# Setting spike marks without using tape



## Amanda (Apr 17, 2015)

Our rigging installer did not want us using spike tape on our fly system since that could gum up the locks. He recommended gross grain ribbon and an awl to mark the spikes. Besides spike tapes, what systems have you found that works well without compromising any part of the arbor system?


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## carproelsofly (Apr 17, 2015)

Is there no wiggle room on using tape?

All of the houses around here with counterweight systems use colored gaff tape as spike marks, and I don't know of any issues with locks or with the multiline. Do you have the fancy auto-locks? Maybe those are different?
Or do you have a situation where you're not moving your spike marks very often? I would imagine that even gaff tape could get gummy if left on a line for a few years.

Maybe use twill or gros grain for the more "permanent" marks (house hang), and use gaff for the one-offs? With a policy of pulling the temporary spikes as part of strike, of course.

HTH,
Jen


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## Amanda (Apr 17, 2015)

carproelsofly said:


> Is there no wiggle room on using tape?
> 
> All of the houses around here with counterweight systems use colored gaff tape as spike marks, and I don't know of any issues with locks or with the multiline. Do you have the fancy auto-locks? Maybe those are different?
> Or do you have a situation where you're not moving your spike marks very often? I would imagine that even gaff tape could get gummy if left on a line for a few years.
> ...



That sounds pretty reasonable. I'll probably park my permanent goods with the ribbon and just do temps with the spike tape. We don't do runs longer than a week so it should be all good. I'm just trying to comply with wishes from the installer. I've also seen theatres use big needs and yarn, which I find to be easier than the ribbon.


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## carproelsofly (Apr 17, 2015)

Maybe there's a vocabulary gap? Gaff tape adhesive is different from electrical tape adhesive. E-tape often gets used for spiking, and I can imagine it leaving residue on the lines (and sliding around - think about when the taped-up end of a line loses its tape: yuck). Gaff should be fine, in my experience.


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## porkchop (Apr 17, 2015)

Spiking with ribbon goes pretty fast once you get a system down and strike goes way fast than tape. You can use a set of Vice Grips with something thick (like an old leather glove) for rope protection to unwind the rope a little and make spiking with ribbon even easier if poking the awl through isn't desirable.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Apr 17, 2015)

Amanda - what kind of rope? In particular, I assume not a kernmantle type, like stage set X?


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## JRRichardson (May 21, 2015)

To answer your question first. Just ribbon.

We have the same policy of no tape on fly ropes.
This came from the manufacturers recommendations that the presence of an adhesive will collect foreign matter and promote wear.
We get the odd groan from touring riggers, and maybe its not an immediately pressing matter but there are benefits to ribbon.
The beauty of this approach is you can simply adjust your mark by sliding the ribbon up or down the rope between its cores.
This also means you don't have to put the ribbon in perfectly in place, you just adjust its position and tie it off when your happy - You can't do that with tape!


porkchop said:


> Spiking with ribbon goes pretty fast once you get a system down and strike goes way fast than tape. You can use a set of Vice Grips with something thick (like an old leather glove) for rope protection to unwind the rope a little and make spiking with ribbon even easier if poking the awl through isn't desirable.



I agree with speed - I think spiking with ribbon is just as fast, if not faster (for the reason of adjustment)
I don't know much about Arbs, or exactly what is meant by 'poking them through'.
We use a similar tool called a fid which expands from the front point to a semi-cylinder, separating the cores giving plenty of room to insert a ribbon.
Locking the rope brake and twisting above opens the cores enough to get the fid started without any breaking threads


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## JLNorthGA (Jan 17, 2016)

What do y'all use to mark your ropes?

We have about a dozen battens. Returning them to their "proper" positions is easy for the various drops or the scrim. Not so much for the electrics.

I have marked the positions for the main drape on the arbor and the wall.

I have used blue painters tape for the electrics.
Other thoughts?


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## Scenemaster60 (Jan 17, 2016)

The two most common methods are: 1. spike tape or 2. colored thread

Each has their up and down sides.

1. Spike tape is easy to apply and easy to move for changes. However, It can get caught in the rope lock and can also be inadvertently moved when handling the rope.

2. Thread is really stable, however that also makes it harder to move for changes. Also, running a needle through the rope will damage the rope just a bit. If you change your marks often, this method CAN degrade the rope after a while.


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## SteveB (Jan 17, 2016)

Plastic ropes, so gaff/colored spike tape.


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## venuetech (Jan 17, 2016)

A small plastic splicing fid works nicely for inserting ribbon just where you need it. Spike tape wont gum up on synthetic line, vinyl tapes likely will. any tape will gum up on manila.


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