# Tape For Seams



## gmff (Apr 12, 2010)

I have tried to keep seems between flats to a minimum and have always used trim or paint to hide them for the last 2 years. Now I need a a 10' x16' flat wall (no seems showing). I used to use tape that was purchased by the director, and I never gave it a thought of where it came from and what it was. I now need some of that tape and don't know any thing about it, can someone help. Is it just white gaffers tape or something special? Thanks!!!


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## Footer (Apr 12, 2010)

Gaff tape is a little thick to use on flats. Masking tape does work, but it sometimes does not stick right. 

Best thing to do is to fill the cracks with latex caulk, spackle, or joint compound. I use all 3 depending on how bad the seam is.


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## MarshallPope (Apr 12, 2010)

We use white gaff in our theatre. It works well for us. My high school used masking tape, which worked fine.


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## venuetech (Apr 12, 2010)

you could use tradition Dutchman
a long wide piece of muslin glued on with with a thinned glue mix.


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## Cashwalker (Apr 12, 2010)

Masking tape is OK. But it wrinkles when painted. We try to just ignore it, as we assume the audience understands that there's no way a 20x12 wall could possibly seamless....

I did once work with a 4" paper kraft tape that worked better. It was also more difficult to remove.


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## cdub260 (Apr 12, 2010)

Another option is to cover the entire wall with muslin. As with the dutchman you would simply use a mixture of white glue and water to attach the muslin. We use this trick for scenery that needs the look of a muslin flat with the rigidity of a luan flat.


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## Van (Apr 12, 2010)

I would guess that it was simply 3 or 4 inch Masking tape that was used before. As others have said Masking tape can sometimes wrinkle and sometimes it comes loose when exposed to watery paint treatments. I've almost always found that latex caulk or "alex caulk" is the best solution. Barring that do a search on here for "seaming" I've posted a couple of technicques that I really like. they might help you out.


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## gmff (Apr 12, 2010)

The wall is going to be made of luan I want to fill in the luan comes where it comes together. This is for Daddy Warbucks house, it should look the best possible Thanks


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## Van (Apr 12, 2010)

make a miter on the edges where the luan is going to meet up so it looks like this \/ then you can fill the groove up rather than having to take a bump down.


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## kicknargel (Apr 13, 2010)

Here's my method for a perfectly seamless wall (HDTV is forcing us to get creative!)

After building the flat I use the drum of a belt sander to create a little valley in the lauan along the seams (similar to Van's V-groove). I then run a glue bead down the seam to make sure it's really locked together and the two sheet can't move relative to each other and crack the seam. Then a coat of Duram's or other water puty with a 4" putty knife to fill the valley. Let dry, sand, then a skim coat of drywall mud and sand again. When you sand, make sure to use a block or orbit sander. If you just use sandpaper by hand you won't get it totally flat.

The fewer-step-but-higher-skill way is to make sure the seam is sanded flat, cover with drywall repair mesh tape, then skim coat with mud (at least 6" wide). The skill is in the sanding to feather the edges of the mud into the wall. When drywallers do a house I think the last coat of mud is like 18" wide to really blend it into the wall.


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## Theresa (Apr 13, 2010)

You could add an architectural feature such as molding, picture rail, frieze or border to mask the seam. We put a simple 1 x 4 molding along the seam when we did Annie.


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## Cashwalker (Apr 13, 2010)

There is another trick... make your wall decoration mask the masking tape....


The flats are mostly 4x8, made of 2x3 and luan, plus 10 years of paint. The bottom is 8 feet high, then we have our "ceiling" marked by simulated crown molding (square-cut 1x3 with a curvy shape trim nailed on) hiding the seam for the upper 4 feet.

Sure, you can see a couple of the vertical seams really well... but what about all the rest?


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## Gofer (Apr 14, 2010)

if the seams aren't major painters tape works fine.


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## avkid (Apr 14, 2010)

Gofer said:


> if the seams aren't major painters tape works fine.


Except that it only sticks for a short period of time due to the adhesive.


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## ship (Apr 14, 2010)

Agreeing with the dutchman for soft flat or plaster for hard flats. But if a question of Gaffers tape, there is very different brands and types of it on the market. Possible you got something economy.

First major difference in Gaffers tape (most of them are made by Sure Tape / Shufford Mills at this point,) but there is differences such as synthetic rubberized adhesive verses rubberized adhesive. Than it gets into adhesive qualities to it - how well it sticks. Cheaper ain't always better especially if it don't stick as well.

What’s the difference between Shurtape PC628, 3M #6910, Permacel #P665, or Permacel P-672 amongst many other brands and types? Big difference. Lore about gaffers tape is that it was sufficient to stick a lighting fixture to a ceiling in a house for studio lighting during a shoot without marring yet would support the fixture sufficiently. So even given the more normal synthetic glue.. Was that the #P665 or the #P672 one supposed to be using in this condition? (Neither in my opinion, the ‘72 is better but I prefer the natural glue PC628 - though I don’t know of any I would trust to stick to a ceiling.) 

