8mm tape broke, how to fix?
 

I have the tape apart, but 2 pieces fell out despite taking it apart with the parts on the bottom.

[Edit] Photos now attached.

I need to know where they go and in which orientation.

Also, I wanted to know if I can fix it with the smooth, clear scotch tape.

Thanks

DM

Attach images to forum post. http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/news...ly-upload.html

Youtube is full of videos on how to do just that, some are dumb some are good but you will get a clear picture on where things go.

Scotch tape is okay for capturing purposes as long as the tape will be on the back side of the tape away from the video heads but it will not last forever.

Thanks for the taping advice. A lot show them taping on both sides. I was worried this would damage the head.

As for the Hi8 tape parts I attached, I haven't found a video that shows where these go specifically, or in what orientation.

Could use a little help on that part. :)

Thanks,

DM

Still don't know how or where to put those 2 pieces. Youtube has a lot of videos but none show me these parts.

Only use tape specifically designed for splicing video tape. Tape intended for general purpose craft use on paper, etc. is not appropriate for video or audio tape. The mastic on it can migrate over time getting into heads, guides, etc.

As to where the cassette parts go, there may b variations between tape brands, so your best bet may be to to carefully take a similar one apart noting where the pieces come from/go to. You know how the first one jumped out, so learn from that experience.Do it to a unimportant tape you re willing to risk.

The safest way to deal with a tape break is to load the two partial reels into separate cassettes (no splice) and and write off the several inches of tape on either side of the break. Video8/Hi8 tape is small and heads spin fast. Splices are much fussier than with audio tape.

I wouldnt even splice on the backside of the tape. The video heads can still get caught on the two edges of the videotape at the splice point even when the splice tape of on the other side. Consumer VCR's arent designed to handle splices running over the fast spinning video drum. The heads are fragile and new head drums are becoming like unobtanium.

Dpalomacki is right. The two separate reels of tape need to be rehoused in separate shells and the magnetic tape joined to new empty reels. Inevitably a short section of recorded program is lost on each section of tape.

Splicing 8mm tape is not easy. It's so thin that it can curl up just with static electric attraction to your fingers. A proper 8mm tape splicing block is a great help but the work is still difficult. Patience and a steady hand are needed. Cotton gloves should be be worn as fingerprints and other dirt on tape cause problems. For many this particular work is best left to an expert.

The 2 tape housing idea is something I hadn't thought of. It's a great, although somewhat more time consuming method to solve the problem. I'm actually fine with anything that doesn't damage the head of this recorder. :)

Since I had to take another tape apart, I did it even more carefully and the 2 parts stayed in. I knew the black part was the locking mech, but I wasn't sure if the other was the spring, as it had a bit of an odd shape. It works, but it was totally different from the other one. Either way, it showed me the way.

On a side note, I can't believe how much tape is actually on a spool! Wow. I had quite the pile when I was done.

Thanks to all for the help.

DM

So, I decided to just continue this thread instead of making a new one.

I had another tape break. Since I was already on edge after the last one, I decided to throw in a garbage tape just in case. I'm glad I did. Now, I'm sure that these things get a bit brittle after 30 years, but I found this to be a bit too much of a coincidence to just ignore it.

I opened up the housing and took out the reels and found the edge of the tape and pulled it off the roll. What I saw happening as I unrolled the tape manually was maybe one possible explanation for this problem, but I don't know for sure.

Basically what I saw was that the tape was to some extent stuck down to the tape that was under neither it. Is this a "thing" with these tapes? I can see it happening if its been sitting for a long time, but I also wondered if there's something on the head tearing the tape, or a problem with the amount of tension.

The odd thing is that before these 2 tapes, I played several tapes without any issue, so I'm a little baffled. :/

One other thing I noticed was that it always tore from the edge and would sometimes take small slivers off of the tape. I could see it catching on the tape bellow it and then tearing.

So, what gives?

Thanks

DM

That's mould residue, Tapes stored in an envirnoment where moisture and humidity is higher than normal mould grows, After the tape dries up the layers stick to each other. You will have to manualy re-spool the entire tape and clean it, It's a lot of work.

