Return to TFB Main Page
Return to Current Edition
Texas Agriculture Archive

November 1, 2002

"An' you thank I got some unorthodox uses for duct tape," my husband bellowed. "Listen to this! Doctors have gone to usin' duct tape to git rid o' warts!"

I had to admit, that was pretty unconventional.

"Yep, says here Dr. Dean R. Focht III and colleagues at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. have investigated duct tape as a less painful alternative to the practice of briefly freezing warts."

Mel was referring to a news item concerning a study published in The Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine in which Dr. Focht found that warts disappeared for 85 percent of people using duct tape.

Mel abides by the motto, "When the going gets tough, the tough get duct tape." He thinks any problem can be solved with duct tape, and if it can't be solved with duct tape, there is no solution. Duct tape is the "handyman's secret weapon."

"Duct tape is what holds the world together," he says. "That 'n balin' wahr. If the duct tape don't work, you either didn't use it right, or you didn't use enough!"

He agrees with the addage: "You only need two things in life; WD-40 to make thangs go, and duct tape to make 'em stop."

Duct tape has patched everything from lawn chairs to potty lids around our house.

"I remember onc't when I was up Salt Creek, duct tape held my paddle together," he insists.

Seriously, he did use a bar of soap and duct tape to plug a hole in his gas tank on Ol' green.

"Better'n 'poxy glue," he claims. "Come to thank of it, I never did git that fixed. Guess that soap an' duct tape is still doin' the trick."

Mel turns to duct tape for repairing holes in carseats and recliners, holding pictures in their frames, sealing boxes, and securing the newspapers, rags and plastic when he winterizes outside hydrants, and for light plumbing jobs. It holds his guitar case together as well as the cover on his Bible.

When he was done reading me the excerpt about the warts, I said "I've read that there are people actually skilled in `ductigami,' which is on the order of Japanese origami, only it's the art of folding duct tape. And I've been meaning to tell you, I saw a web site the other day where they actually sell products made from duct tape—wallets, visors, belts and a lot of other stuff. There's a whole cult following for duct tape out there, and a lot of books have been written about its many uses. Most of the items for sale online are made out of the traditional silver duct tape, but they even have bouquets of roses made from colored duct tape."

"Be shore to jot down that website address, sos I can order you a dozen duct tape roses on our next anniversary," Mel snorted.

I retrieved a roll of duct tape, which is stashed in just about every cabinet in our house, cut two or three strips and plastered Mel with them.

"Tryin' to create a duct tape fashion statement?" he asked.

"Nope," I said. "I'm just doing a little test to see if it really removes warts!"