> On Jun 8, 2023, at 1:05 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org>
> wrote:
>
> On 6/8/23 09:51, Martin Bishop via cctalk wrote:
>> The puches I have knowledge of do all 9 holes.
>> Similarly, the blank tape stock (of my acquaintance) is unpunched.
>
> That would figure in why I occasionally see tapes with
> irregularly-spaced feed holes. That clears that mystery up.
Ouch, that would be a case of a badly maintained punch. If you feed such tapes
into a reader that uses a sprocket feed wheel you'd have trouble. If it's an
optical reader with a plain wheel (friction feed) it will probably work ok if
the spacing errors are not so bad that they throw off the timing.
> Instead of plain paper tape, is there any objection to Mylar- or
> Mylar-coated tape? I note that several manufacturers recommend it.
I just did a Google search for "cnc punch tape" and an ebay sale for new mylar
tape (1000 foot rolls) popped up. That should work great if your punch can
punch it reliably. I'm not sure if all of them do. Mylar tape is much
stronger, so it's great for tapes that are read many times, but that's probably
not much of a consideration for modern hobby usage. It might explain why the
stuff shows up when you look at CNC applications, though -- between the need to
be able to do series production, and the abuse things get in a shop floor
setting...
paul
