Butyl Tape Sources - Alternative to Bed-it

[Tanqueray]

Originally Posted by skipmac

I've only compared one other gray butyl to Bed-It and after a few years the Bed-It was the clear winner. Bed-It remains as flexible and as sticky as the day I installed it. The RV brand isn't bad but there is some surface deterioration compared to the Bed-It.

Would be very interested to hear comparisons between Bed-It and another source.

I went cheap and bought some butyl on Amazon…then bought a roll from P-base.

I think the good stuff is more pliable, especially when cold, and much more elastic.

I use both rolls on my boat, and I think the cheap stuff will work ok, but harder to get to “squish”, especially when it is cold.

Once they have been squished, warmed, etc. I think they are comparable, but working with Bed-it is easier (although stickier to handle).

When I need a new roll, i will order Bed-it if Rod is back in business after his stroke.

Greg

[S/V Illusion]

Only a few companies, e.g., National Coating, 3M,… actually manufacture butyl tape. If you want to believe re-branded butyl is any different, go for it but the reality is you are paying for misleading advertising and I personally find people who perpetrate that on us as insulting our intellect by deceiving the uninformed.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Only a few companies, e.g., National Coating, 3M,… actually manufacture butyl tape. If you want to believe re-branded butyl is any different, go for it but the reality is you are paying for misleading advertising and I personally find people who perpetrate that on us as insulting our intellect by deceiving the uninformed.

Surely you don't think that those firms are not capable of manufacturing different grades of butyl...

If it is all the same, how do you explain the vastly differing results posted by so many users? I have not been a user so have no personal experience, but it is hard for me to discount the variable results from fellow yotties.

Jim

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Surely you don't think that those firms are not capable of manufacturing different grades of butyl...

If it is all the same, how do you explain the vastly differing results posted by so many users? I have not been a user so have no personal experience, but it is hard for me to discount the variable results from fellow yotties.

Jim

Didn’t imply these companies make only one type (grade). Nor do they sell only certain types to certain retailers. All I intended was to not be blinded by advertising claims and buy good quality formulations available from a wide variety of sources.

Add the phenomenon of ‘pride of authorship’ meaning the perception that some have of thinking whatever they buy must be the best and we have the disparity of expectations.

[Jim Cate]

Add the phenomenon of ‘pride of authorship’ meaning the perception that some have of thinking whatever they buy must be the best and we have the disparity of expectations.

While I recognize this phenomenon, it does not explain the many very negative responses posted above.

Jim

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Only a few companies, e.g., National Coating, 3M,… actually manufacture butyl tape. If you want to believe re-branded butyl is any different, go for it but the reality is you are paying for misleading advertising and I personally find people who perpetrate that on us as insulting our intellect by deceiving the uninformed.

If you are referring to Rod Collins I think you are seriously mistaken in your claims. I've never met him personally but I know people that do know him and I've followed his website and posts on this and other forums for years. From all evidence and all accounts he is about as straightforward and honest as it gets and has given a lot to the boating community. To say he's lying in his claim that his butyl is different is an insult to a good man.

If he said his butyl tape is specially formulated then my opinion, you can take that to the bank.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Surely you don't think that those firms are not capable of manufacturing different grades of butyl...

If it is all the same, how do you explain the vastly differing results posted by so many users? I have not been a user so have no personal experience, but it is hard for me to discount the variable results from fellow yotties.

Jim

I have personally used four different types of butyl tape on my boat. Two of them were total crap and failed in about a year. One was acceptable and seems to be holding up five years later. One was excellent, easier to work with, better adhesion, and looks as good today as the day I put it on. Guess which one that is.

Bottom line, why cheap out and get something that is probably good enough and might work. Spend just a few dollars more and buy something that you know works.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by skipmac

If you are referring to Rod Collins I think you are seriously mistaken in your claims. I've never met him personally but I know people that do know him and I've followed his website and posts on this and other forums for years. From all evidence and all accounts he is about as straightforward and honest as it gets and has given a lot to the boating community. To say he's lying in his claim that his butyl is different is an insult to a good man.

If he said his butyl tape is specially formulated then my opinion, you can take that to the bank.

I don’t have a clue who you are referring to and therefore your characterization I was calling him or anyone a liar is both ludicrous and insulting. I assume an apology isn’t in my future.

Read what I wrote rather than what you think I wrote.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by skipmac

I have personally used four different types of butyl tape on my boat. Two of them were total crap and failed in about a year. One was acceptable and seems to be holding up five years later. One was excellent, easier to work with, better adhesion, and looks as good today as the day I put it on. Guess which one that is.

Bottom line, why cheap out and get something that is probably good enough and might work. Spend just a few dollars more and buy something that you know works.

How does butyl tape fail? It’s just a rubbery/putty-like gunk that you stick between two surfaces to hold water out of the crack. Chewing gum would probably work almost as well.

