Re: arsclist cleaning and demagnetizing tapes

["Doug Pomeroy" <pomeroyaudio@xxxxxxx>]

Hi Richard,

I don't know if the "other 9%" is just water. But, if it is, then I
wouldn't be afraid of it, as I can't believe water will hurt the
heads. The 91% concentration is used to sterilize hypodermic
needles, so I take it to be safe enough for tape heads!

Years ago, when I was teaching recording technology, there was
a "rumor" that isopropyl alcohol would eventually damage the
laminations of record and playback heads. I never learned of any
confirmation of that rumor. (Perhaps we should be asking some of
the folks who are still working with the old recorders, such as Michael
Spitz, about this.)

My undrstanting has always been that isopropol alcohol should
*never* be used to clean rubber, as it will dry it out and prematurely
harden it. There exist products - containing petroleum distillates - made
specifically for cleaning rubber (eg., pinch rollers), such as Tascam's
Rubber Cleaner RC-2, available from any large pro audio dealer.
--
Doug Pomeroy   pomeroyaudio@xxxxxxx
Audio Restoration [CEDAR] & Remastering
----------
>From: "Richard L. Hess" <lists.rlhess@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: "Doug Pomeroy" <pomeroyaudio@xxxxxxx>, ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: arsclist cleaning and demagnetizing tapes
>Date: Sat, Jul 22, 2000, 12:19 PM
>

> Doug and all,
>
> I have always been warned that the other 9% of the 91% isopropyl alcohol is
> water and other things to be avoided. I have found that out here in Los
> Angeles, Savon can get 99% isopropyl alcohol, but it is expensive at aboUT
> $10/pt. I think you can also get it in gallons from Grainger or other
> industrial supply outlets for less. The best bargain, however, if you ever
> drive to Canada (you can't bring this with you on an airplane) is that at
> least Shoppers Drug Mart has it for about $2 CDN / pt!
>
> I stock up on my drives to Canada <smile>.
>
> Years ago, for quadruplex videotape recorders, a major network in NY had
> piped-in Freon piped into each tape cubicle! Until the environmental
> concerns were understood, I always used to use Freon for head cleaning,
> alcohol for rubber cleaning.
>
> What is the best thing to use on rubber pinch rollers?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Richard
>
> At 09:33 AM 07/22/2000 -0500, Doug Pomeroy wrote:
>>Isopropol alcohol won't hurt, but many of the consumer
>>preparations ("rubbing alcohol") also contain perfume
>>and other additives which your tape heads don't need.
>>Check the list of ingredients. Look for the label that says
>>"91% Isopropyl Alcohol by volume".
>>
>>Or, you could buy a preparation made specifically for cleaning
>>tape heads. You can get it from pro audio/viedeo dealers.
>>Ampex used to make it in a small can, and now another company
>>makes the same product, also in a samll can.
>>I get it from Burlington Audio/Video, Inc. in Oceanside, NY.
>>(516) 678-4414. Called Head Cleaner, they sell it under the
>>Burlington brand. It contains Trichlorotrifluroethane.
>>
>>Good luck. And don't inhale the fumes!
>>--
>>Doug Pomeroy   pomeroyaudio@xxxxxxx
>>Audio Restoration [CEDAR] & Remastering
>>----------
>> >From: Language Laboratories and Archives <language-labs@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> >To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >Subject: arsclist cleaning and demagnetizing tapes
>> >Date: Mon, Jul 17, 2000, 10:10 AM
>> >
>>
>> > We have long used isopropyl alcohol and a hand-held degausser to clean the
>> > heads in our audio equipment. However, some of the machines we have are
>> > difficult to clean due to lack of space. The suggestion was made to
>> > purchase cleaning tapes, but in some recess of my mind I remembered that
>> > there was come concern about abrasiveness of the tapes.
>> >
>> > How do you clean your audio (or video) equipment? If you use tapes, what
>> > has your experience been?
>> >
>> > Thanx,
>> >
>> > Barbara Need
>> > Manager
>> > University of Chicago
>> > Language Laboratories and Archives
>
> Richard L. Hess                              richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Glendale, CA USA                           http://www.richardhess.com/
> Web page: folk and church music, photography,
>                   broadcast engineering, home wiring, and more
>