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Before setting a route, do you clean your wall?
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pr0x1mo


Sep 23, 2013, 5:52 PM
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Before setting a route, do you clean your wall?
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Silly question, but i remember back in my old gym our route setter use to do something to the area of the wall before he taped it. I was wondering, do you guys do any tricks to make the tape more adhesive to the wall to prevent it from falling off the wall easily? The only reason i ask is because in our new gym it seems that our tape falls off the wall after a few days. Maybe its because the wall is dusty? I dunno. I heard of some route setters spraying something onto the plywood to make the tape be more adhesive on the wall. Any suggestions?


Partner cracklover


Sep 23, 2013, 6:51 PM
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Re: [pr0x1mo] Before setting a route, do you clean your wall? [In reply to]
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pr0x1mo wrote:
Silly question, but i remember back in my old gym our route setter use to do something to the area of the wall before he taped it. I was wondering, do you guys do any tricks to make the tape more adhesive to the wall to prevent it from falling off the wall easily? The only reason i ask is because in our new gym it seems that our tape falls off the wall after a few days. Maybe its because the wall is dusty? I dunno. I heard of some route setters spraying something onto the plywood to make the tape be more adhesive on the wall. Any suggestions?

Nope. I never did that. But I can tell you that the tape you use makes a huge difference. They should look around and try to find a tape that works better on whatever the surface is they have.

GO


lena_chita
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Sep 23, 2013, 8:30 PM
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Re: [pr0x1mo] Before setting a route, do you clean your wall? [In reply to]
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pr0x1mo wrote:
Silly question, but i remember back in my old gym our route setter use to do something to the area of the wall before he taped it. I was wondering, do you guys do any tricks to make the tape more adhesive to the wall to prevent it from falling off the wall easily? The only reason i ask is because in our new gym it seems that our tape falls off the wall after a few days. Maybe its because the wall is dusty? I dunno. I heard of some route setters spraying something onto the plywood to make the tape be more adhesive on the wall. Any suggestions?

I would be worried that spraying some kind of adhesive spray will, over time, result in a lot of "gunk" accumulating on the wall. There is definitely a difference in how different tape sticks to the walls.

Gaffer's tape seems to work better than duck tape, leaves no residue, doesn't need to be torn into thinner strips, and comes in nice variety of colors and patterns. But ymmw.

I noticed that tape in general sticks less well when the weather is really humid, or too cold (our gym in not air conditioned). And old tape doesn't stick as well as new tape. lastly, location of the tape, relative to the hold makes a huge difference. Mainly, don't tape in such a way that the tape is in the way of smearing, climbers scraping their feet all over the place, trying to blindly step on the hold, etc, bc then it doesn't stand a chance.


pr0x1mo


Sep 23, 2013, 11:14 PM
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Re: [pr0x1mo] Before setting a route, do you clean your wall? [In reply to]
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I think i figured it out. The plywood used was never varnished/sealed, which is probably why the wall is dusty and doesn't allow for proper taping. We have the proper tape, but the tape falls off after a few days.


shotwell


Sep 24, 2013, 3:40 AM
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Re: [pr0x1mo] Before setting a route, do you clean your wall? [In reply to]
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pr0x1mo wrote:
I think i figured it out. The plywood used was never varnished/sealed, which is probably why the wall is dusty and doesn't allow for proper taping. We have the proper tape, but the tape falls off after a few days.

Fold a half inch of tape onto itself and then stick this right up against the t-nut hole. Tighten your hold down on top of the tape. Even if it peels you will at least be able to identify your hold.


pr0x1mo


Sep 25, 2013, 1:18 AM
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Re: [shotwell] Before setting a route, do you clean your wall? [In reply to]
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Sounds like a great idea, thanks.


Partner cracklover


Sep 25, 2013, 3:23 PM
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Re: [shotwell] Before setting a route, do you clean your wall? [In reply to]
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shotwell wrote:
pr0x1mo wrote:
I think i figured it out. The plywood used was never varnished/sealed, which is probably why the wall is dusty and doesn't allow for proper taping. We have the proper tape, but the tape falls off after a few days.

Fold a half inch of tape onto itself and then stick this right up against the t-nut hole. Tighten your hold down on top of the tape. Even if it peels you will at least be able to identify your hold.

Just be aware that this reduces the surface area of the hold on the wall - the tape creates a little space between the hold and the wall, and creates more force on itself. Depending on the type of hold, your wall surface, and the placement of the tape, this can cause the hold to spin.

GO


meanandugly


Sep 25, 2013, 4:28 PM
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Re: [pr0x1mo] Before setting a route, do you clean your wall? [In reply to]
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I believe that most don't, but its kind of like changing your underwear without washing your ass....the wall where I train are grimey


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