Gaff it?

[DaveySimps]

+1 for pin splitting. But there are situations where gaffing is well worth it.

~Dave

[MaddMaxx]

OK people. Save the Gaff. I attach velcro permanently= pos.to male and neg to female. Wrap zap done.

[willbb123]

I've never heard of a pin spitter. I've done a quick google search and cant find a pin spitter. Anyone got a link to one?

[gafftaper]

Here's one at Production Advantage for $21.41 You'll have a hard time beating that price.

[derekleffew]

Originally Posted by willbb123

I've never heard of a pin spitter. I've done a quick google search and cant find a pin spitter. Anyone got a link to one?

It's "pin SpLitter," and the definition can be found in our glossary, courtesy of Gafftaper.

A "pin spitter" is the wardrobe person who does costume fittings.

[STEVETERRY]

So, perhaps I'm feeling my age, but when I was an active production electrician, the idea of using gaffers tape on connectors was anathema. Tape adhesive residue and mess! A much better alternative from the dark ages was Bulldog brand friction tape, which dry-adhered to itself but was easily removable from a connector pair.

Has this gone out of fashion? If so, I wonder why?

ST

[derekleffew]

Originally Posted by STEVETERRY

So, perhaps I'm feeling my age, but when I was an active production electrician...

Stage pin connectors today have THREE pins, Mr. Terry. I've never heard of friction tape to hold connectors together, only for hodding. Perhaps gaffers tape had not yet been invented?

Many years ago, a "tip" in Theatre Crafts or somewhere suggested making 1" wide rubber bands from a tire's innertube to hold square-bodied pin connectors together. I don't think anyone even makes square-bodied pin connectors anymore, so that's out. I stick by my initial reaction--if the pins are split properly, there's no reason to tape connectors. Except for a tour or shop prep situtation where one doesn't want the local hands undoing any more connections than they have to, in which case electrical tape is used, without a courtesy tab, specifically to make unplugging more difficult.

[SteveB]

Originally Posted by STEVETERRY

So, perhaps I'm feeling my age, but when I was an active production electrician, the idea of using gaffers tape on connectors was anathema. Tape adhesive residue and mess! A much better alternative from the dark ages was Bulldog brand friction tape, which dry-adhered to itself but was easily removable from a connector pair.

Has this gone out of fashion? If so, I wonder why?

ST

Was it possible your events were longer term ?, where the glue in gaff tape would heat up and leave a residue. In those scenarios, friction tape is a better choice, just takes longer to apply, as you have to make multiple passes to get layers. We still use friction for 12/3 bundles that are going to be handled, will use tie-wraps for other bundles.

Steve B.

[Charc]

Originally Posted by derekleffew

Stage pin connectors today have THREE pins, Mr. Terry. I've never heard of friction tape to hold connectors together, only for hodding. Perhaps gaffers tape had not yet been invented?

Many years ago, a "tip" in Theatre Crafts or somewhere suggested making 1" wide rubber bands from a tire's innertube to hold square-bodied pin connectors together. I don't think anyone even makes square-bodied pin connectors anymore, so that's out. I stick by my initial reaction--if the pins are split properly, there's no reason to tape connectors. Except for a tour or shop prep situtation where one doesn't want the local hands undoing any more connections than they have to, in which case electrical tape is used, without a courtesy tab, specifically to make unplugging more difficult.

I have SO many square bodied connectors.

[waynehoskins]

I too avoid gaffing the connectors when at all possible. The only times I've seen it necessary (and this was chiefly when I was at a road house) were with modern Union-branded connectors. They, or at least the ones we had, were loose as anything, and just looking at the connectors would cause the two to come loose.

I found that Unions are very loose, Bateses are excessively tight, and Roscos are in-between.

Tape goes on cables for two purposes:
- circuit numbers on both ends, in Sharpie on white gaff, board, or masking tape
- color-coded e-tape on the cable itself, just back from the connectors, indicating the length of the cable.

I've always been a fan of two cubits' worth of tie line on the female end. I used to just choke it on (it is "toggle hitch", right?), but at the high school the stupid children would always remove that tie line at strike too, making a pile of cables with no tie line on them. I'm so going to have to use the clove hitch backed with a half-hitch on these now (I make the clove a little loose so it can move around a little bit, solving that problem).