Gear / Technical Help > Recording Media
"Baking" old open-reel tapes
Scooter123:
That’s possible. The glue that held the oxide coating breaks down and goes a couple steps from a solid to a liquid. Dry heat at a temperature below melting temporarily solidifies that glue. Mere dryness without heat might work.
Sticky shed as it is called is a bitch.
Chilly Brioschi:
--- Quote from: Scooter123 on January 16, 2021, 05:09:17 AM ---That’s possible. The glue that held the oxide coating breaks down and goes a couple steps from a solid to a liquid. Dry heat at a temperature below melting temporarily solidifies that glue. Mere dryness without heat might work.
Sticky shed as it is called is a bitch.
--- End quote ---
You'd think that somewhere the industry would have released a bit of tape formula science.
Like that article from the retired (3M ? / BASF?) dude that I cannot find...
Liberal media:
https://www.npr.org/sections/npr-extra/2012/05/30/153917107/a-sticky-situation-baking-the-tapes
moondust.and.solitude:
This topic has been an amazing read. There really should be a documentary made about the preservation of analog tapes as it's a true work of art.
DSatz:
The tape "pancake" that came apart on January 1: Over the past week I finally overcame my dread, and in three separate sessions, spent about seven hours unknotting it (with white cotton gloves on) and putting it onto a reel.
Then I baked it again (because it had been more than a month since the first time), and tonight I transferred it. It sounded quite good overall, though some of the levels on the tape were a bit too hot and there was a little distortion on some peaks. Fortunately it was a 15 ips recording, which tends to help conceal minor amounts of physical damage a lot better than 7-1/2 ips. And it was Dolby "A" encoded, which prevents print-through from being a problem most of the time.
Before and after photos are attached.
morst:
--- Quote from: DSatz on February 21, 2021, 11:40:08 PM ---Before and after photos are attached.
--- End quote ---
Now that's dedication!
Good going!
Could have done a 1000 piece jigsaw, but this is cooler.
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