What all things has anyone used duct tape for?
Aside from many fixes I used it once to make a wallet.
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| MacGyver Online Forums > MacGyverisms > Duct tape uses |
| Posted by: macsgirl1 7 May 2009 - 02:04 PM |
| What all things has anyone used duct tape for? Aside from many fixes I used it once to make a wallet. |
| Posted by: aatgmac 7 May 2009 - 02:07 PM |
| I recently taped up my breaking and wire fraying laptop charger. Bless it its so old! |
| Posted by: MacGyverOnline 7 May 2009 - 02:51 PM |
I used it to repair my camera. You can read the story that goes with this photo http://www.macgyveronline.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2623&view=findpost&p=33474 |
| Posted by: macsgirl1 7 May 2009 - 06:43 PM |
It looks like the majority of the things in my house.  |
| Posted by: Beachbead 8 May 2009 - 02:00 PM |
| Nice job with the tape. |
| Posted by: macsgirl1 20 June 2009 - 08:24 PM |
| I used it this morning to make a fly swatter and it works great! |
| Posted by: Ignus 21 June 2009 - 12:30 AM |
| I regularly use it to safely tape plug wires to jacks for an appliance to work. I also have a taped vaccum cleaner. XD |
| Posted by: Bubba Ho-Tep 21 June 2009 - 09:01 AM |
| To get cat hair off my clothes. |
| Posted by: SpazMan 30 July 2009 - 05:08 PM |
I have duct taped several things in my car, including leather seats and as a temporary fix for a loose speaker cover. I have taped rattling parts under the hood as well, as a long term fix that WORKED! I think of my '80s Volvo as MacGyver's Jeep but with a lot more luxury and most of the utility. I'm not sure I would dismember my car quite as easily for casual MacGyverisms!   Duct tape makes a great temporary tool and '3rd hand' for holding things while you switch tools or SAK blades!  Ari |
| Posted by: jaebird 24 September 2009 - 08:33 AM |
| We had an assignment in an art class one time where we had to make something out of duct tape. I made a pair of sandles, and they turned out pretty nice, too. I've also used it to fix a pair of earbuds, and it works great to keep blisters from forming on your feet when you're hiking. |
| Posted by: Sheepy 27 September 2009 - 10:09 AM | ||
Yeah!! That in fact does work! And for some reason it looks more hygienic than band aids... I've used it to tape my bumper to my old car. Works brilliantly! |
| Posted by: Old Fan 27 September 2009 - 03:20 PM |
Mac used duct tape to make repairs on Nikki's fancy shoes that were falling apart when they were hiking up the mountain in GX-1. |
| Posted by: Pepino1309 27 September 2009 - 08:37 PM |
I was watching COPS tonight and there was an ingenius use for duct tape. Some guy called the police regarding an alligator in his yard. Animal control showed up and subdued the gator and wrapped his snout with duct tape to keep it's jaws shut.  |
| Posted by: Amy 4 October 2009 - 11:38 AM |
Well, since hubby's truck is well past it's prime and has a rusting out fender, he covered the sharp edges with duct tape so it would pass inspection.  It also holds up nicely in repairing the little loop on your car remote (where your keyring goes) when it breaks.  It's also all that's keeping my ancient Bible from falling apart. In fact my friends call it the MacGyver Bible. |
| Posted by: Sheepy 9 October 2009 - 11:17 AM |
Does it work on broken hearts and broken mojo too?  |
| Posted by: Geekgirl 29 October 2009 - 05:11 AM |
| Duct tape works as a wart remover ....cover the wart with tape and remove the tape in a week. Wart should come off with the tape. My small town family doctor's office recommends this for people who don't want to pay to freeze the warts off. I've also used duct tape to hold a side mirror on my car when it came off on a road trip. It held up for over 1000 miles before I needed to replace/repair the mirror. Great stuff |
| Posted by: MacSAK 29 October 2009 - 10:53 AM |
| I use duct tape to muffle my drums and repair all kinds of stuff... very useful tape |
| Posted by: Flyboy16 28 February 2010 - 08:25 AM |
| i used it to protect the paper clips, and binder clip i installed on my trash can wheel |
| Posted by: Dragslo 25 May 2010 - 08:50 PM |
