better than plasticine! (Bostik Blu Tack)

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Product:	Bostik Blu Tack
Date:	08/09/04 (1847 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: extremely useful

Disadvantages: doesn't bounce :(

While sitting here rolling a lump of this blue marvel between my fingers it struck me to do a search for it here! Lo and behold, there's a category for it. So naturally, here I am writing about the joys of this substance!


Blu-Tack (The Original Reusable Adhesive!!) itself is an ingenious substance produced by a company called Bostik who, strangely enough, are an adhesive manufacturer!

I've scoured Google searching for a bit of history, but to no avail. Not even a date that it was first made! Shocking ain't it.

Packaging:

As you can see in the handy picture in the top left corner, Blu Tack is sold in flat cardboard packs which are mainly blue in colour with Blu-Tack written across the top in big white letters. Also there is a cartoony picture of what it can be used for on the front (and more details on the back).

Inside the cardboard the stuff is rolled flat and sandwiched between two sheets of plasticky paper (much like the backing of a sticker I suppose) to keep the stickyness of this sticky stuff as sticky as stickily possible.

Costs/availability:

Generally a pack will cost you around 79p, but there are some rare price marked packs for as low as 59p (bargain I hear you say....)

Available from most supermarkets, stationers, mint emporia (garages to you non-mint enthusiasts) and also those shops that pop up to sell you christmas tat not far from now.

Taste:

Rubbery, but not unpleasant. Nicely chewy, possibly poisonous!

Uses:

Firstly a brief how-to guide for those of you who are uneducated in the ways of Blu...

First check that the surfaces to be stuck are clean, free of loose paint etc, and also free of grease.

Tear off a lump of Blu-Tack (as small as possible...works better than big lumps, oo er!) and knead/roll it until warm and supple... Warning...this bit can be addictive.

Roll into a ball and press onto one of
the surfaces.

Press surfaces together and hold for a few seconds with plenty of pressure...and hey presto!

Be careful with porous/absorbant surfaces as Blu-Tack can leave greasy marks when removed!

The many uses of this great invention include...

-Fixing posters to walls
-Securing photos into frames
-Sticking phones to tables so you don't knock them off so easily!
-Repairing curly wallpaper edges
-Putting up christmas decorations/cards
-Flicking at the cat

Basically you can stick anything up with it!

Uses I have found for it (as well as other people I bet)....

-Repairing all manner of car trim. I even repaired a wing mirror with the stuff!
-Emergency eraser (it is very similar in make up to an artists putty rubber)
-Modelling stuff. While at school (oh so many years ago) I found great joy in moulding little men and women with the stuff (anatomically complete as well!) and it seems that others also have great fun with the stuff (http://www.worsley.freeuk.com/blutack/)
-Picking up fluff. Great at removing patches of fluff from clothing etc when you don't have one of those ingenious lint rollers to hand.
-Also it is great for removing grease from skin! Roll a lump of it down both sides of your nose and it'll pick up all manner of grease and dirt...simply bin it afterwards and wahey!

To sum up:

A truly remarkable invention (if only I could find out who invented it!), this stuff can be used for all manner of things.

Once you have stuck something up with Blu-Tack it will NOT fall down (unless you have tried to stick an elephant to the wall). Also it seems to stick even better, the longer it is left!

I always keep a slab handy at home, because you never know when you'll need it! Last use was to wedge a bit of car trim to stop it rattling. Brilliant.

Whether you use it for what it's made for, or as an art mater
ial such as those on that odd website, is up to you. But I recommend you go out and buy a slab, just to be on the safe side, eh.

Contact:

Only contact info I can find is a rather unfinished website at www.bostik.co.uk (but it really doesn't mention much about Blu Tack as most pages are under contruction!)



Thanks for reading... hope I've made Blu-Tack a little less dull!

Marc

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