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Squeky cassette tape

slow_jazz

slow_jazz

Lunatic Member
I have one cassette tape I like that squeks in parts. It's a Maxell cassette tape but it's quite old.

It's not the player as all other tapes I try work well.

Anyway to lube a cassette tape w/o ruining it?

thanks in advance,
greg
 
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What type of Maxell is it? Usually that's caused by the lubricant in the binder drying up. You can try baking it at the lowest temp in a toaster oven for no more than 10 minutes; it might make it work for one play.
 
I remember having a few cassettes that squeaked. Running them through a full rewind / fast forward cycle a couple of times used to fix it. I don't know whether it warmed up the lube or loosened the tape but it often worked.
 
1tumbleweed said:
What type of Maxell is it? Usually that's caused by the lubricant in the binder drying up. You can try baking it at the lowest temp in a toaster oven for no more than 10 minutes; it might make it work for one play.
Click to expand...

Umm, please don't put your tape in a toaster oven. Thanks.
 
Depends on where the squeak is being generated.

I have never heard of a Maxell tape losing lubricant, but others may have.

If the squeak is coming from the tape across the heads, then baking may help, but it's best done in a food dehydrator. Needs to be gentle and temperature kept within a narrow band, and generally lower than any toaster oven (just typing that seems scary to me....)

If the squeak is from the tape pack against the shell and slip sheets, I would transfer the tape to a new shell. I would try that before I attempted any baking.
 
After checking the tape is actually a BASF Ferro Super IEC1 and it says GAMAVA on it. There's 4 screws holding the 2 halves together. Any way to put some lube in it??
 
I fast forward and rewind a few times. If it continues, you might need a new cassette shell. Sometimes the slip sheets that are between the shell and the tape dry out.
 
I test some radical methods on squeaking prerecorded ones. At least I flood it in a old and open shoebox recorder with a q-tip and "Kontakt 61" A non agressive electronic lube oil.
The fully wet Q-tip was placed instead of the left capstan in front of the tape in the cassette shell. Then make a few times a fast forward, keep the q-tip wet with the oil. On heavily squeaking I flood it as it runs with the lubeoil. Then make 10 or more rewinds to put the oil on every inch of the tape. Oil do no harm for iron, not on the heads and not on the tape. Just let them dry, one or more days and winding it often. After all you get a normal runinng tape back.Its doing no harm to the rubber from capstan either.


But :
I gave no warranty bla bla......
 
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Two options that have worked for me in the past (when I used cassettes):
1. Transfer the tape to a new shell.
2. Transfer the audio to a new tape (sometimes the squeaks become part of the audio though).

Any chance of archiving to digital, then making a new tape?
 
A tape has a "integrated lube" function in his coating. This lube is gone and has to be replaced. The tape is squealing in contact with the heads, like a violin. Another shell dont helps.

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