On Sunday, February 2, 2020 at 1:06:29 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Sun, 2 Feb 2020 08:58:31 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:
On Sunday, February 2, 2020 at 2:20:09 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Sun, 02 Feb 2020 00:38:59 -0500, micky
wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 31 Jan 2020 20:13:37 -0500,
wrote:
This is not your garden variety 3M 33. It is rubber amalgamating tape
used on high voltage splices up to 67kv.
What else is it good for?
When workmen for the guy next door carelessly cut my phone/internet
lines, they were going to use wire nuts and electric tape. I used
solder and something like what you're describing.
I managed to come into 5 cases in an auction thinking I was getting 5
rolls and I have a lifetime supply ... for half of the IBEW.
Anybody want some? Send me a prepaid shipping label and all you want
One or two rolls would be great. How do I the send the label to you?
Do I have to know the postage to buy it prepaid? How much postage do
you think?
Remove NONONO from my email address to get my real address.
is free. 20 rolls is a nice fit in a medium priority flat rate box.
I trolled out some on Ebay and Craigslist but no bites so far.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/RBsAA...MO/s-l1600.jpg
I am still testing this but I think I can get away with a roll in a
padded envelope for $2.20 but there are too heavy for 2. (DHS rules).
$2.20
Not to throw a wrench into your new business, but
how do you ship a padded envelope with something that weighs a few
ounces for $2.20? The only choices I see with the online USPS calculator
and on Ebay, it's $2.70 min to about $3.10 based on distance and
that's for a package that's one or two ounces and with Ebay discount.
Let me guess. You took the weight and treated it as a letter weighing
4 ounces? You can't do that. Once it's over 1/4" thick, or not of
uniform thickness, it's no longer a letter. And it winds up
getting treated like a package, whether it's in an envelope or box.
That's been my experience. If you have some way, I'd love to hear it,
would save me money.
It is of uniform thickness and these things weigh 7 oz each. Using the
"large envelope" tab on the postage calculator, that is what I get. I
said, I am going to see what happens. It may come in with a buck or so
in unpaid postage but we will see.
IDK how you easily get rolls of tape into an envelope and have the
envelope be of uniform thickness. You would have to have some cardboard
filler or similar to fill the empty envelope space. But let's assume
you get by that. Let's also assume the resulting envelope is 3/4" thick
or less. That's the max for a large envelope. If none of that ends it,
then on that same menu of restrictions you went through is "Rigid - does not
bend easily". Your rolls of tape are rigid. That's why it costs $3
to send a 1 oz little widget.
The rigid thing, I have used cardboard to shield very small, pea size
items and had it returned to me for postage due, because it's .21
extra for rigid. And that was just cardboard that they consider rigid.
I solved that by just working the cardboard, folding it, curling it up
in both directions so it bends easier, then putting the tiny item
in a hole in the cardboard. There is actually a postal spec
for what constitutes rigid. I don't have the exact numbers, but it
went something like that the envelope will conform to the radius of
an 18 inch drum using a belt pressure of 30 lbs.
So, I don't think you're going to mail tape for $2. According to my
calculator and experience, 7 oz to CA is $5.00. The good news is you
can put it in a box, doesn't cost any more. But with the post office,
they don't know their own rules, so who knows. Related to this
envelope thing, I had a letter size envelope that just had the stiff
cardboard in it, under 1/4". At one post office here, the two trolls
insisted that it had to go as a flat or parcel or something that cost a lot
more. I have the USPS 100 page manual the describes the various attributes
and it's clear it should just be .21 cents extra for rigid. They have a
laminated flow chart at the post office, where you determine what it
is, what's allowed. So the trolls go and get that. Clear as day,
if you follow the flow chart, answer
the questions, eg is it 1/4" or less, is it rigid, you wind up down
the .55+ .21 cent extra path. The two trolls refused to even look at the
USPS flowchart that they had right there. I was polite, I kept saying,
if I'm wrong, just follow me here on your flowchart and show me
where I'm going wrong. Nope. One troll refused to look at it at all.
The other one looked, followed it, but couldn't even manage to say,
yes, I see what you're saying. She just stood there looking like a
troll. The final answer was, "we'll put whatever
postage you want on it". So, I had them put the extra .21 on it.
It got delivered, no problems, as have other identical ones, once
I got past the rigid part. The other post office here, same
envelope, .21 extra, no issues.
Also, I don't think they do the postage due anymore. All I can tell you
is that those first couple of cardboard envelopes were returned to me,
marked insufficient postage and it took several days for that too.
BTW this is far from a business. I am just recycling something that
might have gone to the landfill and trying to help folks out who want
some. Since this stuff goes for $5-9 a roll depending on where I have
looked, it should be helpful at 62-64 cents for a guy who uses it in
his business.
Except sadly I think the USPS means you're going to have to charge more.