I’ve been using it for decades. I get it wherever. Ace Hardware. RV store. Amazon. It’s all exactly the same. I do buy the gray stuff though. But I don’t know if that makes a difference.

I’m still shocked that so many of you have run across so many bad examples of this product. I guess I got lucky. Never one bad roll.

I shove it between the two surfaces, bolt things down, and a little bit squeezes out. I cut that little bit off with a razor blade. That’s the end of it. It just works forever from then on.

[DeValency]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Surely you don't think that those firms are not capable of manufacturing different grades of butyl...

If it is all the same, how do you explain the vastly differing results posted by so many users? I have not been a user so have no personal experience, but it is hard for me to discount the variable results from fellow yotties.

Jim

Jim - my overpriced 2 cents… 🙂; Very few people can provide a real comparison of anything based on years of identical use case, follow up testing from multiple brands. Even Practical Sailor Mag. reviews, my usual go-to for marine comps, are eventually limited to the brands they tested and the testing methods. Meaning, it is really difficult to get an empirical advice on almost anything.

People here, I believe, honestly inform on their own experience but almost always, based on 1-3 brands, rarely in similar use case, so unless a product has been proven again and again by most sailors to be of a poor performance, we really can’t tell. Even the ‘crowds wisdom’ at Amazon need to be carefully reviewed, although generally can give us some kind of a general idea.

I could say real pro, reliable boatyards (unfortunately, very few left), could provide reliable advice based on their experience, but even this is somewhat limited to only cases they frequently get back as continuous failures.

As for me. My experience with butyl tape is limited as I never had, for example to rebed my ports, hatches and chainplates seals, in spite of 35 years of multiple boats ownership. Yet, used it in problematic plumbing situations and 3M Extreme has been fine for me. That’s while Xfasten - a highly rated tape at 000’s of buyers at Amazon, was a total failure - for my own use case, so probably doesn’t mean much for other use cases.

Sorry for the longer than expected response… I was going to write “3M, Amazon.” but realised it is an actually a much wider question, especially in this era where manufacturing and branding and marketing are all so far apart…

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

I don’t have a clue who you are referring to and therefore your characterization I was calling him or anyone a liar is both ludicrous and insulting. I assume an apology isn’t in my future.

Read what I wrote rather than what you think I wrote.

Rod Collins aka Maine Sail aka Compass Marine is the guy that sells Bed-It tape and says on his web site that it is specially formulated. As far as I know, he's the only one doing this so unless you can point me to another then when you refer to claims of specially formulated butyl then that must refer to him.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Wrong.


From Maine Sail's website:


SITE PLUG: After this article was published, we were forced to develop a marine specific butyl based hybrid elastomeric sealant that was specifically formulated and tested for marine use. The product is called Bed-It Tape and can be found in the; Marine How To Web Store. Hamilton Marine and Marine Outfitters in Canada are also distributors of Bed-It Tape. Sales of Bed-It Tape directly fund this site and keep it free. Please understand that despite our use of the word “butyl” Bed-It Tape is not a standard “butyl-tape”. Bed-It Tape is a hybrid product utilizing Compass Marine Inc. own proprietary formulation.


*************


Since Rod's stroke in September last year, his store isn't operating on his marinehowto website, where there used to be a longer description of how he developed his proprietary Bed It tape.


I bought two rolls from him years ago, halfway through the second roll. Great stuff.

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

I’m sorry to disagree with you Stu as I usually do not, however, this is simple marketing BS. While not all butyl is equivalent, most are and this one is no different.
I’ve used various butyl (and other self-amalgamating) tapes in antenna connections for my ham radio antennas for decades. As well as bedding antenna components e posed to weather for an equal period.

Boats present no different conditions.

Bottom line - I don’t like misleading advertising which this is. My objective view is you can buy good quality butyl at almost any hardware store.

And just to be clear. Here is your post #32. Your message seems pretty clear to me.

[Noahr]

Also, do not use it to bed diesel or fuel deck fills. It is easily destroyed by fuel or mineral spirits.

[Luvboats]

Hola,

In keeping with my promise upthread to update you upon receipt, I have received the 4 boxes of Bed-it brand butyl tape from marine outfitters. Whatever butyl you choose I wish you well.

Safe Journeys,
~Jake

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Luvboats

Hola,

In keeping with my promise upthread to update you upon receipt, I have received the 4 boxes of Bed-it brand butyl tape from marine outfitters. Whatever butyl you choose I wish you well.

Safe Journeys,
~Jake

Ordered four rolls as well and they arrived a couple of days ago. I ordered online on a weekend and it took a couple of days for them to process the order. In the interim someone hacked my credit card so I canceled it and ordered a new one which meant the card was declined when they tried to run it.

Got a polite email, called them to sort it when I got the new and they were quite nice and understanding. But hey, what do you expect, they're Canadians.