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Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
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Foam cleaning swabs for VCR heads?
I have some foam-tipped cleaning swabs that I've been using now and
then, over the past decade, to occasionally clean the heads of DAT and VCR tape heads. I got these at Radio Shack years ago, but don't see them there now. I bought them because they were all I could find at the moment, but I've always wondered if they were really the right thing to use for this purpose. The cleaning pads I've always heard about were supposed to be some kind of synthetic chamois in the shape of a flat pad. When I use the foam swabs, they tend to snag on the edges of the heads. This makes me wonder if the heads are broken, leaving some kind of burr there, or if this is just the wrong kind of swab. I'm very careful when I do this; I just hold the swab still while moving the head gently sideways, back and forth. If it snags I relax and let it come free, rather than putting any real force on anything. I think what I really need are rather flat pads made of something a bit more substantial than these foam swabs. I believe MCM sells something like this. Is this what I want? If the foam swabs aren't for this purpose, what ARE they for? Is the snagging a sign of any kind of problem with the head? - ----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney Madison, WI 53711 USA ----------------------------------------------- |
#2
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Jim Adney writes:
I have some foam-tipped cleaning swabs that I've been using now and then, over the past decade, to occasionally clean the heads of DAT and VCR tape heads. I got these at Radio Shack years ago, but don't see them there now. I bought them because they were all I could find at the moment, but I've always wondered if they were really the right thing to use for this purpose. The cleaning pads I've always heard about were supposed to be some kind of synthetic chamois in the shape of a flat pad. When I use the foam swabs, they tend to snag on the edges of the heads. This makes me wonder if the heads are broken, leaving some kind of burr there, or if this is just the wrong kind of swab. I'm very careful when I do this; I just hold the swab still while moving the head gently sideways, back and forth. If it snags I relax and let it come free, rather than putting any real force on anything. I think what I really need are rather flat pads made of something a bit more substantial than these foam swabs. I believe MCM sells something like this. Is this what I want? Yes. If the foam swabs aren't for this purpose, what ARE they for? Is the snagging a sign of any kind of problem with the head? Not necessarily. Some heads have a shape which will tend to snag anything they can. The ferrite heads are very fragile. You basically shouldn't feel any kind of resistance as the cleaning pad goes over them. --- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Mirror: http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/ Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/REPAIR/ +Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/sam/lasersam.htm | Mirror Sites: http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/REPAIR/F_mirror.html Note: These links are hopefully temporary until we can sort out the excessive traffic on Repairfaq.org. Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is ignored unless my full name is included in the subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs. |
#3
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Sam Goldwasser wrote: Jim Adney writes: I have some foam-tipped cleaning swabs that I've been using now and then, over the past decade, to occasionally clean the heads of DAT and VCR tape heads. I got these at Radio Shack years ago, but don't see them there now. I bought them because they were all I could find at the moment, but I've always wondered if they were really the right thing to use for this purpose. The cleaning pads I've always heard about were supposed to be some kind of synthetic chamois in the shape of a flat pad. When I use the foam swabs, they tend to snag on the edges of the heads. This makes me wonder if the heads are broken, leaving some kind of burr there, or if this is just the wrong kind of swab. I'm very careful when I do this; I just hold the swab still while moving the head gently sideways, back and forth. If it snags I relax and let it come free, rather than putting any real force on anything. I think what I really need are rather flat pads made of something a bit more substantial than these foam swabs. I believe MCM sells something like this. Is this what I want? Yes. If the foam swabs aren't for this purpose, what ARE they for? Is the snagging a sign of any kind of problem with the head? Not necessarily. Some heads have a shape which will tend to snag anything they can. The ferrite heads are very fragile. You basically shouldn't feel any kind of resistance as the cleaning pad goes over them. Hi... Those original chamois pads were produced by Sony; they shipped a pack with each 1" machine they sold. Blue packages, I still have a couple laying around. They were expensive though, so we made our own. Just buy the kids a few popsicles, save the sticks, chop off one end after they've dried to end up with one square end. Next time you buy a new car drying chamois, slice off a quarter or three-eighths inch strip off one side. Cut it into half inch pieces. Then a little contact cement and you have yourself a lifetime supply for virtually nothing. If you feel this tip has any value, feel free to add it to your wonderful website. Take care. Ken |
