Must read thread on Tapeheads

[gamve]

This could be a god send to R2R owners

http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=13954

Cheers
Graham

 

[speakerman1]

Graham
I just wonder how long it will last? Also wonder about the chemicals together. It is like a car polish. So I wonder.

Larry

 

[gamve]

Graham
I just wonder how long it will last? Also wonder about the chemicals together. It is like a car polish. So I wonder.

Larry

Yes it is a silicon based polish with no waxes. I reckon this has great potential. Seems from what I read that the polish stabilizes the back coating binder. The author said he did some tapes put them back in some pretty crappy storage, pulled them out 7 years later and they were still fine!!!

 

[rtp_burnsville]

I would be skeptical on the long term results...... If it saves a prior recording that would be worth the price of admission, but not sure I would personally record something of value on the tape.

Robert

 

[gamve]

It is sensible to be skeptical about this. But on the other hand if you can save a great deal of tape and make it usable again, I reckon it is well worth a try.

 

[stuwee]

I wonder how long it would take to treat a 3,600 ft 10" reel? I've used NuFinish on my cars for years, it's the best silicon polish on the market, I don't have any SSS tapes to try it on, do any of you guys??

If anyone has a reel, send it to me with a bottle of the magic stuff, and I'll give to a whirl

 

[orange]

I read through what I could but I have to think about other materials withouh enough lubricarion and go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Reintroducing lubrication into a material that has suffered a BREAKDOWN cannot restore a material for long.

This tape's content was compromised with each succeeding layer that suffered.

I don't even comsider the claim that the tape is 'cleaned'. Top layer progran has to go with the coating.

The coating itself was put there to 'reduce static and noise'...that's what they said.

Have you ever been told to apply silicone spray to a squeaky engine belt?

Did it ever really work?

That's because the squeak isn't from the belt, it's from the tensioner being off or a worn pulley

Or a bad streering pump!

Tape that has already reached this state before first usage? Sorry I wouldn't use salmonella chicken either. The disappointment IS high but you can do your best to recover old and used recordings and move on with that.

It's like Whatever Happened To Randolph Scott? It's simple! Nitrite-based film stock was not only unstable, but dangerous as well and Hollywood lost reel after precious reel and then they've had at least two disasterous fires that destroyed priceless original prints that are GONE. They had to save all they could.

My recordings are not eternal but I can archive them. For the most part people find some of their things to be disposable once they have copies. If it's that important it will be copied!

 

[gamve]

Take from it what you will. It's bloody easy to knock something especially if you have never tried it. This world is full of armchair experts that will always give an opinion but usually don't have a clue as they have never listened to a word that anyone has ever said to them, much less achieved anything as they have never tried anything. I will give this a go as I have a stack of old sticky 456 tape. If it don't work I may have wasted a few hours and a bottle of car polish. If it does work I can rescue said stack of tape which will save me a reasonable amount of money.
I don't think re-lubrication is the issue here it is more about cleaning the tape and stabilizing the old back coating binder.

 

[laatsch55]

gamve, thanks for the heads up, I'm like you and Alan Parsons, I'll try anything once.

 

[speakerman1]

I have a bunch of Ampex and no SSS yet. Does anyone know why?

Larry

 

[laatsch55]

Your F'in lucky.

 

[gamve]

I have a bunch of Ampex and no SSS yet. Does anyone know why?

Larry

I have a heap of good Ampex 456 and 457 as well. If you look you will prolly find it is Ampex branded Quantergy.

 

[nakdoc]

Do not assume that the original tape was not surface coated with some chemical that did not last. I cannot imagine how slippery molecules and magnetic particles could remain bound if the slippery stuff was IN the mix. I think the Nu Finish is a 2 step solution. It cleans the crud, and restores the slippery.