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YvettesArts and HeatherHolbrook, thank you both for the suggestions.
I had never heard of ATG, so I googled it. It looks like they have that at Hobby Lobby. It says, Advance Tape Glider.
HeatherHolbrook, when you said it took a little getting use to, can you please explain what you mean? Is it hard to use, or hard to figure out how to use? I've used these big tape runners before, and had no issue. (Expect that they break/freeze).
Thanks again y'all! :-) I will definitely check Hobby Lobby. And Yvette, I like hearing they have huge re-fills, too!
I bought one a few months ago, and I'm guessing the 'bit of getting used to' is getting the hang of letting go of the trigger when you get to the edge of the cardstock. You can't just lift the gun off the paper as you can with the 'snail' type. That was the only thing I found I had to make myself think about, I must admit I love it, and it's way more economical than keep buying the snail ones, especially the Scotch pink one, which has refills that are 36 yards long- over a 100 feet. The Pink gun takes tape a quarter inch wide,(6mm) they also do a larger yellow one which can take the 6mm, 12mm and 19mm tapes, as it come with an adapter for the smaller sizes. Plenty of You Tube videos showing how to change the tape roll.
shazsilverwolf, thank you for explaining about he trigger on the tape runner. I have never used one that had a trigger. But, it could be, because I've never used a tape runner that big. I have the little ones, which I buy from Michael's, that I LOVE! And then I bought a big one - the kind that is large, from Michael's and that one, you simply run it and when you're done, lift it off. I'm thinking, even though mine (now broken) is a large tape dispenser, this one the ladies mention above, (ATG / Hobby Lobby) must be even bigger. I'm not use to using a trigger though, so I may rethink getting that. YouTube is wonderful! I don't know what I'd do without it. LOL (My tape dispenser / the broken one) looks to be the same size at the ATG, though.
if they will let you ask when you get to the store if you can hold it in your hand, for me I own 3 of the ATG guns, two at home and one at work, and my secretary cannot hold it because of the weight. ( she has arthritis in her hands pretty bad) so, you have to be able to let go of the trigger and do the flick to cut the glue tape with your wrist when you want to end it. ( you get used to it)
Beth, I switched over to the ATG a couple of months ago and am so glad I finally gave it a shot. One thing recommended in another thread which you will benefit from is to order refills through Tape Jungle. The price per unit is much better, shipping is free and I got it right away. Buy Discount ATG Tape, Scrapbooking Tape at TapeJungle.com
Adriana, it sounds like this is a really good, dependable dispenser. I use mine (my large one / broken) when I make envelopes, to tape them up. I bought the envelope punch from Stampin' Up! several years ago, and love it. Of course, I've had many issues with getting the measurements I took, not matching up at all, with the guidelines on the punch. That, as always, turned out to be "operator error!" LOL I had my husband do it (measure and envelope and punch it out) and it worked great for him. Amazing, how something so simple as measuring a card, can be so difficult. :-)
I got off track. Thank you for the recommendation of Tape Jungle. If I do get this tape dispenser, I will definitely check out Tape Jungle.
Hi Beth, here is a pic of my ATG- it's the smaller of the two that Scotch make. It was pink, but I really hate that colour, so changed it with Alcohol inks!
Took the pic on my TH mat, so you can see the actual size, almost 10" tall by 9" wide. It doesn't take much to get used to using, and I'm really glad I finally went down this route.
Silverwolf, I just noticed you're located in England! My mothers boyfriend (who she had been with for 20 years) is in Newton Powys, Wales. (We lost my mama 10/26/19, and Mike, her boyfriend, went back to England, where his grown daughters and family are).
You did a great job getting the pink off! It looks naturally blue. Thanks for the picture. That does give me a good idea of the size of yours. :-)
The tape from the Tape Jungle works much better for me than the 3M tape. The 3M tape gummed up on me... every time. I was ready to throw the ATG away. So far the Tape Jungle tape hasn't done that. Others have had this same issue with the 3M tape.
After doing my research, I bought the Pink ATG tape runner. Works well and certainly saves some $$ vs the small ones (which I still love!). You Tube is your friend....spend time watching videos on this product...it will really help! The secret to getting a clean release is:
Touch tape to paper
Squeeze trigger
Roll tape on paper
Release trigger Pull towards you!
