How do you store and organize your LED tape stock?

hobbsies

Active Member
We have a boat load of LED tape of various types and lengths. We keep everything we use that still works for later projects as at least half of our 18 show season incorporates LED tape in some way (usually). Right now we store it on the reels and bags they come in, and write their length on gaff tape and just throw them in tubs sorted by type (12v RBGWW, 24v CW, etc). I'd like to sort them better though and was curious if anyone has any innovative ideas about how they do it.
 
Never heard of people saving/striking to save 50/50 tape.

I would say big reels or the ones they came with.
 
Unless you are using really high quality and priced led tape I think it is a consumable and toss it out or give it away or use it for testing something. I have found that reinstalling it there is always faults with is esp the RGB stuff. There will be a set that don't work in one colour.
That is my experience anyway.
Regards
Crispy
 
Started such a organization just this week myself given the "shelving" of a rushed 4-node wide super hight output LED project requiring 2x 1KW PSU's and 4x800w Decoders necessary for the first phase of it's build once given it's cost to do especially in a rush.

Silicone IP-65 tape yellows, than starts to crack after years of storage or use. Bagging it is probably a good idea for extra's or stuff to re-use in storage. Non-Silicone coated tape doesn't really go bad in yellowing, but there is high output and generation changes with it. The high output White I currently use is a lot brighter than the high output I used to get. One should if possible bag and mark part number or if not specified color temperature and luminous output of what's being stored. If you have gear in storage or on show using a specific older generation LED tape in use, you should keep what remains of it in stock for repairs - no matter how old or what generation of the tape. A bin of really old LED stuff is needed. Though normally, if a show comes back and needs repairs, a total re-LED'ing of all will be necessary. Organized as if gel or gobo storage locker's for spares of LED tape from a project? Might work well in knowing what to throw or give away. New stuff won't match the bin/lot number.

Bin numbers / lot numbers for LED tape has constantly been a problem in matching up color wise as with orientating the LED tape in the same direction - believe It or not a factor.. On a project, it's recommended you lay out, power up and compare and contrast before install all LED tape to see what's clearly different in output in different "bin/lot number." That or your designer's might note a tape or three that are different after done. This is also where matching all tape going in the same direction will become a detail. If you have same lot number tape left over from a build that's been matched up for being the same output and color, the purchase order or in some way lot number and show should be written on the storage bag for the tape. Store that tape so you can replace it where needed - given it might not match years later in use as much... but it was bought and paid for from that show so worth a try.

Keep your PSU's, especially the extra's of them under supervision - especially the wall wart. If you give away the old or used tape to someone wanting say a small project with it, the PSU's to power it up might walk with it. On the other hand there is old school PSU's and decoders that you will never use again which should be available. The technology has advanced, also so has the wattage in use so a lot of it is obsolete to store. Segregate what you need in tape and PSU's/Decoders from what is obsolete.

Certainly get rid of or give away what is not viable. Have a good and mostly-trusted staff under you to organize and do a "good job" under you. I'm inspecting lamps this week and the person assigned to the project is constantly asking what to do with or what to save. That's a good thing in giving instructions and thoughts, but leaving up to his "best judgement" what to get rid of, donate or save given above storage needs to match really old storage tape for stuff that might still need a repair at some point.

We also have a large amount of elder control and power supply gear that we are working on putting away as It were. Somewhat up for grabs at this point in storing or getting rid of, but I'm at this point in too much in storage and short of space - especially on the lower amperage decoders and power supplies.

LED tape storage... a good idea would be for storage of what remains from a use of it in a sealed bag and in a storage cabinate marked for show and lot number. When the show is done and with no more use of it, also pull the spare tape. Get rid of it.

Save what is left from a build from a current show or what's in storage for other shows no-matter how old. Start to get rid of the rest.

Leave yourself a lot of at least 24" strips of LED tape for prototypes.


As for the "used tape" pulled of something not useful any longer.... yes and no. If the double sided tape has not been on long, one can pull it off and say apply some scotch 3M type 35 tape to the double sided tape of the backing of the LED tape. It will remove cleanly and be able to be re-applied. Otherwise you can peel off the VHB double sided tape from the back of the LED tape, and apply new VHB tape to it, and normally it will work fine. Re-used especially non-IP-65 tape is very forgiving. Solder welds and pad's of the led tape lifting off in re-use or even new use is more a problem than old tape. Depends on budget. I normally get rid of old tape and just save cutoffs for prototypes. Than get rid of them progressively as we get too many.
 
