I didn't use the word "fibrous" either. Fibrous is straw in bricks or milled fibers in resin. I did use the word filament as in I can really stretch this chewing gum into long filaments. Ed, you've sort of bulldogged this one so I yield the floor and the thread and the nomenclature and the qualifications and the visual vs. tactile recon to you, Sir.
jack
Jack sorry I switched filament to fiber as in sewing filament is common for very thin fibers.... but realize what you mean and how it applies to chewing gum as well.
Ok so here is the link to the stuff the Camping World sells and funny enough its grey and its doesnt appear to have a bit of a shiny .... hummm. Manufacturer of their stuff is : Dicor Corp - but if you go to thier website they call it Buytal Putty Tape and claim it to be non harding. But as we heard the real stuff should only be white or black how do we know what the heck we have....... confusing.
Evidently it does come in many exciting colors and as Dylemma shows theirs is from Dicor who makes the best Lap Sealant I just don't know what to think now?
All I do know is what I have seen myself and I would want to feel that I had the real thing as the putty is just not as tenacious a sealant from my experience and will indeed dry out as I have seen when removing older puttied fixtures.
As a friend of mine often says "I now Plead and Drink the Fifth" on this one!
Didjaever think that it could be the proportions of something to something in something that determines the properties that are sought as desirable for a particular application? I think the key is butyl content. The five dollar vent tape kit from Camco is not "stretchy" compared to the stuff I used on my rear window. When I mention filaments I mean you can pull this stuff until you've got a "string" 18" long. The Camco stuff will break and leave little strings a 1/2" long.
The stuff I used on my rear window was 1) grey in color, 2) shiny in appearance, 3) stuck to fingers unless moistened, 4) squeezeout could be removed by "scoring" around flange with a plastic dinner knife and pulling off. 5) was not unmanageably sticky and didn't require a solvent to remove or the "self to self" removal described elsewhere, 5) excess was harder to remove after heating by the sun and tended to stretch into impossibly long filaments, 6) "bounced back" when squeezed (like a rubber ball).
I have also used the Camco tape previously. I found that: 1) squeezeout could be removed by method above but it didn't stretch and become more sticky with temperature increase, 2) had an oily feel, 3) a small ball could be elongated by rolling between the palms much like modeling clay, 4) DID NOT evidence the "rubbery" bounceback when squeezed.
I'm thinking from I've seen (not a great deal) and heard here that there are number of products that nominally fall in this category of butyl tape. Apparently some are a linseed based putty and the "butyl" is only in the label. It also appears that there are some automotive sealants for glazing that come on a roll and have a separator but are a bit too tenacious, difficult to work with and difficult to remove for our purpose (bedding thru-hulls, sealing window flanges).
I wish I could find the shipping label for the roll I bought in 2010 but I can't. To the best of my recollection, a 25' roll was nearly 30$. That could possibly be one indicator of quality and the stuff that's 6 bucks for a 25' roll likely is an oil-based putty which hardens over time. At C World, all bets are off as far as value for payment tendered. It really is sad that the world is full of stuff that's no good and stuff that's too good and some that's just right and it all has the same label!
Either one will work in sealing around your windows so I'd not worry about what it is called, I have used both and seen little difference. I'm sure what is used in today's trailer manufacture is probably the least expensive one, not necessarily the best one.
As a friend of mine often says "I now Plead and Drink the Fifth" on this one!
Thats easy for you to say you have a roll of what you know to be the right stuff!
Hard to believe that actually buying and figuring out the right stuff is so difficult. I know I went to a fair bit of effort to get the roll I have now only to discover here that it may be questionable as to whether or not it really is the *real* right stuff.
The suggestion they are both usuable is probable not fair off providing what you have is in fact sticky & streaches out well - the question is more likely how long will it last 10/15 years? vs 20/25 years? either way I am willing to bet it will last longer than caulking
Try a decent marine supply store. The stuff we use on yachts is grey, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide, maybe 1/8" thick, stretches to eternity, isn't gummy to handle but sticks to anything dry and clean like crazy once the fasteners are tightened, and remains flexible and adhesive for a long, long time.
I've used everything clear of nuclear power trying to get old butyl tape to let go of the fiberglass, and have even been known - very occasionally, of course - to utter a mild oath or two when trying to convince it that it has really had its day after 35 years under a piece of deck gear subject to forces in the 1000's of pounds...if it doesn't leak there, it'll seal the Trill's windows just fine...
+1 what Ed says. The lateral creases on the inside of the roll. No sheen to the surface. That video from Donna tells the story on stretch potential in the real McCoy.
There are volatiles in both types I think. I keep what's left of my roll of butyl double bagged in Ziploc bags to try to make them stay in there. I leave the Camco stuff exposed to the air to see how long to rock hard. Doesn't seem fair to Brand X.
For the OP - be aware that there are two similar products sold side by side. The butyl tape is extremely sticky and will stretch into hair fine stands. The similar putty is less sticky and does not pull into strands without breaking. You want the butyl.
Both the O.P.'s original posting and Deb and Chuck's pic above are butyl (rubber) tape, if so named by their maker(s), and both are very commonly sold at body/RV repair shops.
The black version is less commonly sold due to its propensity to stain surfaces it contacts.
Francesca
H
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Yup Francesca I think we got that a while back. ;-) The basis of most of this thread and the main issue is that various companies (including some RV & Boat shops and body shops) are selling a product they call Butyl tape and it looks a lot like the Butyl tape, you have posted & what the OP posted the photos of but its really Butyl putty (which is a little less sticky). Trying to find an easy way to tell which is which so we all get the right *real* sticky stuff. Not as easy as it sounds! apparently. But I think the answer is to finger test it. If it doesn't *seriously* stick to your fingers it Butyl putty not tape.
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