone at Neumade that all tape orders are on backorder and that they have been doing a lot of work for the DOD. I'll ask them about the Splycemar tape.