Re: [ARSCLIST] humidification treatment for acetate tape (was Re: [ARSCLIST] old acetate tapes - curling/tape tension remedies?)

["Richard L. Hess" <arclists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

It worked on one reel and it didn't work on another as described 
below. I'm going to try it again.

At 07:10 PM 6/6/2006, you wrote:
> jeez Richard, have you ever done that? I feel safer with the old 
> gauze-in-the-head-can trick. Yes, it wears extra-heavy on the head 
> but it's OK for the occasional reel on a properly-aligned and 
> polished head. I dunno if I'd try this trick with anyone else's 
> tape, or for that matter any of my old curled tapes that are of 
> value to me. But then I was very skeptical about baking until I 
> finally worked up the nerve to try it with something that I cared 
> about but couldn't play and lo and behold it works.
>
> -- Tom Fine
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard L. Hess" 
> <arclists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 11:11 AM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] humidification treatment for acetate tape 
> (was Re: [ARSCLIST] old acetate tapes - curling/tape tension remedies?)
>
>
> > I think this is the post you MIGHT be looking for. I have some more 
> > acetate-based Magnetophonband up for treatment - most  in FAR worse 
> > condition than the one I treated.
> >
> > I would be very curious to hear Steve's approach.
> >
> > Date:         Thu, 6 Oct 2005 14:37:35 -0400
> > From: "Richard L. Hess" <ArcLists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] old acetate tapes - curling/tape tension remedies?
> >
> > At 11:37 AM 10/6/2005, dave n wrote:
> > > Hello all -
> > >
> > > I'm looking for information about how anyone here on the arsc-list 
> > > has handled and transferred old acetate tapes that have begun to curl?
> >
> > Hello, Dave,
> >
> > Friedrich Engel, the retired BASF historian, gave me a present in a 
> > phone conversation (yes, to Germany, his English was far better 
> > than my German). You can re-hydrate acetate tapes.
> >
> > The procedure I used, based on discussions with Engel, was to place 
> > the tape in a 100% humidity atmosphere for about 24 hours.
> >
> > The subject in question was a 1935 Carbonyl Iron tape from the Jack 
> > Mullin collection. Too bad, there were only a few tones on it, but it played.
> >
> > When I first got it, it behaved much like a carpenter's steel tape 
> > measure and you could hold a foot or more of it extended. After the 
> > treatment, it felt like a satin ribbon.
> >
> > I placed the tape in an open container inside a sealed container. 
> > The sealed container had about an inch of water in the bottom. The 
> > tape was up on spacers in the open container. This was room temperature.
> >
> > I tried this again with a tape that spent several years behind a 
> > woodstove and it did soften it a bit, but the tape was too blocked 
> > (adhered layer to layer by edge melting) and too fragile to play 
> > either before or after this treatment, although the fragile pieces 
> > were much softer even after this extreme.
> >
> > I would suggest trying this with one reel that is not as important 
> > to get the "feel" of the process.
> >
> > If it works, thank Herr Engel, if it doesn't please let us know 
> > here and let us know your experiences.
> >
> > I would think this is safer than trying to force the tape into 
> > contact by either tension or pressure pad.
> >
> > I make no warranties as to the long-term effects of this treatment.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Richard
> >
> > Richard L. Hess                   email: richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Aurora, Ontario, Canada       (905) 713 6733     1-877-TAPE-FIX
> > Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
> > Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.

Richard L. Hess                   email: richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Aurora, Ontario, Canada       (905) 713 6733     1-877-TAPE-FIX
Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.