| To tape packages (!!!), ready to send in mail, especially outside Norway. I get panic if something's gonna happen to it...because I often send chocolate to my American sweetie...(not that chocolate is such a big waste, but I once ordered chocolate from America and the whole package was smashed...!) I love ductape, I just feel sorry for those who's gonna open it to get the content !Also to tape my lamp to the wall, I COULD use screws, but I move it around so much, that taping it to the wall gives the same angle. NOTE: My cousin did actually use a VERY strong ductape, over his lips, resulted bloody lips and fleshy print on the tape..... |
| Posted by: Rinceoir 20 June 2010 - 08:03 PM |
| I've used it to repair the fender on my car, and as a brace for everything from knees to ankles to wrists. I've also used it to tape the soles back onto a pair of work boots. I was down in Tennessee on a week-long mission trip (the Appalacia Service Project, or ASP. Church groups work to repair homes in the Appalacia region - West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee) and the sole of my group leader's boot fell off an hour into the first day. I had a roll of duct tape in my toolbox, so we taped her boot back together. The next day, same drill with the other boot, but hey held together until we got home. |
| Posted by: EVil W3EVil 22 June 2010 - 04:38 AM |
how about to keep ur cat busy? My cat keeps gettin in moms way when shes cooking beggin for food loudly and tripping her up- suick a piece of tape on its paw  and it was gone for about an hour trying to get it off! |
| Posted by: deepfathom393 22 June 2010 - 06:37 PM |
| I used some duct tape yesterday on a box I'm about to mail off couldn't find any packing tape so I whipped out the good ol' duct tape |
| Posted by: MacBeth 24 June 2010 - 09:10 PM |
| Dragslo, if your cousin ever wants to try it again -- use alcohol as a solvent for the adhesive. |
| Posted by: Schwebel 12 July 2010 - 05:08 PM |
| I used it to cover up the bottom part of my seat on my Jeep Wrangler. The seats are grey so you really don't even notice it is there...lol. |
| Posted by: Azalea77 17 July 2010 - 12:33 PM |
| Good duct tape use, for women only I use it to secure my strapless bra because I have never been able to find the one which fits and doesn't slide down to my belly! Seriously!!!!! |
| Posted by: MacGirl 20 July 2010 - 07:10 PM |
| LOL! Good one, Azalea! My best use of duct tape was when I took the side mirror off my car when backing out of the garage.  I taped it up, and it held (for a few months, as I recall!) until I had the money to get it fixed properly. |
| Posted by: deansgirl 21 July 2010 - 04:14 AM |
| I do decorating at my church and we use duck tape for everything from holding down altar linens to keeping flowers in their vases on windy days. |
| Posted by: Azalea77 21 July 2010 - 02:59 PM |
| Good idea with the car mirror fix!! It proves that duct tape is good for EVERYTHING! Do not worry about your garage accident, once I made a dent in my car because I decided to attack the lightning post when I was backing |
| Posted by: Azalea77 21 July 2010 - 03:04 PM |
| I typed "duct tape" in Google images and I found a picture of a baby glued to the wall with duct tape, pictures of actual clothing made of duct tape, it was Prom fashion , wallets made of tape and people covered with it from neck to toes, just check it Hilarious |
| Posted by: rinaldi_LOL 10 March 2011 - 10:57 AM |
| I used it to shut someone's noisy mouth. |
| Posted by: MacGeezer 10 March 2011 - 10:52 PM |
| Duct tape roses, I taught my daughter how to make these for her schools Valentines Day party. Was amazed how many parents and students asked for the how-to instructions. A unique gift and requires no water http://www.instructables.com/id/Duct-Tape-Rose/ |
| Posted by: MacGyverOnline 11 March 2011 - 01:04 AM |
| Hey that's pretty kewl. |
| Posted by: MacGeezer 13 March 2011 - 12:07 PM |
| Thanks! The roses are very textured looking up close and a neat way to use up those almost spent rolls. I can also see MacGyver producing his own snow shoes: http://www.instructables.com/id/Gorilla-TapeGorilla-Glue-Snowshoes-from-Scratch/  |
| Posted by: Bushwalker 19 April 2012 - 06:57 AM |
