Kapton Tape

[Curt]

Can Kapton tape be purchased in a store?  If so, what stores carry it?  Is there a substitute for Kapton Tape?

[jalajoie]

Very expensive materiel. You will find it at Tony Train Exchange

http://www.tonystrains.com/tonystips/1999/052699.htm

I bought a roll at the West Springfield Train Show for $7.00 about one third the price requested by Tony.

[cacole]

You will probably not be able to find Kapton tape at a local store except an electronics parts house, and even then perhaps not because it is too specialized an item.  I purchased mine by mail order from Mouser Electronics several years ago.

Mail order from one of the DCC decoder dealers such as Litchfield Station or Ulrich Hobby Shop is your best bet.

[jalajoie]

I also found some at M.B. Klein.

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=kapton+tape

 

[ColinUSA]

Amazon has wide selection including 1 mil x 1/2 inch X 100ft for $3.99

[JoeinPA]

Curt

Is there a substitute for Kapton Tape?

You could use plastic electrical tape. It will work but it is not as durable as Kapton.

Joe

[redram58]

I use scotch tape,haven't had a problem yet.

[CO Gandy Dancer]

Agree. 

Fwiw, the "generic" name for this stuff is (high temp) Polyimide tape and even tho it is sold by DigiKey and Mouser their prices exceed by far the sources shown elsewhere in this thread. . . 

[retsignalmtr]

I use just ordinary shipping tape used to seal boxes. One roll would last 100 modelers a lifetime.

[rgengineoiler]

Just a note; Kapton tape is supposed to be good to something like 400 degrees or more and some of the substitutes that have been mentioned here I would not trust at all.  As far as price I didn't feel that it was as high as replacing an engine due to failure of the tape. I bought a couple of spools last year from Mouser to have on hand in two different widths when switching to DCC.  They will last me a lifetime.   Anyway those are my thoughts!   Doug

[fisker76]

I agree with Doug. Use Kapton Tape for electrical situations. Over time, other types breakdown. For its cost, its nickles comapred to blowing a decoder and other electrical components.

Buy it from http://www.tonystrains.com/

[betamax]

Curt

Can Kapton tape be purchased in a store?  If so, what stores carry it?  Is there a substitute for Kapton Tape?

Yes and No.  

Kapton is a trademark, you can buy Kapton and similar tapes at electronics dealers, the kind that sell electronics as in actual parts.  Some dealers have it, others don't.  Or you can buy it from a number of large online suppliers of electronic components.

Kapton is a Du Pont trademark for polyimide film.  What makes it different, and better in some applications, it is can withstand a lot of heat (it can be used to mask areas before wave soldering).  It is also pretty tough, so it won't be punctured easily. The silicon adhesive doesn't start to ooze the way regular vinyl tape will. 

Those properties make it very useful for DCC installs, as it is thin, durable, and doesn't make a mess.

Sure, it costs more than cheap vinyl tape, but it is worth it. Cheap vinyl tape is good for wrapping wires and securing marrettes.  Kapton is more specialized and better suited to DCC installs.

[gmpullman]

ColinUSA

Amazon has wide selection including 1 mil x 1/2 inch X 100ft for $3.99

I bought from Amazon as well...http://www.amazon.com/Kapton-Polyimide-Silicone-Adhesive-Amber/dp/B004V3XPLI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1365711431&sr=8-2&keywords=kapton+tape

36 yards will last me a while. I had a brass engine that the wheel backs were shorting against the frame. Slipped a piece of Kapton between the wheel and frame and Viola... no more short. It is .0026" thick so strapping tape from Wal-Mart is not quite what I'd want to use here.

Amazon has other widths and lengths available but some vendors do not offer free shipping.

Have Fun! Ed

 

[Geared Steam]

Wow great link Ed, thanks for that.

I'll send you 4 bucks for half ?  

[locoi1sa]

I bought a roll of Kapton tape about 7 years ago in 1/4 inch width and still have about 90% of it. This is after over a hundred decoder installations. My go to tape is 3M electrical. Not the cheap vinyl stuff. Well worth the little extra cost. The 3M adhesive is superior to the cheap Chinese vinyl stuff that barely sticks to itself. It stays flexible even in sub zero temps and I have even used it during rain storms without any problems.

         Pete

[woodone]

Electrical tape is way too thick and plus the fact that after it gets hot it will become a sticky mess inside your locomotive.

Spend the $$ and get the good stuff.  (KAPTON TAPE).