Acetone to clean tape heads/rollers

[nashvillebill]

On the Sticky on tape deck cleaning, someone asked if acetone would be good for cleaning heads and/or rubber pinch rollers. I've always used alcohol or capstan/pinch roller cleaner, but wonder if the acetone might clean the tape residue off the rubber without drying it out.

 

[BrocLuno]

Never tried it and likely won't. Too aggressive. I suspect it will actually dry it out faster? But maybe one of the more knowledgeable tape heads will chime in here?

 

[SaSi]

Something to try out. I have a set of pinch rollers on a B710 that have refused all types of treatment for rejuvenation. They are slippery causing audible wow & flutter. The worst condition rollers I have or can imagine.

I am expecting replacement rollers in the post, so when they arrive I will treat the old ones with acetone and compare to the new ones.

 

[Tedrick]

Highly dependent on the formulation of rubber or plastic. Acetone can really do a number on many rubber or plastic compounds, so I suggest you proceed with extreme caution.

 

[TeacGuy]

Special Note! Acetone dissolved the cement which glued together the head stack on one of my Otari analog decks. Do NOT use it on heads!

The above quote was found in an online article. Seems the acetone did a number on his Otari head stack :sigh: I stick to isopropyl and tech spray rubber rejuvinator for my pinch rollers and never had one single problem.

 

[nashvillebill]

The above quote was found in an online article. Seems the acetone did a number on his Otari head stack :sigh: I stick to isopropyl and tech spray rubber rejuvinator for my pinch rollers and never had one single problem.

I will stick to alcohol then for the heads. May try the "oil of wintergreen" mentioned in the sticky a s a rubber rejuvenator on a deck with a worn idler...

 

[Rybeam]

DO NOT USE ACETONE ! Plastic eating, rubber melting, use alcohol.

 

[Karma16]

DO NOT USE ACETONE ! Plastic eating, rubber melting, use alcohol.

HI,
I totally agree.

You don't need anything other than alcohol. Remember, you are basically only cleaning off accumulated iron oxide particles which acetone cannot desolve. Acetone will not work better. It will only destroy most any organic material. It can ruin pinch rollers, delaminate heads, and disolve most any plastic.

This is really a bad idea. What are these people thinking?

Sparky

 

[sssmokin99]

Caig (the deoxit people) makes a real good cleaner for heads, both audio and video. Not cheap, but it is good. I usually alternate using it with using isopropyl alcohol (the industrial kind, not rubbing....) with good results.

 

[AU20K]

If you need something a little hotter than alcohol, but not ass-kickin hot like acetone, you might try a little mineral spirits (oily) then clean the mineral spirits off with alcohol.

NOTE! I have not tried this on audio equipment, but it worked on a rubber wheel drive for my radar.
Good luck
:scratch2:

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

Acetone will ruin the binder that holds the tape head gaps in place! Saw many heads ruined at K105 from its use.

 

[MikeCh]

Use a rubber-restorer product called Varn. Don't inhale it or you will die. It works extremely well on rubber pinch wheels though.

 

[Grainger49]

The best way to clean the heads is Wet Demagnetizing.

You place a cotton pad on the head soaked in head cleaner (your choice) and bring the demagnetizer in close to it. Then back slowly.

This can get things out that you didn't know you had.

 

[philcib]

On the Sticky on tape deck cleaning, someone asked if acetone would be good for cleaning heads and/or rubber pinch rollers. I've always used alcohol or capstan/pinch roller cleaner, but wonder if the acetone might clean the tape residue off the rubber without drying it out.

99% isopropyl works for me. If it was good enough for the
ABC radio network when I worked there, it's good enough for me.

 

[ajohn440]

I use a soft bristle toothbrush soaked in denatured alcohol to clean my recorder heads, Seems to work better than Q tips.