| INSTEAD of simply listing some uses for duct tape (there have actually been dozens over the years, as it is..), I would like to post a review of a couple of books here, as an alternative... THESE two books are on the repair and maintenance of outdoorsy and camping gear and equipment, with the first one specifically titled on the subject of using Duct Tape, while the second one is covering a wider range of gear maintenance and emergency repairs.. AS SUCH, these two manuals are actually a much better bet at helping prepare people for many potential "MacGyverisms", than any of those weak efforts to be seen that actually use the name "MacGyver" in their titles. Anyway, here are my reviews: 'Two Outdoorsy' Book Reviews: IS this you >>  - as your pants are falling down, your trekking pole has snapped in two, your tent is blowing away, your boat has sprung a leak?!?NOT to worry! Here I will attempt to take a look today at what are possibly the two best repair manuals available on the market at this time: Hostetter, Kristin 'Don't Forget the Duct Tape'; The Mountaineers 2007, 2009; Seattle WA. USA. Price: should be able to find it for under $10... This is great little pocket-sized volume, ideal for taking along on your world travels or outdoors excursions ~ weighing less than 2 oz. (50-something gr.), along with a small first aid guide, and the Gem "SAS Survival.." pocket edition, these can be the cornerstone of your outdoorsy field repair kit and emergency library.. A quick look at the Index for this book shows the breadth and depth of the authors coverage of just how far you can go, with a small and basic repair kit built around your modest roll of duct tape: 1. Fabric 2. Zippers 3. Boots 4. Packs 5. Tents 6. Sleeping Bags and Pads 7. Stoves 8. Water Filters 9. Cookware 10. Hydration Systems Appendixes - 50 fixes with 'Seam Grip'; (plus: a USA Repair Facilities guide..). This book does indeed include more suggestions for possible "fixes" with the likes of duct tape, twine and Seam Grip than most of us could shake a stick at ~ it earns 5-out-of-5 from me.. ~  and can be considered a worthwhile addition to everyone's repair kits.Next up in my reviews, is a more substantial tome ~ more suitable for referencing and keeping at home, as it would weigh over a pound (half a kilo..) ~ making it too heavy for most backpacking and bicycling trips: Getchell, Annie; 'The Essential Outdoor Gear Manual'; Ragged Mountain Press / McGraw Hill; 1995, 2000; Camden, Maine USA. Price: around $20 +/-, if you have to find it online, with p/p it should still be available for under $30. This 250-page manual remains [IIthe "GO TO" handbook[/I] for home repairs and maintenance on your outdoorsy gear and kit, with a much more comprehensive list of contents ~ So, to get the best out of your equipment, keep it in tip-top condition, and extend its useful lifespan...  we have presented to us in these chapters:Soft Goods: 1. 'Essential Techniques' (sewing, patching, zippers & fasteners, cordage, seams..) 2. Fabrics and Insulation 3. Specialty Garments 4. Shelter 5. Packs Footwear: 6. Weatherproofing 7. Custom Fitting 8. Boot Repairs Hardware: 9. Stoves and Cookware 10. Water Filters 11. Knives and Multi-tools 12. Optics and Electronics 13. Climbing Gear 14. Winter Gear (skis, snowshoes, sleds..) Paddling: 15. Boats 16. Resin 17. Hull Materials 18. Canoe inspections 19. Kayak inspections 20. Paddles and PFDs 21. Dry Storage and Flotation Appendixes: Adhesives; Cleaning solutions; Kits; Tools and Supplies; Knots; Resources; Rec. Reading list... So, as can be seen from this more-than-adequate, (and indeed quite comprehensive..), list of contents - this encyclopaedic volume is a great little reference work for anyone concerned with caring for, and getting the most out of - their 'outdoorsy' kit-and-caboodle.. Another 5 star review from me..... Both of these books are highly recommended here by my humble self..  I know that I have mentioned these two books in passing in a couple of other threads in the past ~ but I didn't actually go as far as to review them in depth, back then.. (AS they are available from the same bookseller as this Forum uses, maybe the Admin' can have a look at them as well..  ). |
| Posted by: Mela_007 7 February 2013 - 01:28 PM |
| We use duct tape in a variety of ways while I am at sea on our Research ship for work. However, the one that I like best is we are using rolls of duct tape as CUP HOLDERS!! Take a full roll of duct tape, removed the plastic wrap that it comes covered with, lay it on it's side on a desk or table top, place the narrow bottom cup or glass in the hole. It works wonders!! Put the roll on some non-skid surface and it can hold the cup securely in 10 foot seas (experience talking here...last night). Also you can write your name on the side of the duct tape roll to keep the cups separated when they look similar too.  |
