Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: MOTM

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Just a word of warning to anyone thinking of using Chartpak drafting tape as
module dividers.

In the very late 70's/early 80's, I started (but never finished) a DIY
pseudo modular project. It had a front panel that was maybe 20" high by 36"
wide. I hand-rubbed all of the dial indicators myself using Letraset
lettering over a span of months. I used Chartpak tape for straight lines. It
was a work of art (although why I picked black on camo green for a panel
color eludes me right now...).

Now, twenty years later, the electronics (such as they were) have been
cannibalized, the Letraset lettering on the old warped panel looks fine, but
the Chartpak tape looks like hell. I attached a photo of one edge of the
panel that hopefully is detailed enough to show what happens. The color
fades, the clear over-coating separates and wrinkles off, the adhesive gives
out put leaves a permanent smear of goo on the panel.... Needless to say I
wouldn't recommend it unless they have changed their formula since 1979. It
looked fantastic for about five years and then slowly degraded to what you
see now.

I recommend using something like automotive pin-striping tape if you can
find it narrow enough. At least that is made to be permanent even in adverse
weather conditions. That's what I was going to do before giving the big,
"Aw, the hell with it" and deciding not to inter-stripe my MOTM modules.