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Unless you are using really high quality and priced led tape I think it is a consumable and toss it out or give it away or use it for testing something. I have found that reinstalling it there is always faults with is esp the RGB stuff. There will be a set that don't work in one colour.
That is my experience anyway.
Regards
Crispy
We buy the stuff that's $150/roll for RGBW. When we buy cheap, we absolutely throw it away after a show.
 
We buy the stuff that's $150/roll for RGBW. When we buy cheap, we absolutely throw it away after a show.
I do stuff for a community group so we only use cheep stuff. Would you have a link for the LED tape you use so I can compare notes? At that price I would reusing it too.
 
If I'm able to get it off the set piece I installed it on without any force, I will store it on an old cable reel near my solder station. As binning is a huge problem with low end tape, I will never use old tape on a new project that requires more than a whole reel. Solid color tape is another thing, as you can probably use it for lighting up backstage areas or desks/cabinets, or give it away for a friend's project.
Let's be honest, for the $20 for 15' of low cost led tape, is it worth taking it off of the old project, when you'll have to test, get a different glue backing, and possible have to fix a broken segment? Money is always a factor to look at, but you still have to factor in labour.
 
As a manufacturer that sells LED tape we have a very strict storage system. The one issue is all of our tape is full reels so we don't have the issue of lengths. What we do is have it separated by type; standard and pixel, voltage, color then they are in their own cardboard box. We are lucky because the boxes are what they ship to us in so they stand up very nicely and there is a little space on each side that you can put extra if need be.

Now we also do some installs and we keep that sorted by show just in case we have to replace any tape on the show. This helps with keeping the lots sorted correctly, we haven't ran into many issues since we have one source but it might be useful if you are getting it from multiple sources. Others have covered this more.

I have no idea what to search for but I have seen filing systems that are just slots in a cabinet that might be useful, almost like a mail sorter but vertical slots not horizontal. Could be an interesting solution.
 
I do stuff for a community group so we only use cheep stuff. Would you have a link for the LED tape you use so I can compare notes? At that price I would reusing it too.
I have been buying some cheap stuff from BANGGood.com their
shipping is a bit slow but I think the prices and quality are good.
 
If it was me, I would probably pick up a filing cabinet or two at Goodwill and make bins for the generic types (RGBW, cool white, ect..). Then use the reels they come on and mark the approximate length on the reel.

I know your pain, I've been holding onto 2 1/2 rolls of $400/reel DMX decoding strip for years now and haven't found a way to use it up yet.
 
Word from upper management today in another yearly tour of multible buildings of storage.. Have to come up with a better system of what set pieces are going to be re-used if ever in a tracking system for custom gear. As with the file cabinet idea for filing show spare LED tape/Decoders/PSU's when spares don't travel with the show, would be good to know when gear from a show is totally out of circulation as for what to do with it's spares. Got a spare transformer marked on it's top for a tour from years ago.... Never used. No idea If the equipment this transformer was a spare fore got trashed or not. Communication be it production meeting or communication in general is a good thing amongst all in a company.
 
Word from upper management today in another yearly tour of multible buildings of storage.. Have to come up with a better system of what set pieces are going to be re-used if ever in a tracking system for custom gear. As with the file cabinet idea for filing show spare LED tape/Decoders/PSU's when spares don't travel with the show, would be good to know when gear from a show is totally out of circulation as for what to do with it's spares. Got a spare transformer marked on it's top for a tour from years ago.... Never used. No idea If the equipment this transformer was a spare fore got trashed or not. Communication be it production meeting or communication in general is a good thing amongst all in a company.
That's why Adam Savage loves clear plastic bins over enclosed drawers. Same process applies though.
 
Word from upper management today in another yearly tour of multible buildings of storage.. Have to come up with a better system of what set pieces are going to be re-used if ever in a tracking system for custom gear. As with the file cabinet idea for filing show spare LED tape/Decoders/PSU's when spares don't travel with the show, would be good to know when gear from a show is totally out of circulation as for what to do with it's spares. Got a spare transformer marked on it's top for a tour from years ago.... Never used. No idea If the equipment this transformer was a spare fore got trashed or not. Communication be it production meeting or communication in general is a good thing amongst all in a company.
Any show that plans to move on at some point or tour gets packed in a truck and stored in the desert. So anything in our supply bins is free to use. Usually we try to buy the same types of stuff (like power supplies and decoders, for example) to minimize the amount of oddball things in our stock.
 

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