| Posted by: MacGyverisms 11 February 2013 - 04:09 PM |
| Duct tape is like SAK, you can do almost anything with it. |
| Posted by: MiracleMac 12 February 2013 - 06:48 AM |
| There was some video in youtube, where some guy made the wallet from duck tape |
| Posted by: MacGyverisms 13 February 2013 - 02:16 PM |
| Wherever you go, always bring duct tape. |
| Posted by: MDBfan 4 March 2013 - 02:17 PM |
| MythBusters had a duct tape episode. They destroyed a car and taped it together again (and drove around with it too). And they made a suspension bridge out of duct tape. Lots of tape |
| Posted by: YopeGyver 15 March 2013 - 12:46 PM |
| Gosh what can you NOT fix with duct tape? Lol I fixed my bird's cage when the bottom tray cracked and was lookin pretty bad. I've used duct tape to help keep hanging pictures from getting crooked, to temporarily fix a strap on my binocular case, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some. |
| Posted by: denizen 20 January 2015 - 09:39 PM |
| Fixed my son's fishing net with some Ape Tape over the holidays and it worked like a charm. Still intact! |
| Posted by: Maclover 16 September 2015 - 09:30 AM |
| We had an old water butt with a lid that had been adapted with a large hold to take a length of drainpipe. We wanted to use the redundant butt as a compost heap as it had a lid, but with the off-centre hole in it we found our compost maker attracting a fair share of wasps and nasty flies when we went to fill it during the hot days this summer - it was difficult to get the lid on square when in a hurry to just miss the hole. Having spent the summer fighting to get it on square it occurred to me that what I needed to do was to cover up the 5 inch circle cut in the lid (I must have been asleep most of summer not to see that, but there you go). The natural solution was a brand new roll of duct tape that I had treated myself to after watching MacGyver. I applied it to the top then turned the lid upside down and went over the stickiness with more strips from the other side - I think it will last years and if we ever want to use it as a water butt again I'll just take the tape off! |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 17 September 2015 - 12:41 AM |
| I've patched holes in body work with duct tape, and just recently took a cardboard mailing tube and wrapped it in duct tape, making a great shoulder quiver for my arrows. |
| Posted by: Maclover 17 September 2015 - 02:35 AM |
| Barry Rowland - wish I had thought of that for mine - I bought a cheapo plastic one - it does the job, but that's not as satisfying as something home-made. Now what I could do with is a MacGyverism to stop me losing the wretched things in the grass - I think I lose about one per session and that comes up expensive for me as a learner. |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 17 September 2015 - 10:43 AM |
| Now THAT would be a real Mac fix, Maclover! I just lost one the other day, and they aren't cheap here either! |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 17 September 2015 - 11:08 AM |
| Here's a pic Maclover....no end to the uses of duct tape! I used an old belt for the sling, and reinforced that with a piece of black Gorilla tape....great stuff! |
| Posted by: denizen 17 September 2015 - 08:59 PM |
Nice work Barry!  |
| Posted by: Maclover 17 September 2015 - 10:58 PM |
| That looks great Barry - very functional, I love the use of the camo coloured tape. |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 18 September 2015 - 12:06 AM |
| Thanks guys! |
| Posted by: MacsJeep 21 September 2015 - 03:15 AM |
One of my cars currently has the wing mirror held on with DT after I naughtily knocked it off in the drive two weeks ago! Ooops... |
| Posted by: Maclover 23 September 2015 - 08:42 AM |
| I humbly submit that I used my roll for the mundane purpose of wrapping a parcel today. |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 23 September 2015 - 11:55 AM |
| I used mine for a unique purpose. My wife was in need of something to elevate the seat of a chair by about 6 inches. We went out and purchased 2 foam yoga blocks, and brought them home. I took my trusty SAK, a roll of Gorilla tape and some craft glue, attached them together and secured them with the Gorilla tape. Voila we now have a seat booster! I love this forum....it really makes me creative!! |
| Posted by: Maclover 23 September 2015 - 12:51 PM |
