Re: arsclist Cassette Sticky-Shed

["James L Wolf" <jwol@xxxxxxx>]

Last week I posted the message that started this thread. I appreciate
the responses. Here's some follow up and detail.
  The tape in question was mass produced for the Takoma/Chrysalis
company in 1980 or 81 and was still sealed until last week. The tape
stock is medium light colored, typical for mass-produced cassettes of
the era and the shell was without screws. 
  I went ahead and baked the cassette (in the shell) for about 7 hours
total. The squeeling remained but the tape no longer deposited residue
on the guides and heads, as it had the first time I played it. At the
suggestion of Larry Appelbaum, I transfed the cassette to another case,
in case the original was warped or otherwise damaged. No change.
   Larry mentioned another possibility, that the tape LACKS lubrication
because it dried out over time and that baking would only exacerbate
this problem. A silicone spray might solve this but with consequences
for equipment. What is known about this condition? Or could there be
some other explanation? 
   Others I've talked to in the Library of Congress have not dealt with
this issue much because they have had few occasions to deal with
cassettes. I agree that some sort of pooling of tape stock information
would be enourmously helpful.

James Wolf

>>> smolians@xxxxxxxxx 01/06/03 10:18 AM >>>

As to cassettes.  

Real brands use a different formula for the soup that, when spread on
plastic sheets and slit, becomes the cassette tape.  Lubricant issues at
slow speeds are different, among other things.  

Have any tapes not back-coated developed sticky-shed?  As far as I've
been able to determine, no cassette tapes were back-coated.

It would be useful to know what cassette brands and product numbers have
developed sticky-shed. If there is a date f recording as well, that
could contribute to identifying those at risk. Of course, this does not
"date" that tape but gives some idea of when it was in use.

Steve Smolian

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