[ARSCLIST] Fwd: [ARSCLIST] humidification treatment for acetate tape (was Re: [ARSCLIST...

[Don Tait <Dontaitchicago@xxxxxxx>]

  I'll add that I was told something similar by Mitchell G. Heller, who has 
worked in recording and engineering since the early 1950s and has a lot of 
knowledge. He recommended getting one of the old plastic mailing cases that radio 
stations used to use (Mitchell was an engineer at WFMT for years) -- the heavy 
ones with screw-down latches on the four corners. Put the tape in the case 
with small pieces of saturated cloth or paper towel in the corners (not touching 
the tape), seal the case, and leave it. Check it occasionally to see what 
progress has occurred. I've never tried it, but Mitchell said it works and it's 
consistent with what's been recommended.

  The only problem with doing it that way now would be getting one of the 
obsolete mailing cases! WFMT used to have piles of them, but radio stations use 
CDs now. (I should check -- there might be one kicking around.) But any sealed 
container should work as long as it doesn't also absorb the humidity very 
much.

  Don Tait
This method worked on some of my own problem tapes.  It was passed on to me 
by Bill Storm.

Stuff a couple of socks with a water absorbing cloth. Wet.  Put socks, tape 
in a more or less airtight container.  Be sure to remove the tape from its 
box!  A closed dresser drawer will do.  Let it sit a month or so.

This seems to be a sluggish version of Richard's method.

Steve Smolian
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard L. Hess" <arclists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
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.
>
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