| Loving it Barry!! |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 23 September 2015 - 04:04 PM |
| It's like being a kid again Maclover....it's a blast! |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 24 September 2015 - 05:42 AM |
| Got this idea from "To Be a Man" from Season 1, when Mac has to do a crash landing on the hang glider and uses a sling to knock a pursuer off his horse. I took a boot lace and some duct tape and made my own....now the trick is to get the hang of using it without injuring myself or anything/one around me! I used the leather punch on my Huntsman to put the holes in the sling, and am trying to get the tape pliable enough to hold the stone in the pocket. |
| Posted by: denizen 24 September 2015 - 09:49 PM |
| Good work, Barry! |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 25 September 2015 - 05:25 AM |
| Thank you!! |
| Posted by: Maclover 5 October 2015 - 12:59 PM |
| I mended a leaky seal on a vacuum storage bag with my roll at the weekend :-D |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 5 October 2015 - 03:20 PM |
| |
| Posted by: Mr Duct Tape 5 October 2015 - 03:28 PM |
| Had to "fix" the tube of my vacuum cleaner the other day, and duct tape was there to save the day , of course! |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 5 October 2015 - 06:54 PM |
| Way to go! It's the wonder tool of the 21st Century too! |
| Posted by: Maclover 5 November 2015 - 02:56 PM |
| So for the third week running I am still chasing faulty bulbs on that car of mine. I have a dashboard light which comes on if there is a fault in the lighting circuit whether the lights are on at the time or not. At the moment it is annoyingly intermittent, on, off,, on, off. Do you think I can find the loose bulb? Of course not! I had both entire rear clusters out this morning chasing ghosts. I bet you can guess where I am sorely tempted to stick a dashboard light sized bit of duct tape!!!!! |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 5 November 2015 - 07:47 PM |
| Electrical issues are the bane of automobile ownership!! Most of my fleet of vehicles are older, but I learned on my 71 VW Bus to go with the cheapest fix first the hard way. Instead of checking out the voltage regulator I went straight to the generator....and still had to replace the regulator afterwards! Maclover, the problem might be in the electronic control unit. I had an old truck that would run fine and then suddenly (at the worst possible times!) the lights would just die out. No rhyme nor reason to it. I picked up a shop manual and found that a previous owner had wired the wrong ecu into it but often times there's a nasty short in them that can't be found. |
| Posted by: Maclover 6 November 2015 - 12:18 AM |
| Hi Barry, I think there was a lot going for cars as old as a 71 VW. As MacGyver so often finds, cars of that sort of age kind of lent themselves to being working on. You could do things with spark plugs, HT leads, alternator caps, points, carburettors, belts, you could even chase electrical faults with a circuit tester etc. Of course the dealers weren't keen - it meant that users could maintain their own vehicles. So these days we get on board computers, engines that don't lend themselves to being dismantled, in many cases bulbs that require a workshop to dismantle a 'bumper' to get to (I count myself lucky in that regard - apparently the latest version of the car is a 'bumper off' job) - I bet the dealers love that - I can hear the invoices being written! I still favour a faulty bulb - the car is prone to headlamps in particular, a fact that seems reflected in web postings. The other week it was def. a sidelight - it must have been on its way out and took a few days to blow completely and enable me to find it, the matching headlight blew a few days later - that went completely - an easy find. I guess in the finish the current problem will blow completely and I'll solve it, but in the meantime I'm sorely tempted to deploy some duct tape and ignore things! LOL |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 7 November 2015 - 06:12 PM |
| Duct tape is the common person's miracle tool....cheap and it fixes all! Go get em Maclover! |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 19 December 2015 - 06:45 PM |
| I used my Tinker to cut duct tape I used to secure a throw rug to the floor, which I had quite enough of putting it back in place every time I opened the door. Worked like a charm! Thanks Mac! |
