I realised I got the name of the thicker Filmoplast tape wrong the
other day.  It is Filmoplast P90  (NOT  P50).   The thin tape, which is
the best for most roll-mending jobs, is Filmoplast P tape.  The rolls
are 19mm wide and 50 metres long.  19 mm is unnecessarily wide for most
jobs so I cut it into thin strips.  I find three tools are very
useful.  One is a set of binocular magnifiers, I find these essential
for delicate repairs to bridges and for getting bits of tape precisely
aligned with the edge of a roll.  As I wear glasses anyway, I have
clip-on, flip-up magnifiers.

Next is a pair of hairdresser's scissors, the long skinny ones.  To get
small bits of tape with parallel edges I usually cut a few cm. off the
roll and then, with the scissors open, press the tape lightly down on
one blade, adhesive side down.  The tape is then held there, but can be
moved around until you get just the width you need.  Only then do the
cutting.

Finally I have a short wooden dowell with a few cm. of thin, springy
wire stuck in the end.  The dowell makes a convenient handle.  I dab a
bit of tape onto the end of the wire and then move it around on the
roll until it's just where I want it.  It can be pressed down and the
wire can be removed without too much bother.  It beats trying to get a
bit of tape off your thumb and onto the edge of the roll.

John Phillips.