Ed Smylie, Who Saved the Apollo 13 Crew with Duct Tape, Dies at 95

> Duct Tape

NASA says gray tape.

You'll find some documents say duct tape, but here it was gray, transcript -

https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/static/history/alsj/...

"space-age baling wire" I think is velcro

Yes, that's what color the duct tape was. Gray.

"good old-fashioned American gray tape"

https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/duct-tape-auto-...

The tape and its many varieties have many names. "Duct tape" is commonly used today, but was not as common then, and wasn't in the dictionary until part way through the Apollo program.

For fans of "quick fix in a pinch" resources like duct tape, velcro, etc. There's another kind of tape that can be very useful: it's sometimes called 'Gaffer Tape' as it is used by Hollywood movie set gaffers (where time is literally money and everything must be temporary). It's a high-quality cloth tape with strong adhesive that generally won't leave residue when removed within 72 hours. It also (usually) won't strip off paint as long as it's removed carefully (not like ripping a band-aid). Due to the cloth weave pattern being square, the tape can be torn by hand horizontally or vertically into straight strips. Traditional gray duct tape is generally plastic coated and the adhesive will leave residue and take paint (and even wall texture) with it.

I learned about gaffer tape working on sets decades ago and the all the experienced gaffers had a couple of rolls of it on a rope loop hanging off their tool belt. White for labeling stuff with a Sharpie, black for securing or hiding stuff that might be on camera. I've had a similar loop on my tool pouch ever since because it's so useful. It's sold a lot of places but quality can vary. Studio supply houses only sell the top grade stuff.

Did "duct" tape become the standard nomenclature at some point? I learned many years ago that "duck" really is the correct term, because the tape was originally made of cotton duck cloth.

Lots of people assume that "duck" is actually the misunderstanding, and that it must be a slurring of "duct", but there's no history of using duck tape on ducts. It's the wrong tool for the job, and the wrong name for the material. I'm surprised to see that sources like the NYT and Wikipedia are using "duct tape" as the preferred term.

+1 gaffer tape.

Related: if you want the tapiest tape to ever tape, "bi-filament tape". It's sticky as hell, cannot be torn, and you can get it in 12in (or wider!) rolls.

there is also a pretty popular brand “Duck Brand” duct tape likely adding to the “duck vs duct” confusion

> there's no history of using duck tape on ducts.

There is. Post-WWII the tape was marketed and sold by the Melvin A. Anderson Company for air ducting.

https://www.duckbrand.com/about

And the company that started selling the tape for ducts and calling it "duct tape" is the corporate predecessor of that same company.

> Lots of people assume that "duck" is actually the misunderstanding

Present! Thanks for ruining my adulthood ;-)

Somewhat related - remember having to try and source labels that we could stick on Sony Walkmans in an electronic repair shop - sticky enough to stay on reliably (customer name, ID etc), but able to be removed without residue! Took quite a few tries but we got there.

> the tapiest tape to ever tape, "bi-filament tape"

An excellent description. Fiberglass reinforced, adhesive that's closer to a resin than a tape adhesive. You can use it like it's cargo strapping — around sharp corners, to reinforce things (product descriptions describe reinforcing steel drums with it), etc. — wild stuff.

You just clarified something I’ve unknowingly wondered about for years! Hardware stores here sell duct tape as you describe it, but it’s commonly referred to as «gaffer tape» in my native tongue (Norwegian: gaffateip). I’ve never come across the cloth tape you describe, but I now realise it’s not a skill issue when I can never seem to tear clean strips of the stuff. I’ll keep my eyes open for proper «gaffer's tape» from now on.

Ha, I thought that duct tape was gaffer tape (not a native speaker of English).

I do not think there is a named for it in French, we call it the thick tape you can tear by hand :)

3M VHB (very high bond) is right up there. I use it to secure things like Thunderbolt docks and their power bricks (which can get very hot which messes with many adhesives) to the underside of a desk. It often requires me to insert an oscillating tool to remove without damaging the device.