[Vintage-Audio] Lubricant for tape machines

Mon Jun 30 01:46:00 2003

Allen, perhaps I can add some info to update both you
and Chuck.  I'm sure almost everyone has heard of the
Last company.  They made the stylus cleaner and lube
for LP's to extend life of both the vinyl and the stylus.

Visit
http://www.lastfactory.com/Products/tape_head_treatment.html
and become enlightened.  Also read some of their white papers
on tape.  They have a lot of information to offer and real
performance
improvements for good machines and tapes.

Bob McKee
Using only CROWN recorders since 1965

----- Original Message -----
From: "Allen, KJ6XH" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2003 9:25 PM
Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Lubricant for tape machines

> Chuck, thanks for the response.
> However, I didn't say to apply the lubricant to the magnetic
tape.
> The idea was to first use the Head Cleaner and clean the
heads,
> the guides and even the capstan and capstan roller.
>
> Then, use the lubricant on the head surface and the tape
guides.
> This reduced wear on the heads and the guides.
> Also, in somes cases, tape "squeal" was a problem. Properly
> using the lubricant often helped.
>
> Head lubricant was sold, along with the Head Cleaner, by all
> the "greats--- Allied Radio, Lafayette, Burstein-Appleby,
all
> the tape machine dealers, etc.
>
> Back then, used heads and guides were not so plentiful!
>
> Allen
>
> JM/CO wrote:
>
> > It was never a standard practice to apply "lube" to
magnetic tape. Akai used
> > a little felt thingy which the tape passed over prior to
passing over the
> > heads in some of their higher models like the M-8/9/10
series, but I do not
> > recall having seen this used elsewhere. The lube was a
silicone product.
> > Mineral oil will definitely ruin tape, and I don't think
it would do much
> > for fidelity either. Magnetic tape is abrasive. Heads wear
out. Life goes
> > on. With the readily available supply of bargain basement
priced reel
> > machines out there these days, if one's heads wear down,
the easiest "fix"
> > is a new(er) machine.
> > Chuck N1LNH
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Allen, KJ6XH" <[email protected]>
> > To: "Vintage-Audio@" <[email protected]>
> > Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2003 7:08 PM
> > Subject: [Vintage-Audio] Lubricant for tape machines
> >
> > > Hi Group,
> > >
> > > Years ago, we had head cleaner to clean the heads and
the guides.
> > > We also had Head Lubricant for the heads and the guides.
> > >
> > > Cleaner we have today.  But, what about the Lubricant?
> > > This certainly helps reduce wear on the heads and the
guides.
> > > But where can you find the stuff?
> > >
> > > Allen
> > >
> > > --
> > > 73 de Allen, KJ6XH      Real Radios glow in the dark!
> > >         http://home.earthlink.net/~mattall
> > >
> > >        Checkout TBN on DirecTV Satellite-- channel 372
> > >             and Cable Systems all around the USA
> > >
>
> --
> 73 de  Allen, KJ6XH      Real Radios glow in the dark!
>         http://home.earthlink.net/~mattall
>
>        Checkout TBN on DirecTV Satellite-- channel 372
>             and Cable Systems all around the USA
>
>
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