Made from a formulation comprised of synthetic
rubber, polymers, oil, and inorganic fillers, Blu Tack is a gummy substance
sold around the globe that can even sustain heat. Initially blue in color, yet
now commercially available in a myriad of colors. A major drawback is that
extended periods of use of Blu-Tack will leave an oily stain behind on any
paper or paper-like material.
Sold under other brand names, this stuff just may be
the next best thing to chewing gum! Well it may look like chewing gum anyway,
although you really don't want to eat it. You will want to use it for many
other things that I am sure you may not even realize you can use this stuff
for.
Suzanne Ivester who calls herself "The Nimble
Sprite", has found that there are quite a few uses for the blue stuff as she
writes about in her own very well put together and quite interestingly worded
blog 101 uses for Blu Tack. She even welcomes others who have found uses for this wonderful stuff we American's here in the good ol' US of A refer to as Blu-Tack, to email her and
tell her about how they use it and says she will share it with others who read
her wisdom.
As an artist, crafter and sculptor of polymer clay
herself, its no wonder Suzanne has been attracted to this polymer based
product. Uses such as picking up lint from hands or clay, to polymer clay
caning using the stuff on the ends of the canes to reduce the waste normally
created during the reduction of the canes, The Nimble Sprite has found many
more uses for this wonderful stuff that goes above and beyond what you may
have thought it was originally created for. It's not just for holding up
posters on walls you don't want holes in anymore!!!
Blu-Tack is a versatile, reusable pressure-sensitive
putty like adhesive. Common uses for Blu-tack are to fasten posters to walls,
hold small items like mouse mats and telephones in place, hold screws to screw
drivers and model parts for gluing or painting and to even level out those
picture frames you may have hanging on your wall that just do not look
straight. Clean off your computer's keyboard from lint or dirt that might be
in those hard to reach places, and clean lint or pet hair from fabrics.
The original version which was invented in England in 1971 during development
of an industrial adhesive by Bostick, a branch of a French mineral oil company
called Total. It is thought this was probably one of those happy accidents. A
Laboratory Researcher by the name of Alan Holloway who was working for a
Sealant Manufacturer Ralli Bondite of Warerlooville Hampshire, has
inadvertently produced a product in the year 1970 that was of no good use as a
sealant, but was pliable and semi-elastic. The product was demonstrated soon
after by Ralli Bondite management to executives visiting from another sealant
and adhesive manufacturing company, and was introduced as a means of mounting
notices on walls. It was not really noticed for its potential until years
later when Bostik started research into the development of what
would eventually become Blu Tack.
In its early stages of conception the product was
white, but was colored blue after there were concerns about the possibilities
of children mistaking it for edible candy. Similar products were later
introduced into the market from other manufacturers which include Tac 'N
Stick, Sticky Tack, Buddies a pink color tack, Pritt-Tack, and White Tack, made by a
German company UHU. All similar products but as the name suggests with the
"White Tack" it is white in color, so that it does not show easily through on
posters as Blu-Tack does.
You can find Blu-Tack probably in your local Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target or general Hardware stores and outlets. You may even find it hanging on display at your local Auto Part retailers. The official Blu-Tack site in the UK http://www.blu-tack.co.uk/ may help you in your search for it, as well
there is an official Australian site for Blu-Tack http://www.blutack.com/, and the handy
reference by Bostik as to how it was made http://www.blutack.com/BLU_TACK.htm.
Among many handy uses for Blu-Tack its also been used by some very creative people as way to express themselves artistically through sculpture and even clay animation videos which can be found on YouTube and or other sites or blog where it may have been the topic of conversation.
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