Re: [ARSCLIST] Tape Lubrication - Silicones

[Mwcpc6@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 05/14/2003 2:47:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
arclists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

>
>  Hmmm...Marie's solution (pun intended) worked for me. I'm still wanting to
>  experiment with graphite...Silicones are making more nervous. It didn't
>  help that the links the GE rep provided today didn't work. More later.
>
>  Cheers,
>
>  Richard

It is unlikely that electrical arcing would be a problem in audio work.  3M
used silicone in its products fifty years ago and in my experience much of
that material is still quite usable.

Many years ago, before I heard of baking, I used silicone soaked felt pads in
the tape path to successfully play Ampex tape that was so sticky that it
would instantly lock to the heads or guides of the deck without treatment.

One must be careful to obtain pure silicones. Many commercial products
contain additives and propellants that could very well damage tape or decks.

The carbon in batteries is not graphite, but amorphous carbon related to
carbon black, and quite abrasive.  The graphite in pencil leads is mixed with
clay to the design hardness and the clay particles are not desirable on a
tape surface.  Pure graphite is a good lubricant, but you are still putting
foreign particles on the tape.  Some experimentation is needed to see how
much of the material can be added to the surface without affecting high
frequency response or dropout.

I have used Molybdenum Disulfide powder, from National Camera, intended to
lubricate camera shutters, successfully to recover some cassette tapes that
refused to play without squealing. A tiny amount of the powder was dusted
into the opening of the cassette, then the cassette was rewound several times
to distribute the lubricant. I don't know of a current source of this
material though.

Mike Csontos