Wrenchin’ Wednesday: 3 duct tape hacks for your tool kit
Without our lord and savior of adhesion, the automotive world as we know it would probably not exist. Tape is one of those shop consumables you rarely think about twice unless you’re in dire need of it—or have none of it. Today’s Wrenchin’ Wednesday will show you three hacks to make the most of your adhesive tool kit.
The Hollywood Hanger
The first trick comes from a buddy of mine who works in the special effects industry, in which masking, gaffer’s, and duct tape rule the roost when it comes to set building. His strategy for keeping these reels of adhesive close gave birth to what I call The Hollywood Hanger, a simple loop created with a piece of rope and a pair of carabiners.
The Hollywood Hanger is great for mobile tool kits, too; it keeps the rolls of tape organized and prevents them from rolling around in a bag or back seat. Plus, the carabiners make the arrangement easy to hang from a workbench or wall hook, and they’re secure enough to hang from your belt if the need arises.
Keychain backup
Okay, so hanging rolls of tape off your hip may not be convenient. Having a small patch of duct tape on hand, though, could still save the day. I’ll never have a use for a 5/32 wrench, and it’s far more likely I’ll need to slap duct tape on a problem. Using a tiny wrench as a keychain isn’t a novel idea, and rewrapping one in duct tape keeps the kitsch factor while promising to save your bacon one day.
Wobble no more
Wobble extensions are essential in some automotive jobs. By acting like a driveshaft’s universal joint, these attachments allow you to spin off-angle bolts. The tricky task is when you need to fish for a bolt hole deep inside the machine and keep the wobble supported so that you can quickly align the threads.
It only takes a wrap or two of tape to give the extension enough support to hold a socket upright while still giving it enough flexibility to, well, wobble—if that’s the technical term.
Have a tape hack of your own? Drop us a note in the Hagerty Community.
