Barry,
I have cleaned tape paths and head assemblies for years and just wanted to add one little tid bit to your very informative article.
I would suggest to all who attempt this proceedure to be, as Barry indiciates, very careful. NEVER NEVER NEVER WIPE THE CHAMOS VERTICALLY ALONG THE HEAD DRUM. If you contact a head in one of the veritcal strokes, the chances are pretty good that you will break a head. NEVER NEVER EVEN THINK OF USING COTTON SWABS EVER. THE COTTON FIBERS WILL DISLODGE AND CLOG THE HEADS.
Secondly, I have used a cleaner for years that works wonderfully on the tape path including all guides and tape lifters and it leaves absolutely no residue. It can be purchased in just about any headware store. It is de-natured alcohol. AS BARRY STATES, NEVER USED ISOPROL OR RUBBING ALCOHOL FROM THE DRUG STORE.
De-natured alcohol is the primary ingrediant in professional head cleaning from years back when Ampex make the VTR tape decks for the broadcast industiry. Ampex head cleaner was the choice for studio professionals hands down. Never use this on the rubber pinch roller!!!
As to a good rubber cleaner and conditioner, conditioning the rubber is as important as cleaning it. It is easy to clean the deposits from the rubber (with much patience) but doing this without drying out the rubber is KEY. If the rubber becomes dry from cleaning, without a conditioner, it gets heard and will eventually crack but when it becomes hard is when you will encounter problems. I have found several rubber conditioners that are pretty good but given the extreemly tight confines of the area in which you have to work, it may be best to leave this alone since leaving behind some residue can be more of a problem than the good you are tying to accomplish. Hope all finds this helpful.
Great illustrations Barry!!
I have cleaned tape paths and head assemblies for years and just wanted to add one little tid bit to your very informative article.
I would suggest to all who attempt this proceedure to be, as Barry indiciates, very careful. NEVER NEVER NEVER WIPE THE CHAMOS VERTICALLY ALONG THE HEAD DRUM. If you contact a head in one of the veritcal strokes, the chances are pretty good that you will break a head. NEVER NEVER EVEN THINK OF USING COTTON SWABS EVER. THE COTTON FIBERS WILL DISLODGE AND CLOG THE HEADS.
Secondly, I have used a cleaner for years that works wonderfully on the tape path including all guides and tape lifters and it leaves absolutely no residue. It can be purchased in just about any headware store. It is de-natured alcohol. AS BARRY STATES, NEVER USED ISOPROL OR RUBBING ALCOHOL FROM THE DRUG STORE.
De-natured alcohol is the primary ingrediant in professional head cleaning from years back when Ampex make the VTR tape decks for the broadcast industiry. Ampex head cleaner was the choice for studio professionals hands down. Never use this on the rubber pinch roller!!!
As to a good rubber cleaner and conditioner, conditioning the rubber is as important as cleaning it. It is easy to clean the deposits from the rubber (with much patience) but doing this without drying out the rubber is KEY. If the rubber becomes dry from cleaning, without a conditioner, it gets heard and will eventually crack but when it becomes hard is when you will encounter problems. I have found several rubber conditioners that are pretty good but given the extreemly tight confines of the area in which you have to work, it may be best to leave this alone since leaving behind some residue can be more of a problem than the good you are tying to accomplish. Hope all finds this helpful.
Great illustrations Barry!!
