VCR brake pads replacement?
 

What is the best material used to replace a worn out VCR brake pads? I have a JVC HR-S4800U here on the bench that needs all pads replaced.

Came across this thread via Search so I figured I would answer just in case someone else comes across this in the future.

I ended up replacing my brake pads by removing the old pads and cleaning the surface with 91% Alcohol. I then attached a 4mm strip of Tesa Tape to a chamois cloth (about 3" in length to make it easier to grip when cutting). Then I cut the sizes I needed and then attached the cut pieces to the locations where the old pads were removed.

I do a lot of small electronics repairs so Tesa Tape is thin and sticky and is what I chose to use. Also, if you don't have any chamois cloths laying around, you could check and see if you have any mechanics gloves laying around. I had a few pair laying around and they had chamois material on the bottoms where I could have cut and used that instead. Just make sure yours aren't greasy/dirty etc.

Any link to Tesa tape? My brake pads are like 2mmx8mm and about 1mm thick so I would give a chamois cloth a try. Thanks

What are the symptoms of worn brake pads? I have a HR-S7500U here that doesn't properly tension on the takeup reel side after fast forwarding....which leads to eaten tapes if you don't rewind for a second to re-tension the threaded tape. Also a detailed how-to on R&R would be helpful, this will likely be a problem on many decks in the future.

That's exactly the symptom, tape will slack in either fast forward or fast rewind depends on which brake pads are bad.

Tesa Tape
2mm
3mm
4mm

Those links are for the Black 61395 tape. They also make a Red 4965 tape, which would work as well, however, the black is just a little bit stronger so that's what I use.

Yup, that's definitely worn brake pads.

Hello evryone.

My name is Denny.
I recently joined this forum.

I have been looking for instructions how to repair my worn brake shoes on my JVC super-vhs player.
When I google I found this thread.

Regarding self adhesive tape Tesa model 61395.
Is this tape adhesive on both sides or is it felt material on top side?

This Tesa model 61395 can it be used as a sole friction pad material stuck on brake shoes?
There's 1mm to 4mm tape rolls, is this the width or thickness of the tape?

I have attached five photos of each brake from my JVC super-vhs deck.
There's different types of felt material on these brake shoes.

I need help with what kind of friction material to use on each brake shoe ??

The older VCRs tended to use genuine felt such as used on a billiard table. One failure mode is when the original glue has deteriorated and the felt simply comes away. When there is no available part I sometimes clean the felt parts or bands and reglue in place. Or I cut new felt to size from sheet and glue in place. A problem though with natural felt is that Silverfish love to eat it. Back tension bands are more critical and tend to wear more than brakes as they're always engaged in play mode.Cleaning not just the brakes and bands but also the drum surfaces they brake can make a big difference.

Thanks for your reply.

Did you see my photos?
On the five different brake shoes, do they all have different thickness on friction material on each pad ?

What high quality felt material did you use ?
Is it one size thickness in MM ?
Where can I buy ?

Silverfish is everywhere, can't get rid of them!

Could these 1mm self adhesive felt pads be used as friction material for video brakes.
Cut down to suitable sizes.

https://www.britishfelt.com/product/...ive-1mm-thick/

https://www.britishfelt.com/product/...ack-felt-tape/

Back when the spare parts were still available a tech would probably just order the manufacturer's complete part by original parts number and install it. Just looking at your photos I cant tell the material's thickness or friction properties, or whether the felt you linked to is suitable. But obviously any felt will be better than nothing.

This is custom work. We may have to experiment, make mistakes, learn from our mistakes, improve. I have some old felt sheet and other scraps I accumulated from decades ago. I dont remember where it came from. Maybe a piano reconditioning parts supplier will have suitable felt. When the original parts are no longer available, we're all in the same situation of trying to make do. Sorry I cant be more specific. All the best with it.

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When you say they are worn.. brake shoes, pads start wearing as soon as they are used. Are you saying yours are worn or are not working properly? Two very different things.

Pads gets thinner and thinner with use.
I'd like to refresh them before they wear out and thrash my tapes.

Felt should be available in industrial quality specifically just made for different type of electronics use.
These sheets should be able to buy somewhere from internet?

This is what we have to do, make some experimental MacGyver tweaks :laugh:

Normally as part of a minor service, I'd inspect the brakes and brake surfaces, clean them as needed, then see how the brakes work with a tape. If the tapes stop as they should without snatching or looping, and there's still useful braking material left on them, I'd leave them alone.

Again brakes dont get a hard life in VCR's unless when we're constantly stopping and starting tapes, as in editing, or repeated searching. Digital transfers are very light on brakes as normally we just start the tape and let it run to the end of the programme. (We do our editing later digitally). In this "play" mode the brakes are barely being used.

Someone mentioned earlier to use material from chamois for brakes.
Only chamois I know of is the swabs used to clean video heads and cloth to dry cars after a wash.
Are there stiffer sheets made of chamois we can use to cut them down?

If you use trick play on your VCR to watch scenes in slow-mo, this should also wear out the brakes faster?

If ordinary chamois was good for braking material, manufacturers would have used it themselves I suspect. AFAIK they didnt.

Only if the brakes are used in Slow Mo. AFAIK Slow Mo speed is determined by the capstan motor, not the brakes.

I thought brakes were involved in several operations like slo-mo and pause and fast forward ?
They only brake the reels and capstan motor when you hit stop on the remote, nothing else ?