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

[Jeffrey Kane <jeffkane@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have several old reels of Scotch 111 that are as described with nothing
critical on them so I'll try this and report back. Being in South Texas I
could just about leave 'em outside in a covered area and achieve about the
same effect! Oh wait, room temperature, nevermind. 


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List 
> [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
> Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 6:11 PM
> To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] humidification treatment for acetate 
> tape (was Re: [ARSCLIST] old acetate tapes - curling/tape 
> tension remedies?)
> 
> 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. 
>