Mould especially on Metal tapes, which are also so incredibly thin and fragile can be difficult to remove. Just avoiding physical damage and protecting the tape surfaces from dust and dirt, even fingerprints, can be a real challenge. Most people have no idea how clean and almost perfectly aligned everything has to be for picture and sound to play without dropouts on these small, densely packed tapes. Even trying to manually respool may result in more new tape tears which cannot be spliced, not even by experts. This is not entry level work. Again, if the contents of these tapes is important to you it may be wise to seek expert help.

Mold is often toxic, horrible for you to breathe in. It gets everywhere indoors, and can spread to family, food, pets, etc. The wrong mold can do permanent damage to your breathing, lung damage.

Mold ruins video gear, spores spew on everything.

Do not attempt to follow some Youtube guide (idiots!). Ruined gear, major health risks!

Send these to SpecBros. Yes, it costs some bucks. Either them (or a similar lab), or just put the tapes in the trash.

Yes, we are exposed to mold and spores daily, everywhere, but this is a highly concentrated situation. And the mold that grows on videotapes is not always common molds that grow on your lawn, or on your old loaf of bread.

Read more: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vide...-mold-vhs.html

Thanks all.

I did try to "unspool" the tape manually and if I didn't have the tension just right it would still tear. :/

I think I mentioned this way back in the beginning, but some tapes survived a fire. I think small particles on the tapes are what damaged my previous Hi8 player. I'm reluctant to do the rest for this very reason.

You know, this is about as fun as gouging your own eyes out!
[Note: I have never gouged my own eyes out, but if I ever think about doing it, this is probably what I'll envision.]

Edit2:] OK! Read the mold thread. Niiiiiiice. The "gouging my own eyes out" thing is looking better and better all the time! lol

So, I already had 2 of these tapes in my machine and since they behaved exactly as described, even though there was no visible mold (but it's microscopic unless it's gone crazy,) I have little doubt that that was the cause.

I already did this process with the 2 tapes, and my "experiments" indoors with no mask, no nothing. I don't own a HEPA filter, and my heat is even electrical, so there aren't even vents in my apartment to circulate the air! I open the windows for a while to bring fresh air in. :/

Currently, my main concern is for my Hi8 recorder/player. How do I clean it? I read about the UV light and I can do that, but I still need to clean the heads at least. I do have a dry head cleaning tape, but I'm assuming that's a terrible idea. :) I also have 99% rubbing alcohol and small densely packed cotton swabs meant for cleaning DSLR sensors, but it's still fibres of cotton, and a head have sharp bits that could tear a few fibres off, where a sensor is completely smooth.

OK, so what likely killed my old Hi8 head? The tapes that survived a fire, or the tapes with mold? lol

Good times, good times....

OK, I tried to play a tape in my old Hi8 recorder to see if it would tear. The recorder works, but shows no image. It didn't tear, but it started to hang part way through. When I looked at the tape I could see the exact point on the spool where it started to hang. It's the inner most darker line. Is this mold or something else? Will running the tape through my dead recorder that still "plays" tapes clear the mold, allowing me to safely use it in my working Hi8?

Also, is there any way to know if a tape has a mold issue before I put it in my recorder?

Lastly, I notice that all the internal workings of the Sony Hi8's I've used look more or less the same. The head component especially looks identical. I'm assuming it more or less it. Could I swap out the bad head with a working Sony one?

Thanks!

DM

The dark "ridge" about 1/3 from the hub is likely evidence of where a previous record or playback stopped and the tape was rewound. Tape spooling is usually not as even during rewind or fast forward as it is in play/record resulting in this sort of difference.

Playing the tape in another machine will not clean the mold, although it might play past the previous stopping point, or it might physically damage the tape depending on how strong the machine is and how tight the tape is stuck. In any case, if it is a mold problem (or other sticky crud in the tape causing it to stick) it will likely spread further.

Close physical examination might reveal mold - check both the case externals and internally - but that is not assured. A test for mold by a competent lab would be needed to be resonably sure.

The cylinder/drums in Hi8/Video8 gear all ook similar, but may have subtle mechanical and electrical differences. You would have to do a part number check to be reasonably sure of interchangeability.