Re: [ARSCLIST] Cassette surgery -- paging Dr. Hess

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is what I was looking for. Thanks. I had an instinct this is the fully proper way to go. I 
think the brain surgery works maybe 80 or 90% of the time but I don't want to be stuck in the 10%, 
not with these tapes. I have just the tape transport for this job.

-- Tom Fine


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard L. Hess" <arclists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2006 8:20 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Cassette surgery -- paging Dr. Hess


> At 07:32 PM 1/29/2006, Tom Fine wrote:
> > Hi Richard Hess:
> >
> > I ask this on a public forum because I bet I'm not the only one who can learn from you. If I'm 
> > asking for a trade secret, I apologize.
> >
> > I have here a pair of cassettes in the molded-together housings (not the screw-together housings) 
> > which need to be transplanted because they do not play even with a Tascam tractor-drive transport. 
> > I am relatively sure it's the old worn out skid pads or warped housing problem, not a tape 
> > problem. I pulled a little tape out to look at it and it's not sticky, oozy or flakey. I 
> > fortunately have some C-0 screw-together cases.
> >
> > How would you proceed? complete brain surgery or splice and hand-wind into the C-0? If the latter, 
> > any tips to make 90 minutes of tape go faster?
>
>
> Shameless plug: It's one of the trade secrets archivists learn at my seminars. They get to 
> see/touch/etc the equipment and get inspired to make their own. Oh, and did I mention that the 
> next seminar is 9-12 May 2006? We have room for four and two places already have placeholders on 
> them.
>
> But, I'll give it away.
>
> (1) I use a cassette machine that has been modified to wind tapes. Mine is a Tandberg TPR-101 but 
> any top-loading portable unit that you can unceremoniously saw out the right side (or the left) of 
> without breaking anything will work.
>
> (2) Get the end of the tape out of the old shell -- if you have to smash it, OK.
>
> (3) SPLICE the ends of the tape (not the leader unless you're sure that the old splices will hold) 
> onto the leader of the C-0 (cut in the middle)
>
> (4) Hold the broken shell and wind into the new shell. If the old shell is really broken, anything 
> that the tape can spin on like a piece of aluminum with a round pencil in the middle will work.
>
> (5) Splice the other end to the leader of the C-0. You never open the C-0 nor have parts flying 
> this way and that. I charge for 9 minutes of time as a flat rate to do the swap. I usually get it 
> done in that or less.
>
> I do NOT reshell cassettes unless I'm doing the transfer. I do NOT want to warrant the splices 
> long-term.
>
> See http://www.richardhess.NET/restoration_notes/cassette_reloading/
>
> I do NOT like the thing that uses drill power. Drills are too powerful and even on their lightest 
> slip clutch settings can do nasty things.
>
> One of the big headaches are the old RCA carts http://www.richardhess.com/tape/rca_cart.jpg If the 
> tape is in the middle I sometimes have luck spooling it on the A807 and sometimes  not. I once did 
> it on an APR-5000 and the shiny reel spindle (like an Ampex) had so much loss and got so hot it 
> started to melt the hub.
>
> I generally wind these by hand if they are at all obstinate.
>
> I also maintain an 8-track player for finding the splice before pulling the tape out of an 
> 8-track. No foil meant winding the &**&%^ 20-minute 375-foot 8-track by hand!
>
> Oh, and the Revere cartridges get loaded into cassette shells (don't be fooled by the 0.25 leader, 
> the tape is 0.15). But here's the quiz: what machine do I play them on and why?
>
> I actually received one of those to transfer where the tape had been repaired by KNOTTING it - a 
> square knot...or maybe even a granny knot.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Richard