Re: [ARSCLIST] Loss of Lubricant and A- and B-winds

["Marie Azile O'Connell" <marie.oconnell@xxxxxxx>]

Yes Richard, that is very interesting.  When I was back in New Zealand the only
10.5 inch reel to reel tapes that I found to have sticky shred syndrome, were
AGFA PEM 469 and PYRAL.  Strangely, unless, I came across a 10.5 inch reel with
splices in it and different types of tapes combined (this happened when
broadcasters would be out in the field, using a Uher and then they would splice
them altogether onto a 10.5 inch reel), all the other tapes did not present
with LoL or SSS.  Now why is this?  The larger hub perhaps?  I have always been
puzzled by this, but I do know from an older radio technician that they used to
get larger platters of tape, which were about 16 inches across, and they would
use these for recording, on 10.5, 7 & 3 inch reels.  This tape had no markings
on the backing and were usually in standard red or green boxes.

Cassettes are a different kettle of fish altogether.  Since I have been in the
USA, I have worked mainly with cassette tapes.  There are some brands that I
just cringe at when I open up the case.  Ones that come to mind are Radio
Shack, Concertape, BASF, to name a few.

They all have there own little quirks and kinks, so to speak, that you need to
be prepared for!  Some, the felt just falls out straight away; some break at
the hub and you know they are going to, so I encourage them by doing a fast
forward or rewind so they break at the hub.  If I don't do this, the next person
after me may not know what to do!  My 'favourite' cassettes, NOT, are in the
molded casings....the ones you have to BREAK open......oh joy.

Any thoughts on the 10.5 inch reels?

Cheers

Marie O'Connell
Sound Archivist/Sound Consultant
Center for Oral History & Cultural Heritage
The University of Southern Mississippi


Quoting "Richard L. Hess" <ArcLists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

> Ok, an interesting thought occurred to me through an off-list discussion.
> 
> In normal practice, as I understand it, the "Lubricant Package" was 
> thrown into the coating vat and is coated on the tape along with the oxide.
> 
> So, for A-wind tapes, the lubricant theoretically lubricates 
> everything - tape passing over guides and heads.
> 
> I'm starting to wonder where the stiction occurs in cassettes, since 
> they are B-wind, the back of the tape passes over guides (most are 
> rotating) but doesn't have any lubrication. I'm wondering if we can 
> glean anything from the German Radio B-wind tapes though I know most 
> of those are rotating guides as well.
> 
> I had assumed (I know that's dangerous) that most of the stiction in 
> cassettes was from the heads themselves.
> 
> Any thoughts would be appreciated.
> 
> I hypothesize that LoL will become a growing problem - and baking 
> exacerbates it.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Richard
> 
> Richard L. Hess                   richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Aurora, Ontario, Canada       http://www.richardhess.com/
> Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm  
> 


Marie O'Connell
Sound Archivist/Sound Engineer/Sound Consultant
Center for Oral History & Cultural Heritage
University of Southern Mississippi
Phone: 601-266-6514
Mobile: 601-329-6911