| Posted by: Maclover 24 December 2015 - 04:45 AM |
| I found a Christmas related public service use for Duct tape today. Local car-park this morning, council have decided free parking as a treat for Christmas Eve, notice on the central parking machine with free dates on it, however at least half the parking area is better served from the lower positioned machine. No notice on the lower machine, people still putting cash in it, machine still taking (not rejecting cash) and issuing tickets to those that don't know. I miss catching 2 people who fed the bottom machine cash whilst I checked the date on the main one. Caught another by calling to them before they fed in their change. So its Xmas eve what can I do about this. I know I am carting paper and pen, but how to fix as notice where it can be seen? Suddenly remember reel of duct tape in the boot/trunk of the car. Two minutes later bottom machine has a note taped to it referring to free parking on Xmas Eve notice on top machine. I came back in about an hour to find the council parking attendant covering both machines up. I wonder what he thought of my note LOL, I drove off without a word. Merry Christmas local shoppers and MacGyver online friends! |
| Posted by: Mr Duct Tape 24 December 2015 - 06:14 AM |
| WHat a lovely thing to do! That's the spirit! Merry Christmas to you and all members of MacgyverOnline |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 24 December 2015 - 03:34 PM |
| Indeed so,and Merry Christmas to all here! |
| Posted by: Mr Duct Tape 10 May 2016 - 10:16 AM |
| Well my latest use for my trusted duct tape was to save my flip flops, after my dog chew one of them. Once again it saves the day!  |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 10 May 2016 - 11:42 AM |
| Way to go DT!! |
| Posted by: Maclover 22 May 2016 - 07:57 AM |
| I was just surfing the net (as you do) having looked for info on mending bikes and found this - 13 uses for duct tape when cycling: https://totalwomenscycling.com/road-cycling/maintenance/many-times-can-use-duct-tape-bike-47875/#9zTVo5mP3y0AYmoz.97 |
| Posted by: denizen 22 May 2016 - 09:50 PM |
| Very interesting! |
| Posted by: Mr Duct Tape 19 December 2016 - 07:45 AM |
| http://www.youtube.com/embed/1Y_RPrZ8cps This is pretty cool  |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 19 December 2016 - 10:24 AM |
| |
| Posted by: blondmama 25 August 2017 - 10:58 AM |
| well here is my story I guess you can say you can use it for all types of stuff I know for what I needed it for it worked but I have to say that i had just enough to do this we have had no luck with putting the patches on an inter tube for a bike so we put duck tape on the patch and the hole I guess you can say I use a lot of packing tape to to fix stuff a friend of mine gave an office chair and the arm rest was coming off so I put duck tape but that was also coming off as well so I took Minnie Packing tape over it it worked so now you can use it just the same way so think about that the next time you have cheap duck tape coming off |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 25 August 2017 - 05:23 PM |
| Way to go Blondmama!! |
| Posted by: beth 15 November 2017 - 05:16 PM |
| My 26 year old son laughed at me tonight for my use of duct tape. I had two bottles of dishwasher detergent that were both almost empty. I wanted to put all of the detergent into one bottle but the bottles wouldn't balance on each other and I didn't want to hold them. I balanced on bottle upside down on top of the other and wrapped duct tape around the necks of the bottles to hold them. The result? All of the liquid was in one bottle and there was no mess on my kitchen countertop. Ahhh...the wonders of the simple roll of duct tape!! |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 15 November 2017 - 06:15 PM |
| Way to go!!! Always good to educate the young ones in creativity! That's probably what I love most about Mac and our forum....the so many ways of making things work and keeping life fun! |
| Posted by: beth 15 November 2017 - 07:07 PM | ||
The brat even took a picture of my little creation and posted it on Snapchat! His response when I pulled out the roll of tape was "Seriously mom, duct tape?" to which I asked "You betcha!" |
| Posted by: Barry Rowland 16 November 2017 - 05:06 AM |
| Way to go Beth!! |