Product Design GCSE Project

[Nat Ar]

Hello, I'm doing a product design GCSE project on "smarter living", specifically, electrical tape storage.

If anybody has a minute, it would be greatly appreciated if you could please complete the survey below. 

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/J9HYNBR

 

[Evans Electric]

Storing electrical tape   is not difficult  ,  theres  some in  my toolbox  and some in a bin in the van and thats about  all there is to electrical tape  to be honest . 

Didn't do the survey as it wants my name  and age . 

 

[Doc Hudson]

As Evans has said, It is not a problem that needs solving, Tape is robust, easy to identify, not difficult to locate as and when it is needed. I think you are tying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

Doc H.

 

[kerching]

Small roll in my pocket

2/3 strapped to tool Bag

spares/special tapes in van and brought out when needed

 

[Nat Ar]

Thank you for your time, I really appreciate it. Apologies for not clarifying but "Name" doesn't need to be a full name, it can just be a nickname. 

My idea was to make a small box for 7-9 different coloured tapes for different kinds of wiring connections (low voltage, earth, etc). Do you think this could be more suited to a more niche audience, maybe people like DIYers who don't use electrical tape as often as the professionals and can't necessarily discern between the variants as easily?  Thanks again.

 

[kerching]

Personally I carry so much stuff around with me that another box/enclosure would be a pain.

it is very rare we use tape for its original purpose of 'insulation'. It's more for temporary marking up before making something on the label printer OR taping cables together or On to a rod  for pulling. After which it just gets thrown back in the box

 

[Evans Electric]

Nat ,  theres not much mileage in  sorting rolls of tape out  to be honest . 

Speaking for myself  I have , either in the toolbox or in a bin on the racking ....the following  :-

Yellow  & white  for writing on / marking cables .

Green/yellow stripey  .

Brown  & Blue  for marking Reds & Black s  so not to confuse the Europeans   ( Oh  we're  out of the EU  soon ... changing our colours   was a waste of time & money then )

Black & Grey  for phase colours  

Red because I've always liked it .

Like Kerch  I don't really need a box designing for them to be honest. 

 

[Doc Hudson]

Thank you for your time, I really appreciate it. Apologies for not clarifying but "Name" doesn't need to be a full name, it can just be a nickname. 

My idea was to make a small box for 7-9 different coloured tapes for different kinds of wiring connections (low voltage, earth, etc). Do you think this could be more suited to a more niche audience, maybe people like DIYers who don't use electrical tape as often as the professionals and can't necessarily discern between the variants as easily?  Thanks again.

I cannot see any niche market for the use of PVC tape for mains voltage electrical work. As a general rule for normal joints and terminations it is not used much, other than as mentioned to mark or identify a particular cable or conductor. Or to assist feeding or pulling cable(s) through a hole or duct or floor/ceiling void etc. I wouldn't like to encourage any DIY'ers to use PVC tape as a means of insulation live parts around their home. Its probably used more with vehicle electrics, protecting 12v joints, or keeping wires bunched together with the main loom when trying to put interior trim back after you have fitted your new audio system etc.

Doc H.  

 

[misssweden]

I don’t think a box would be of much use for anyone to be honest. 

PVC tape always lives in my pocket, as I can’t manage more than 10 minutes at work without it. Phase tapes for jointing are just three rolls held losely together with a cable tie. Storage sorted. 

 

[Andy™]

and in winter its often kept in a pocket to keep it warm

 

[roys]

Also kept in the pocket as it serves as a complete handy first aid kit, I have held bits of my flesh together many a time with the handy tape out of my pocket.

 

[kerching]

On toolbag g/y, white or grey to write on, red because like Deke , I like it

in pocket...Part roll of anything

van...

L1, L2, L3, L, and N white tape black letters

self amalg

pressure tape 

all kept in same drawer as 

6 LUCY MLNS......other tails blocks are available and also .....the other 5000 MLNSs are in workshop

10/16 lugs

meter seals and wires

one box, one grab......simples

 

[roys]

Adam Savage of Myth Busters fame made a proper posh tape dispenser on YouTube, but I won't be putting that one in my pocket or toolbar either.

 

[Blue Duck]

A bit of Jack chain on a hook usually does the job.

One issue that I have on site... delivery of 10 rolls comes in  within a few seconds they are gone, an hour or so later everyone is asking; have you got any tape? 

Some kind of anti theft system possibly with GPS? Or a dispenser for a site box that will only dispense one at a time.

 

[kerching]

Back in the day we used to wrap some tape around the hammer shaft and around a few screwdrivers. That way you could always peel a bit off if needed.

along the same thread we also used to strip T and E down the centre with a knife and keep a few of the bits of sheathing to make grommets ...yet another lost art. Keep in back pocket to stay pliable in winter

green sleeve ( you may call it green and yellow 70%/30% Earth continuity conductor identification over sleeving; personally I could not give a flying ) along with red/black was cut into 4" pieces and thrown in the bottom of tool box ( I still do this)... that way you know there is always some there, instead of trying to remember where the big hank of it is, or who has nicked it

bit of broken candle for tight screws

a few bits of pyro sheath....which were NEVER put over live cable ends, ever, never

Swan Vesta r Ship brand or Mays "Plug tops" 

Just an electrical dinosaur

 

[Evans Electric]

we used to wrap some tape around the hammer shaft and around a few screwdrivers.

strip T and E down the centre with a knife and keep a few of the bits of sheathing to make grommets

which were NEVER put over live cable ends, ever, never

Just an electrical dinosaur

Same here ,  loads of tools have tape  wound on for a quick fix . 

On Pyro jobs , always have  a stick of sealing compound in the pocket in winter . 

We 'd never get any proper grommet  strip back in the day  so that was the answer .

Because we wer'nt supplied with Tufnol or similar  we bushed slots between , say, BBCs    and sw/fuses  with whatever timber we could find onsite .  NIC man used to say it wasn't  flame resistant and could ignite.................really   :C    Or we didn't bush them at all  ...as ..say,   four  70mm short tails  are never going to move and jam themselves against the edge of the slot.   

Swan Vesta Ship Brand  & Mays Plug tops  are new to me TBH 

 

[roys]

Do you still get Tufnell, use to like working with that stuff, must have used sheets and sheets of it in the 80's. I use to like the smell of it when I hacksawed it then filed etc. Probably someone will now tell me it is cancergenic.

 

[Tony S]

Tufnell was invented and patented by the founder of Geo. Ellison switchgear.

http://ahistoryoftufnol.org/companyhistory/index.html

 

[Blue Duck]

Do you still get Tufnell, use to like working with that stuff, must have used sheets and sheets of it in the 80's. I use to like the smell of it when I hacksawed it then filed etc. Probably someone will now tell me it is cancergenic.

Was using paxolin recently not so bad when you cut it with a hacksaw but using a holesaw on the stuff released the stench of death. 

Must be treated like MDF which is banned in many countries but not the UK.

 

[Evans Electric]

Tufnell was invented and patented by the founder of Geo. Ellison switchgear.

http://ahistoryoftufnol.org/companyhistory/index.html

 Going to school  I walked past  Geo. Ellison  , next came Tufnol  then Bill Switchgear .

Did quite a lot of work in Tufnol ,     very old fashioned there ,    upgrading distribution boards  was one project .   

They said can we use up stock from their stores ,   trouble was it was all Whitworth  , BSF  & BA   screws .