Question about DECtape formulation

[Chuck Guzis]

On 1/25/22 06:18, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:
> 
> 
>> On Jan 24, 2022, at 10:27 PM, Gary Oliver via cctech <cctech at classiccmp.org> wrote:
>>
>>> ...
>>
>> As to the real reason I was doing this: Most of my tapes are un-boxed and have suffered being in a dusty area (before I got them) with the dust forming a sort of 'crust' on the outside of the tape.  It's only on the first wrap or so, but it's enough that it keeps those handy vinyl cohesive tapes from sticking.  For that reason, I was trying to find something to clean of this dusty gunk so the vinyl strip would hold the tape into a spooled condition. It was the side-effect of this effort that lead me to the discovery if this "removable layer" on the DECtape.
>>
>> BTW, does anyone know of a source for these vinyl strips.  My old ones are 10 mil blue very-flexible vinyl without any adhesive. They rely only on the cohesive properties of vinyl-to-a-non-porous surface.  I tried using some of the 'dry vinyl' sheets from Cricut (the plastic decal printer company.)  They have a couple of colors without adhesive that they call "window cling" but they aree only 4 mills thick and a bit flimsy, though so-far they are holding ok.
> 
> There's a children's toy I remember: shapes cut from vinyl, intended to be stuck to windows to make pictures.  That seems to be the same stuff.
> 

The term of art is "cling vinyl" or "static cling vinyl".  Most art
stores carry the stuff--mine is a package of this:

https://www.grafixplastics.com/materials-plastic-film-plastic-sheets/commodity-plastic-film/vinyl-sheets-film/grafix-cling-pvc-film-2/

Cut the strips with a paper cutter and you'll have enough in a package
to last you well into your sunset days.

--Chuck