I even wrote these instructions on piece of paper & taped to the ATG to remind me! Works well!
mphb, you sound just like me! LOL I've done the same thing, for different things and it works for me! Thanks for sharing and yes, YouTube is definitely my friend. ;-)
Beth, I switched over to the ATG a couple of months ago and am so glad I finally gave it a shot. One thing recommended in another thread which you will benefit from is to order refills through Tape Jungle. The price per unit is much better, shipping is free and I got it right away. Buy Discount ATG Tape, Scrapbooking Tape at TapeJungle.com
Thanks for telling about this! I've been ordering from The Tape Depot, which (I think) used to offer free shipping, but now charges. The price for 12 rolls is slightly cheaper there, but with the addition of shipping, it comes out to more. I'll start ordering from the Tape Jungle when I need refills again!
With the ATG gun, I found one tip that has helped me...don't "tip" it too far up - if that makes sense. I have issues with the adhesive wrapping itself around the little roller instead of adhering to my paper - which I found happens when I forget to keep the handle perpendicular to my paper, if that makes sense. If I start tipping it too far forward (so that the handle is pointing more out sideways, than staying pointing down toward the paper), it starts wrapping itself around the roller and getting all gummed up on me.
I had an ATG and hated it. The adhesive got stuck on the underside of the housing repeatedly and I wasted many feet of adhesive. Yes, it was loaded correctly according to the video on the website. It might have been one that was just a bit off in the mfg process and I know people who love them. But this one and I didn’t bond and I sold it at a Yard sale.
Last edited by sburke449; 01-07-2020 at 11:04 AM..
Reason: Typo
I have the xyron tape runner. I found it to be cheap although, with a bit hard to figure out how to cut the tape. Pressure to use it a bit of a problem. My husband likes it. I use many other Xyron products and are very satified with them. Ok, I must admit I have one problem with the 5" creative station. I run out after half my project is in getting the sticky on the back of it. #firstworldproblems
I have the ATG also. Love it. Still have a bit of trouble changing the rolls. But it gets working eventually. I am also a lefty. The way I use mine is to shift the cardstock I am applying tape to and holding the tape gun so I can see from the backside where the tape is going. Took some getting used to. But I love it.
I also have had a pink Scotch ATG gun for quite a few years. I really like it, even though it's kind of large, and first few times you change the tape out is a bit of a challenge. Now I just change without thinking (too hard). It lasts a long time, and the waste seems a little better (throwing away the whole refill cartridge on the smaller dispensers kind of bothered me)
One Caution: I tried one of the the non-Scotch refills, and have had not been happy with the performance of it. It doesn't come off the gun as well as the "real" refills do. They are certainly cheaper, but the frustration I've been dealing with (pulling the gun to the left or right, or perpendicular, etc., depending on the "mood" of the tape and cardstock on that day) makes me not want to try the cheaper tape again. I have one more roll and may give that roll a try too, but I think I'll stick to the "real" refills in the future.
I've had my original scotch red ATG gun for over 15 years and wouldn't trade it for the world. I use only Scotch 1/4" Acid/Archival tape in it. It's pricey per roll but I trust the reliability. I've used other off brands and have found pictures or cards taped 4 or 5 years ago are now falling apart.
I've had my original scotch red ATG gun for over 15 years and wouldn't trade it for the world. I use only Scotch 1/4" Acid/Archival tape in it. It's pricey per roll but I trust the reliability. I've used other off brands and have found pictures or cards taped 4 or 5 years ago are now falling apart.
I've found pretty much anything "Scotch Brand" is good! I LOVE their glue!
I have had my big ATG for years. I buy the tape at Michael's with a coupon, just a box when needed. There's a huge price difference between the tape for general use, and the archival. I'm not doing photos, so just get the cheaper one for general use.
__________________ Kathy Wrose "Fun must be always." - Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks "It was fun." - Kirk, Star Trek: Generations
One of my friends had issues with hers. She was running the tape behind the big roll instead of above it. Hard to explain but it messed up her rolls pretty bad til I pointed out her mistake! Just follow the videos for refills and you'll be fine!
__________________ Kathy Wrose "Fun must be always." - Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks "It was fun." - Kirk, Star Trek: Generations
I had an Scotch ATG for a brief moment. The tape kept slipping off track and would leave gobs of gooey tape on project when lifted. I ended up returning it to the vendor and went back to using the smaller tape runners, Elmer's craft glue and score tape.