Anyone here ever use rubber electrical tape?

On Sunday, February 2, 2020 at 1:06:29 PM UTC-5, snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote:

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.

Except sadly I think the USPS means you're going to have to charge more.

I have mailed some weird s*it in a padded envelope and had it get there and by a like token I get stuff here I am not sure how they let through. I will know in a few days. I am really trying to stay with the flat rate boxes. That seems to be the most "legal" and a good return on the recipient's investment.

First class package is a lot less, if it's under 16 ounces, that's the way to ship it. It's almost as fast as priority, sometimes just as fast, depending on where it goes. Even priority mail using your own box and going by weight is usually less than the flat rate PM boxes, unless it's a heavy item. Priority mail is often very little more than regular parcel service, depending on distance, etc.

I forgot to say that they cut the wires when they were digging and the connections were to be buried after they were wirenutted and taped. Ugh. How long would that last.

But that silicon tape will never come apart and looks waterproof , and when I talked to the phone company, she it was better than what would they would have used.

That's fine. I can't use 3 rolls no matter how hard I try, and if I don't get even one roll, I'll live.

You're wife sounds like a card (Do people still use that word? For the Canadians here: a humorous person.)

Best is silicone filled butt splices and they should be shrink wrapped in silicone filled shrink tube. My phone line has had a splice made up like that for 20 years. It will be like that until the fiber comes down my street.