#4
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On Tue, 06 Sep 2005 00:20:17 GMT Ken Weitzel wrote:
Sam Goldwasser wrote: Jim Adney writes: Is the snagging a sign of any kind of problem with the head? Not necessarily. Some heads have a shape which will tend to snag anything they can. The ferrite heads are very fragile. You basically shouldn't feel any kind of resistance as the cleaning pad goes over them. Hmmm, you've got me a little confused he You say that some heads have a shape that tends to snag, but that you should never feel any resistance? Are you saying that ideally there should be no snagging, but that it just seems unavoidable with some head designs? Those original chamois pads were produced by Sony; they shipped a pack with each 1" machine they sold. Blue packages, I still have a couple laying around. They were expensive though, so we made our own. Just buy the kids a few popsicles, save the sticks, chop off one end after they've dried to end up with one square end. Next time you buy a new car drying chamois, slice off a quarter or three-eighths inch strip off one side. Cut it into half inch pieces. Then a little contact cement and you have yourself a lifetime supply for virtually nothing. I love the idea of this. Are these reusable? If so, how do you clean them between machines? I was under the impression that these cleaning sticks were to be used onec and discarded, just to assure a clean stick for the next machine. - ----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney Madison, WI 53711 USA ----------------------------------------------- |
#5
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"Jim Adney" wrote in message
... I have some foam-tipped cleaning swabs that I've been using now and then, over the past decade, to occasionally clean the heads of DAT and VCR tape heads. I got these at Radio Shack years ago, but don't see them there now. I bought them because they were all I could find at the moment, but I've always wondered if they were really the right thing to use for this purpose. The cleaning pads I've always heard about were supposed to be some kind of synthetic chamois in the shape of a flat pad. When I use the foam swabs, they tend to snag on the edges of the heads. This makes me wonder if the heads are broken, leaving some kind of burr there, or if this is just the wrong kind of swab. I'm very careful when I do this; I just hold the swab still while moving the head gently sideways, back and forth. If it snags I relax and let it come free, rather than putting any real force on anything. I think what I really need are rather flat pads made of something a bit more substantial than these foam swabs. I believe MCM sells something like this. Is this what I want? If the foam swabs aren't for this purpose, what ARE they for? Is the snagging a sign of any kind of problem with the head? - ----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney Madison, WI 53711 USA ----------------------------------------------- No-one mentioned about only wiping in the rotational sense rather than up and down which although logical, that way is the weakest direction for the ferrite. I've only ever used a piece of clean copier paper slightly moistened with methylated spirits held matching the curvature of the bottom cylinder and rotating the heads individualy back/forth over the paper, not allowing the heads outside the edges of the paper, so cannot catch the edges. Anyone else use a cut down kids plastic microscope to actually inspect the heads? -- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on http://home.graffiti.net/diverse:graffiti.net/ |
#6
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On Tue, 06 Sep 2005 00:20:17 GMT, Ken Weitzel
wrote: : Those original chamois pads were produced by Sony; they shipped a pack with each 1" machine they sold. Blue packages, I still have a couple laying around. They were expensive though, so we made our own. Just buy the kids a few popsicles, save the sticks, chop off one end after they've dried to end up with one square end. Next time you buy a new car drying chamois, slice off a quarter or three-eighths inch strip off one side. Cut it into half inch pieces. Then a little contact cement and you have yourself a lifetime supply for virtually nothing. If you feel this tip has any value, feel free to add it to your wonderful website. Take care. Ken Yes, I concur, for what that's worth. Real chamois is the best. They don't last long with isopropanol solvent though, so be generous with your disposal regimes. |
