Tape Machine Roller Maintenance

[Steve Haynie]

Years ago TASCAM bottles of head cleaner along with rubber cleaner and rejuvenator.  Head cleaner is around, but I think it might be new old stock (NOS) in some cases.  The rubber cleaner and rejuvenator is what worries me.  My reel to reel is going to a friend, and we noticed the rubber on one of the tension rollers is a bit sticky, but not rotten. 

I remember the rubber cleaner smelling of formaldehyde, so I am wondering if it is possible to mix up my own rubber cleaner.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  I need a source of something for tape machine maintenance or a magic formula as a substitute. 

Also, what goes in head cleaner?

[DaveH]

I would think that denatured alcohol would be a great cleaner. I don't know this for sure because I haven't tried it, but I have used DA on lots of electrical apparatus. Knowing what I know about the characteristics there, I would not be afraid to try it on a tape deck (if I still had one).

 

[Jeff R]

When I worked at my college radio station decades ago, we cleaned the RtRs, the CART players, the cassette decks, etc., with alcohol and cotton swabs ... heads, rollers, everything ... being careful to not let the spinning rubber roller thingies pull fibers off the swab tips.

[specialk]

If you use the isopropyl alcohol, don't get the 70% solution. It'll leave a residue.

Target sells a 91% solution. 

[DaveH]

8 hours ago, specialk said:

If you use the isopropyl alcohol, don't get the 70% solution. It'll leave a residue.

Target sells a 91% solution. 

That is why I suggested denatured alcohol. 

[chromium]

CaiKleen RBR rejuvenator works great for the rubber rollers:  http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.179/.f

For all the metal stuff (heads, guides, capstan, etc.) in the path, use denatured alcohol as others have suggested.

[JohnnyB]

6 hours ago, DaveH said:

That is why I suggested denatured alcohol. 

Denatured alcohol has nothing to do with purity or cleaning effectiveness. It is called "denatured" because the naturally formed alcohol has post-distillation additives that make it nearly impossible to drink. It is done to discourage recovering or desperate alcoholics from turning to the medicine cabinet when the house is out of booze (and, I suppose, to avoid charging/paying high spirit taxes on a solvent/rubbing compound). Since it has additives that bond to the alcohol, denatured 70% isopropyl could leave residue after the alcohol evaporates.

In 1989, Kitty Dukakis, wife of politician Michael Dukakis, was hospitalized for drinking rubbing (denatured) alcohol. The event revealed that Kitty was a struggling alcoholic.

[HAMERMAN]

I like my Alcohol natured! :-)

[stobro]

The alcohol in denatured alcohol is C₂H₅OH ethanol (like what they make from corn and put into gasoline, or into Bourbon). Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol C₃H₈O is a different chemical composition. Methanol CH₃OH is toxic and often used to "denature" ethanol. Methylated spirits is another name for denatured alcohol.

To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.

[HSB0531]

On 1/14/2018 at 5:48 PM, DaveH said:

I would think that denatured alcohol would be a great cleaner. I don't know this for sure because I haven't tried it, but I have used DA on lots of electrical apparatus. Knowing what I know about the characteristics there, I would not be afraid to try it on a tape deck (if I still had one).

 

I wouldn’t use alcohol because it will dry out the rubber.

The Caig product sounds right though.

 

[DaveH]

16 hours ago, HSB0531 said:

I wouldn’t use alcohol because it will dry out the rubber.

The Caig product sounds right though.

 

To each his own. Pretty much anything that cleans good has the tendency to dry things out. Caig does make good stuff however, and it would probably be better on the rubber. I've never used  the rejuvenator, but the DeOxit and Gold stuff works great on pots and contacts.

[HSB0531]

1 minute ago, DaveH said:

To each his own. Pretty much anything that cleans good has the tendency to dry things out. Caig does make good stuff however, and it would probably be better on the rubber. I've never used  the rejuvenator, but the DeOxit and Gold stuff works great on pots and contacts.

Just remember that whatever you use, anything left to lubricate the roller comes in contact with the tape.

so you want to make sure it’s safe.

[DaveH]

On 1/15/2018 at 2:01 PM, JohnnyB said:

Denatured alcohol has nothing to do with purity or cleaning effectiveness. It is called "denatured" because the naturally formed alcohol has post-distillation additives that make it nearly impossible to drink.

'Denatured' is a pretty generic term... I was responding in regards to SpecialK's post about isopropyl. The stuff you buy in the paint dept. at Home Depot is labelled "Denatured Alcohol" and works for cleaning much better than isopropyl. That was all I was saying.

[DaveH]

2 minutes ago, HSB0531 said:

Just remember that whatever you use, anything left to lubricate the roller comes in contact with the tape.

so you want to make sure it’s safe.

Absolutely!

[JohnnyB]

3 minutes ago, DaveH said:

'Denatured' is a pretty generic term... I was responding in regards to SpecialK's post about isopropyl. The stuff you buy in the paint dept. at Home Depot is labelled "Denatured Alcohol" and works for cleaning much better than isopropyl. That was all I was saying.

Yeah. I looked into it a bit further and you're right. Although alcohol was originally "denatured" for the reasons I'd mentioned, it evidently boosts the solvent factor as well.