Recovering Tapes perished pressure pads

[vanekp]

As some of you may or may-not be aware and I have had it on a number of the BBC tapes I have collected that over time that the sponge pressure puds behind the tape perishes and in most cases makes the tapes unreadable anymore.
This is how the old one looks after removing it from the tape:-

Very flat and does not do its job anymore, I have been replacing them with a bit of what is normally used as anti static packing for chips and cutting a peace to shape like this (There are probably other things that work just as well):-

And gluing in in place I normally do it with the tape in-tacked and just create a loop by the lead in part of the tape so as not to damage the data itself.

This was the output from the tape with the old pad

This is now the output after having put a new pressure pad in place

Tape is once again readable and saved from the bin.
Hope it helps others that run into similar problems when they can't read a tape without knowing why, and something worth looking at if you are having problem with a tape.
Peter.

[crj]

Back in the day, I'd have used one of these to recover a cassette that had suffered any kind of mechanical failure. Sadly, Google isn't finding me anyone still selling them. )-8

I guess one could just buy some new tapes and throw away the tape itself. Being sure to buy ones that screwed together rather than being glued/welded!

[vanekp]

Indeed you could but then you won't have the label on the tape and its no long an original.
Did the little peace just to make others aware of the problem and a possible solution for it.

[CMcDougall]

Or just copy it to a TDK D90 in a Sony £2k hiFi... sorted, then rip the copy

[crj]

Indeed you could but then you won't have the label on the tape and its no long an original.

Ah. I wasn't aware that was a concern.

Now I'm wondering how readily interchangeable the entire pad and spring assembly is between cassettes made by different manufacturers. Probably very!

[DutchAcorn]

Thanks for the advice, Peter! I knew this was an issue with the ZX Microdrive cartridges, but it never occurred to me it could also affect regular audio tapes!

[vanekp]

There are two types some are with a spring with the pad mounted on it those the pads (seems to be a felt pad) seem to be okay, and others are a small fixed metal plate with the pad glued on it, those seem to be the ones that give problems and that the pad perishes (foam pad).
Peter.

[Coeus]

Another option would be to use a dual capstan cassette deck which should be able to keep the tape in contact with the head even without the pad working properly.

[dp11]

I don't know of a dual capstan deck that engages both pinch rollers at the same time.

[Commie_User]

I guess one could just buy some new tapes and throw away the tape itself. Being sure to buy ones that screwed together rather than being glued/welded!

You don't even need to do that. If the new tape is short, splice the two leadertapes together and you have the contents of two spools in the same casing without even opening them. It does mean manual winding but most game tapes were short.

[CMcDougall]

I don't know of a dual capstan deck that engages both pinch rollers at the same time.

Yes, as that would just wind tapes up all the time

my Sony £2k hifi from 1994ish (I only paid £200 as my mate needed a pram! )
It has auto reverse, so is made better.
Also great for tapes that don't pull at all, being old Atom carbon dioxide tapes that don't turn in any other player, this does them no problem

[crj]

splice the two leadertapes together

I did some tape splicing back in the day.

It's not difficult, but it's a darn sight more hassle than simply transplanting an entire pair of tape reels to a new housing!

[Commie_User]

Maybe. But many of us know the days when no cassette in your room could be sacrificed and buying more had to wait awhile.