Go Back    Forum > Digital Video > Video Project Help > Restore, Filter, Improve Quality

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread
  #1  
08-29-2024, 04:25 PM
RedTiger RedTiger is offline
Free Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 2
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Hi,

Does anyone know if reusable swabs are any good for VCR non-head cleaning (rollers, control head, audio head)?

regards


Attached Images
File Type: jpg Reusable swabs (1).jpg (48.0 KB, 6 downloads)
File Type: jpg Reusable swabs (2).jpg (65.6 KB, 5 downloads)
File Type: jpg Reusable swabs (3).jpg (65.2 KB, 5 downloads)

Last edited by RedTiger; 08-29-2024 at 04:29 PM. Reason: (rollers, control head, audio head)
Reply With Quote
Someday, 12:01 PM
admin's Avatar
Ads / Sponsors
 
Join Date: ∞
Posts: 42
Thanks: ∞
Thanked 42 Times in 42 Posts
  #2  
08-29-2024, 07:12 PM
aramkolt aramkolt is offline
Free Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2023
Location: Michigan, USA
Posts: 1,126
Thanked 215 Times in 193 Posts
I'm not sure why you'd want them to be reusable? Typically the recommended swabs I've seen are MG Chemicals chamois swabs. They are kind of pricy, but supposedly they work well. I've tried them and I don't really see much advantage over using the isopropyl alcohol dampened paper method to clean the heads and Qtips for everything else with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol (but not the pinch roller). For devices with miniDV or Hi8 head drums within a camcorder, I could see the Chamois swabs being useful as they are probably easier to get into certain tight spaces.

For the pinch roller, I've seen American Recorder S-721 fluid recommended and it has quite good reviews on Amazon. According to the MSDS sheets, it is 100% hexane. Plain hexane is probably attainable for much cheaper. I've also seen naphtha (which is lighter fluid) recommended for cleaning rubber parts. I've tried American Recorder S-721 and it works well to get rid of the shiny varnish/oxidized layer that is often present where the pinch roller contacts the tape and won't cause cracking or drying out of the rubber that alcohol can cause.

If you did use reusable swabs, I'd probably still only use them once to prevent re-introducing old contamination.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
08-29-2024, 08:57 PM
timtape timtape is offline
Free Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 914
Thanked 180 Times in 166 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by RedTiger View Post
Hi,

Does anyone know if reusable swabs are any good for VCR non-head cleaning (rollers, control head, audio head)?

regards
We use paper, chamois, cotton because being absorbent it holds the cleaning fluid plus the removed dirt. Non absorbent material cannot hold the cleaning fluid to keep the dirty surface wet while cleaning it.

We avoid using cotton on video heads because a strand of cotton may stay caught on the delicate head and catch on something at high speed, possibly destroying the head.

Last edited by timtape; 08-29-2024 at 09:10 PM.
Reply With Quote
Reply




Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Hi8, Digital8 head cleaning tapes: yay or nay? tmaximus General Discussion 17 04-14-2025 11:09 PM
VCR head cleaning cassette working? Bradb Video Hardware Repair 3 01-05-2024 01:17 PM
Cleaning MiniDV/Hi8/VCR heads with swabs? gloubu Video Hardware Repair 1 02-06-2021 07:34 PM
VCR cleaning swabs to use on heads? lojelo5 Restore, Filter, Improve Quality 18 03-21-2020 01:44 PM
JVC SR-V10U head cleaning? JT_too Video Hardware Repair 1 02-15-2014 12:45 PM




 
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:13 PM