Getting ready for the big move to your brand-new apartment?
It’s time to start packing away soon then!
When it comes time for preparing boxes that need to be taken a long way, sealing the containers in the right way can save you from a big mishap and lots of frustration.
For some people, the whole hassle is handed over to the professional packers.
While others prefer to do the challenging part on their own!
To ensure the boxes reach their destination safely, sealing them with hand packing scotch tape dispensers is a pretty simple, easy and effective method.
The best part about these tape guns is that they are reusable and helps save a ton of time while packing. However, it can be a little tricky to load the tape, especially if you are doing it for the first time.
Think you might mess up too?
Don’t worry! Even if you had trouble loading the tape rolls before, you will still be able to pack like a pro after our step-by-step instructions in this article.
What Is Scotch Tape Gun?
Scotch tape gun is basically a heavy-duty packaging tape dispenser.
The dispenser holds a roll of tape and comes with a hand brake mechanism for ease of control. You can reuse the dispensers by replacing the empty rolls with scotch tape refills.
There are 4 different versions of tape dispensers available on the market-
- Handheld
- Tabletop
- Automated
- Water-activated dispensers.
Among these kinds, handheld versions are often referred to as “Tape Gun”.
Why Do You Need A Tape Dispenser?
Before the tape dispenser was invented, people used to manually peel the scotch tape from the end and cut it with scissors.
The standard scotch tape was pretty useful.
However, there’s a small catch to it.
The tape keeps sticking to itself. As a result, you have to search for the end of the tape every time you want to packet another box!
That’s why, the 3M’s sales manager, John Borden, decided to upgrade its standard clear scotch tape to a brand-new tape dispenser.
The upgraded version has a built-in cutting mechanism that can hold the end of the tape and save your time by setting up the dispenser for the next time you want to use it.
How To Load A Scotch Tape Gun?
Step 1: Insert The Roll
- First, you need to locate the end of the roll tape. Then discard it before using it onto the dispenser.
- Insert the roll onto the wheel of the dispenser in a way so that the sticky end rests against the cutting blade.
- If you are having trouble doing this, lay the dispenser sown on a flat surface/table to have a better grip on this.
Step 2: Pull Off Some Tape
- Pull 0.25 to 0.5 inches of tape off the roll.
- Make sure the tape unwind direction is sticky side down in this case.
Step 3: Thread The Tape Properly
- See the slot between the roller and metal gate? That’s where you should be threading the tape roll in between.
- If you feel the area is a bit congested, press the tab below the guide and hold it open to have a better angle on that.
- Pull the tape under the roller and cut off any excess amount that remains. Make sure the sticky side is still facing downward at this point.
Step 4: Adjust The Tension Of The Dispenser
- Roll out about 5-6 inches of tape and cut it off using the serrated blade. We recommend taping a small card box as a trial to see if it’s working properly.
- Is the tape unwinding smoothly? If yes, then you are good to go! If not, follow the next steps.
- If the tape doesn’t roll out smoothly, it means you need to adjust the tension of the dispenser. To do that, you have to tighten the nut on the spindle clockwise and adjust according to your requirement.
Step 5: Smoothly Roll Out The Tape
- The tape should roll out smoothly at this point. However, if you have adjusted the spindle too tightly, then it’s a good idea to loosen it a little bit to have a comfortable unwinding operation.
Tips To Make Your Task Easier
See how easy that was?
You can do load a tape gun within a few minutes this way!
However, there are some safety measures you should take for doing this task and some tips you should follow to get the best result.
Let’s take a look at the guideline we have compiled for this purpose!
- After loading the tape onto the roll, do NOT start using it right away! Go for a test trial instead and see if the dispenser is loaded and adjusted properly.
- Keep tightening and loosening up the nuts until the tape is rolled out smoothly. If the spindle is even a bit too loose, you will end up using more scotch tape than necessary.
- If you are starting out with a big project, take a fresh roll instead of an old one so that you don’t have to stop mid-work and waste your time and effort to find another one.
- The cutting blade is sharp. So, be careful while using and adjusting the tension of the dispenser.
- To avoid cutting yourself on the serrated blade, we suggest pulling at least 1-2 inches of excess tape to make the cut smooth and even.
Wrapping It Up
It might take more than two hands to cut and use a scotch tape simultaneously. Tape dispensers let you do it all by yourself! It makes your work easier by helping to cut tapes and pack boxes in a more efficient way.
However, if you don’t know how to load a scotch tape gun properly, the task might end up wasting a lot of your precious time.
That’s why we have collected all its and bits info on this matter and gave a detailed guideline so that your tape dispenser is ready to use when you need it the most.
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