[net.audio] tape head cleaners?

logo (10/29/82)

  what do you use to clean your tape heads?  where do you get these supplies?
does this procedure damage parts of your deck (capstan or coatings)?
  also, does anyone have any wonderful techniques to get at awkwardly located
tape heads (many cassette decks, all car tape decks)?
 
  David (Reisner)
  uucp :  ...!ucbvax!sdcsvax!logo
  arpanet : sdcsvax!logo@nprdc

jim (11/01/82)

RE: what to use to clean tape deck heads.

	I was a service technician for 2 years with broadcast video 
and audio equipment, and we used only two types of cleaners for
heads, Q-tips & pure isopropyl alcohol for audio heads, and Q-tips and
lacquer thinner for audio pinch rollers. Don't buy Radio Shack's little
colored vials of alcohol for $1.59/2 oz., go to you local drugstore and
get at least 90% isopropyl alcohol by the quart. Same thing for the
lacquer thinner at your local hardware store but you usually need to clean
pinch rollers once or twice a year. But be careful with this stuff, it has
a very strong odor and will melt plastic if spilled on your deck. Likewise,
don't get alcohol on the rubber pinch roller, it will take the moisture out
of the rubber and cause surface cracking...

	(for video heads use only a soft chamois cloth and either alcohol
	 or freon video head cleaner..)


										Jim Morton
										GenRad Inc.
										Concord, Mass.