Can I re lube a cassette tape? If so, how?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Metalhead85, Apr 19, 2021.

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  1. Metalhead85

    Metalhead85 Doesn’t understand noise music Thread Starter

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Hello!

    I got an album in the mail on cassette and it slows down. Doesn’t stop, just slows down. Also warbled highs, which is obviously annoying. I suspect it needs another lube. How do I go about doing this, exactly? Thanks!
     
  2. bloodlemons

    bloodlemons Forum Resident

    Location:
    Grit City, USA
    how to lubricate an audio cassette - Google Search
     
  3. Metalhead85

    Metalhead85 Doesn’t understand noise music Thread Starter

    Location:
    Austin, TX
  4. bloodlemons

    bloodlemons Forum Resident

    Location:
    Grit City, USA
    I grew up with cassettes (46 now) and it never even occurred to me to lubricate any of them. Some of them probably could have used it!
     
  5. aorecords

    aorecords Forum Resident

    I've never heard of such a thing.
     
  6. Metalhead85

    Metalhead85 Doesn’t understand noise music Thread Starter

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Ok, just making sure. I watched a 20 minute video from a dude called Anadiologue I think is how you write it. Anyways, apparently even NASA re lubes their tapes so I don’t know. I just know that my tape stops.
     
  7. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    No. Do not "lubricate" the tape.
    Is this a commercial recorded cassette, or a homemade cassette? If homemade, what brand is it?
    Get a good cassette, a TDK or Maxell, can be lightly used, open both up and either transfer the carbon liners from the TDK/Maxell to that original cassette or move the reels from that original cassette into the TDK/Maxell shell with its liners.
     
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  8. Metalhead85

    Metalhead85 Doesn’t understand noise music Thread Starter

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    The tape is a commercial tape. It’s sealed though.
     
  9. rcsrich

    rcsrich Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    This!
     
  10. rcsrich

    rcsrich Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    Carefully pry that puppy open and transfer it to a good shell with screws as @JohnO recommended.
     
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  11. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Yep, that happens. Many commercial cassettes had junky liners or no liners at all. It's not a problem of the tape, but the tape is dragging on the bad old aged out liners.
    You will have to crack open that cassette and it will be best to transfer its reels into the TDK/Maxell shell.
     
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  12. Metalhead85

    Metalhead85 Doesn’t understand noise music Thread Starter

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    How do i open it?
     
  13. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Really carefully! The cassette shell is in two pieces, top and bottom, and either screwed together or glued or "sonically welded". If screwed together, no problem, the TDK/Maxell also is screwed together. If glued/welded you have to crack it open. With a TDK/Maxell when you unscrew it there are a dozen tiny pieces held in place by the top and bottom only, and do not lose any of those. It is very likely that the commercial cassette does not even have all of those pieces.
    Unscrew the TDK/Maxell first to see what pieces are there - rollers, pins, pressure pad and its stresser - then you will see more easily how to crack open the commercial cassette from the edges and see inside how much more cheaply it was made.
     
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  14. rnranimal

    rnranimal Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    I had to do this for a rare tape. Fixed the stopping issue but not the loss of highs at the beginning of each side for a number of seconds. Not sure what caused that.

    I forget what I used to pry it open but I started at the bottom where it's already open. Went to the edge and gently applied pressure and increased it slowly until it split. Then slid something thin but rigid in and went around very slowly breaking the seal little by little. I was prepared for the shell to crack and that may happen, but it didn't for me. Just split all around and was able to put the reels into a blank tape shell.
     
  15. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    You can usually use a nonserrated butter knife to split the shell as @rnranimal described.
     
  16. mne563

    mne563 Senior Member

    Location:
    DFW, Texas
    I had some some precious Memorex tapes from the mid-seventies that had seized up and would not play. I used a bench grinder(!) in my garage to grind off the corners of the shells (makes a mess) and then carefully moved the reels into newer blank tape shells that screwed together. The tapes play freely now and sound very good.

    Getting those shells apart was definitely a nerve-wracking endeavor and not for the faint of heart, but it was ultimately successful.
     
  17. colinu

    colinu I'm not lazy, I'm energy saving!

    Fast forward and rewind it several times before you even think of doing anything.
     
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  18. Metalhead85

    Metalhead85 Doesn’t understand noise music Thread Starter

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    I do this with every tape I get. I assume that it hasn’t been played in at least a few years. This is a good thing to do.
     
  19. Mayidunk

    Mayidunk Just passin' through...

    Location:
    New England
    You might just try playing it through on both sides a few times as well. If the tape is rubbing against the the shell, playing it through several times might allow the tape to stack closer to the center of the take-up reel, and to stack more evenly as well.
     
  20. ZB79

    ZB79 Active Member

    Location:
    Fountain Valley
    Had to chime in, Don't waste your time with varying methods.
    Get rid of the old shell and put the tape in a new container (old good condition cassette tape shell, spool that can be discarded) the problem is
    the plastic is warped
    , no amount of back and forth will fix it. in fact your going to put a strain on your machine by using these type of tapes.
    There should be plenty of videos on U Tube. Crack it like a nut and put in a new one you'll be happy.

    I saved many a live concert recording on tapes with various methods including cutting tape that was damaged and pasting with scotch tape.
    I still have tapes from the 70's that play!

    Good luck.
     
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  21. macster

    macster Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Diego, Ca. USA
    IMHO, if you cut anything cut the leader, splice it on to the leader of another empty cassette shell and wind it carefully by hand. If you cut the cassette who knows what you might end up doing. This way you're keeping the variables down to just the splicing and winding.


    M~
     
  22. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Is this a vintage tape or a newly manufactured one? Either way I'd get a refund. Unfortunately old tapes can go bad if not stored properly and not all new tapes are manufactured all that well.

    RE: re-lubing, that is not something you need to mess with for most tapes and that is unlikely to solve your problem unless it is one of those XDR tapes.
     
  23. Nope. You'd probably gunk up and ruin your player. Return the tape to the seller and order a different copy!
     
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