My tape gun jammed and I fixed it with a coffee stirrer.

It was a crazy moment. The stirrer worked like a charm. Didn't need to go back for tools.

3 comments

3 Comments

Remember reading on a packaging forum that the metal roller inside can get gummed up with old adhesive. A stiff coffee stirrer is perfect for poking the gunk out without scratching anything. Someone said it works because the stirrer is just the right thickness to act as a little lever. Pretty clever use for something usually headed straight to the trash.

the_zara1mo ago

Wait, is that what it's called? I've always heard it called a tape dispenser. The coffee stirrer trick is smart though.

verab761mo ago

Chopsticks work even better for really stuck-on gunk. The wood is a bit stronger than a flimsy stirrer. You can use the tapered end to dig into the corners of the dispenser. It's basically a free tool you were gonna throw out anyway.

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