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Author Topic: Haz Mat Remediation  (Read 5945 times)

ceved

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Haz Mat Remediation
« on: February 08, 2008, 08:01:01 AM »
Here is the scenario.
I got a load of tapes from an Ebay seller.  An interesting less common lot.
The description was a bit optimistic.
There is no visible evidence of mold/mildew on the tapes ( at least the ones I have looked at so far).  I am sure the tape has absorbed moisture over time, but it is not dripping or oozing like poison sumac rash in the summer!
However there is that tell tale musty smell that we all love.
The boxes and reels show indications of humidity over time, you know that light airborn dirt residue.
The kind of film you get on stuff in an unimproved basement when you haven't dusted in awhile mixed with humidity.

The reels should be cleaned, the boxes should be cleaned.
The tape I will deal with later.
On that front, the reels looked well packed and many of the tapes have the tape secured with a hold down strip.
At least someone cared for these tapes along the way.
What do I use?
How do I use it?
What should I do?

Offline ironbut

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Re: Haz Mat Remediation
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2008, 05:19:41 PM »
You really have to go one at a time and see if there's any problems. The first thing is to clean your tape path so you know that any residue is from the tape you just played. I usually start by zeroing out the tape counter and keep a little pad to note any weird noises or drop outs. Sit close enough so you can hear any untoward noises as the tape releases itself from the pack. You should have some spare 7" plastic reels ( I usually buy a 5 pack of low torque and regular hub reels from US Recording Media,..cheap) in case any are damaged and flanging (tape scraping after playing both sides). If the reel was real dusty, clean out the insides before playing side two ( I have a shop vac that I hook up as a blower, it just takes a couple of seconds but hold on tight!). If there's any loose dirt/dust in the box, clean that out with a regular vacuum with a brush attachment. As far as the boxes go, if it has a glossy finish, just try distilled water and clean rags. If it's a matte finish (like that Barclay-Crockers) I just dust the off and live with it. If the reels or boxes have scotch tape residue, there's a product called "GooGone" spray gel (it's not really a gel. I'd sue 'em for false advertising but it's made by "Magic American Products" and I wouldn't want to be turned into a frog or Donald Rumsfeld or something) and it works great for sticky stuff removal (you can get it at most super markets). For the tapes I really want to preserve, I also use a plastic slip cover over the box (never inside, if any of your tapes have inner bags, bury them at the northeast corner of the Foster Freeze just outside of Valley Forge. If only Washington's men had know about that spot!) I guess one of the main things to do is to play them. A few of the bad things that happen to tapes is exacerbated by not being unwound for decades. Also, you don't want to go to the trouble of cleaning the box up all nice if the tape is trashed or just plain awful.
steve koto
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Re: Haz Mat Remediation
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2008, 05:47:10 PM »
Steve,
Thanks again for the information.
Is there a way, as in putting the tape on upside down on the hubs to wind/rewind the tape without coming in contact with the any of the heads/guides /capstans or is that just plain stupid/harmful to the machine?
I hate to literally gum up the works as I am trying to repack the tape or transfer the tape to a spare reel while I clean the original reel.
If you want to be very gentle is there a way to hand turn the reels without harming the belts/direct drives?
If that is unwise, if the machine has  low range  speed setting options, should I select the 3 3/4 ips, or is there greater torque at the lower speeds?
I am sorry for being so uniformed and inexperienced.
This is embarrassing.

Offline ironbut

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Re: Haz Mat Remediation
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2008, 08:06:41 PM »
Maybe  yes  no. A machine with servo tension control will theoretically run tape with no contact between the reels but unless you have a Stephens studio machine (Doc posted some details about this cool machine that I'd only heard of over on the Tape Trail a couple of months ago) I wouldn't try it with a tape that matters. Unless you get a real bad tape, you should just get more oxide build up than normal. I have about 60 Barclay-Crockers that I haven't listened to yet. This weekend should be a marathon of splicing in leaders and grading them. Unfortunately, I have to stop and check this one or that one a second or third time (just for enjoyment usually) which really cuts down on production. I'll clean the tape path after every 3-5 tapes and take a close look at the erase head after each one ( the erase heads position seems to attract the most oxide/dust).
You can certainly turn the reels without engaging play. Your working against the brakes and any drive belts would slip on one pulley or another but it shouldn't do any harm. Some deck have an editing selector that also disengages the brakes so the reels move freely. The main danger with any of this type of manual tape motion is exerting excessive torque on the tape. That could stretch or even break an old (acetate) tape .
The tape tension should be consistent at all tape speeds. I'd just listen and enjoy.
steve koto
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