On gaffers tape as with E-tape, there is lots of versions on the market - some stick better than others, others perhaps for scenery might be thinner and better purposed for this use. Just as 3M Super 33' isn’t well suited for looming cable, it is ideal for an outer protective layer over self vulcanizing electrical tape - all glued to each other and the cable with rubber/neoprene adhesive with a top coat of sealer/cable paint top coat. Got upset when Nitto / Permacel P-28 was discontinued but was able to swith to the same P-22 of the same brand. This just got discontinued and it’s now pandimodium in finding a new electrical tape for show use. This granted I go thru a few thousand rolls per year. Literally 26 samples of replacement tape sent to me and play tested and the best we could find in that sample was the LY #760AW. Since than in lots of people not liking it, I got four more samples Electro brand GT850 is acceptable but for our new tape GT-750 is more preferred.

Guess we have a electrical new tape in at some point not caring about the cost if it’s good tape. Hope this stuff don’t fall apart in 10pk packaging as you pull it out of a 100pk box. Packaging for individual rolls falling apart in your hands so common to most but important as detail in shipping spares or just pulling them out of the box. 

PC628, sold on it for White/Grey/Black gaffers tape - good stuff and guys I work with wouldn’t accept anything else.


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## ship (Apr 16, 2010)

Just found out today for E-tape in if anyone intrested in E-tape, that the 750 is like $1.20 per roll in 1,000 roll per buy pricing by the end of the month and the other is even more expensive.

Finding a good electrical tape these days is like finding good lumber I think. No... but on the other hand I bidded out if drop ship payment schedule, I would but 10K worth of rolls of 
E-tape given say 500x per month. A lot of rolls per month... should hold me over given some in stock to bulk up the busy months. 

Agreed that most pay like over $3.00 per roll in variaying grades, but my guys specify a certain grade of E-tape and buy like 3 to 4 thousand rolls a year. Just a few years ago for a very preferable grade it was $0.41 per roll. In the end it jumped up to $0.81 per roll than down to $0.71 per roll for a lesser grade that was the best of alternatives but nobody likes. Given the past price per roll... Heck no I won't pay a buck twenty per roll for like a thousand rolls at a time. Still play testing othe electrical tapes. 

Also a bid for say 10,000 rolls of tape given they are not just celephane wrapped (extra charge) but also glued so that celephane don't just fall apart in your hands. If you package and glue the packaging of the outer covering for the tape and provide 500x per month but have a 10,000 roll of tape purchase order... worth down to at most a buck a roll?

Feasible but I think I'll loose the offer. Threw in like 200 or 300 privately owned touring trucks with the company that could persay pick up such a pallet of tape given room on the trailer and at least some tour in the area that can stop by. Shipping it would seem is the major cost. So if we will call the tape.. how much cheaper does it ge in something that will replace what we have but no longer available, but isn't over priced. Heck no, I'm not going to pay over a buck a roll for electrical tape given like 3-4,000 per year bought and most used for one time only purposes.



At some point I'll listen to the end user but also listen to the expense in doing what they need to do anyway.


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## Tex (Apr 16, 2010)

Dutchman, FTW.
Make sure you feather the edges when you apply the top coat of glue.


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## manuallyfocused (May 1, 2010)

I use gaffer tape, white or black doesn't really matter, tacked in with T50 staples if it doesn't want to stick well. Then I go with some drywall joint compound and spread it about 6" on each side of the seam to blend the tape into the wall. A little light sanding later and you no longer have a seam.


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## MercyTech (May 2, 2010)

I also bevel the edges of all my flats, so that the seams are valleys when they go together. Then I just skimcoat seams with standard (and cheap) drywall paper tape and drywall mud (the low dust kind).

I also teach my students to drywall using wet sponges and drywall knives, to limit sanding. Drywall dust floats everywhere, and stays in the air a really long time.

I really like the suggestion that you paint the set using long vertical stripes. This is a really clever and simple way to disguise vertical seams.


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## NJLX (May 2, 2010)

we generally use auto body filler to fill seams in flats, etc., but this does require dust protection and containment procedures when it comes time to sand it down.


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## mein5318 (May 5, 2010)

Unless you've got a really long run I wouldn't got to all the effort of caulking and spakling. Masking tape can usually be hidden rather easily by painting the wall with one of the rag effects or bold stipes. 

Purchase a primer and an all in one paint/primer (Benjamin Moore's Aura in a matte finish is pricey but good stuff). for the base color for the rag effect. Keep lighting soft and you it should be rather hard to see the seam. 

You said this was for Daddy Warbucks If possible buy some outdoor foam insulation and some molding. and make a couple pillars along the seams.


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## martyclynch (May 6, 2010)

Once I designed for a well-to-do theatre that built the standard studio flat, then proceeded to skin it again with quality muslin. I may never see such perfect walls again.

Most other theatres I work with has done putty. Too many use nothing. I like putty, but I always use a nail set to go over the set first. No amount of putty will fix a protruding staple or nail.


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