Back in FHB #162 (“A story-pole approach to shingling a roof“), someone submitted a tip about using drywall tape for story poles. The stuff is cheap and easy to carry, so I’ve been using that tip ever since. But folding the strips makes them harder to lay flat later and leaves them susceptible to damage, and rolling them up by hand takes too long. So I made this winder for my drill.
I cut a piece of 1-1/2-in.-dia. PVC pipe about 6 in. long and ran a kerf down its length. It clamps perfectly around a 1-3/8-in. hole saw with the pilot bit removed. I eased the edges to avoid tearing paper or flesh. The kerf receives the end of the paper tape, and I can wind it up in no time—about 10 seconds for a 25-ft. length. I pop the tapes into lidded cans for safe transportation and storage.
Harold Kirchen, Ann Arbor, MI
Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #245
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