#7
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I use good / reasonable good quality paper does it very well, I used to use
chamois but paper is the in thing before VCR go away from this world. Jim Adney wrote in message ... I have some foam-tipped cleaning swabs that I've been using now and then, over the past decade, to occasionally clean the heads of DAT and VCR tape heads. I got these at Radio Shack years ago, but don't see them there now. I bought them because they were all I could find at the moment, but I've always wondered if they were really the right thing to use for this purpose. The cleaning pads I've always heard about were supposed to be some kind of synthetic chamois in the shape of a flat pad. When I use the foam swabs, they tend to snag on the edges of the heads. This makes me wonder if the heads are broken, leaving some kind of burr there, or if this is just the wrong kind of swab. I'm very careful when I do this; I just hold the swab still while moving the head gently sideways, back and forth. If it snags I relax and let it come free, rather than putting any real force on anything. I think what I really need are rather flat pads made of something a bit more substantial than these foam swabs. I believe MCM sells something like this. Is this what I want? If the foam swabs aren't for this purpose, what ARE they for? Is the snagging a sign of any kind of problem with the head? - ----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney Madison, WI 53711 USA ----------------------------------------------- |
#8
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Personally, I think the foam swabs are a VCR disaster for the reasons you
mention. I prefer to just buy chamois-style flat sticks by Chemtronics, sold by many major electronic sales outlets. Yes, they are expensive, like 50 cents each or something. But they are clean and consistant, and save me the trouble of buying chamois, popsicle sticks, and gluing my own. On anything but the head drum and pole pieces, I just use cotton swabs and be careful about leaving cotton threads behind. In article , Jim Adney wrote: I have some foam-tipped cleaning swabs that I've been using now and then, over the past decade, to occasionally clean the heads of DAT and VCR tape heads. I got these at Radio Shack years ago, but don't see them there now. I bought them because they were all I could find at the moment, but I've always wondered if they were really the right thing to use for this purpose. The cleaning pads I've always heard about were supposed to be some kind of synthetic chamois in the shape of a flat pad. When I use the foam swabs, they tend to snag on the edges of the heads. This makes me wonder if the heads are broken, leaving some kind of burr there, or if this is just the wrong kind of swab. I'm very careful when I do this; I just hold the swab still while moving the head gently sideways, back and forth. If it snags I relax and let it come free, rather than putting any real force on anything. I think what I really need are rather flat pads made of something a bit more substantial than these foam swabs. I believe MCM sells something like this. Is this what I want? If the foam swabs aren't for this purpose, what ARE they for? Is the snagging a sign of any kind of problem with the head? - ----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney Madison, WI 53711 USA ----------------------------------------------- |
#9
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On Mon, 05 Sep 2005 21:34:45 -0500, Jim Adney
wrote: Hmmm, you've got me a little confused he You say that some heads have a shape that tends to snag, but that you should never feel any resistance? Are you saying that ideally there should be no snagging, but that it just seems unavoidable with some head designs? There should be no snagging. If you notice any snagging, use something else, or be more gentle. I normally use either copier paper, or a piece of a paper towel. Anything reasonably soft that doesn't snag on the heads will work. Andy Cuffe -- Use this address until 12/31/2005 -- Use this address after 12/31/2005 |
#11
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"Jim Adney" bravely wrote to "All" (05 Sep 05 17:25:22)
--- on the heady topic of "Foam cleaning swabs for VCR heads?" Call me crazy but I find using any kind of swab on a head chip as flirting with disaster. I especially cringed when I read words like "snag" in your message. You have no idea how fragile a head chip is. My favored way to clean heads is using ordinary copier or printer paper. I cut it into strips about the same width as VCR tape and about 2 to 3 inches long. I put a drop of 99% alcohol on it and wrap it around the drum in the tape path, then I gently turn the drum so the heads rub under the paper. I keep doing this with fresh strips until the strip comes out clean. When all the heads are cleaned then I clean up the rest of the drum surfaces with a swab until all shedded materials are removed, also in the line grooves as air must flow through these freely. A*s*i*m*o*v JA From: Jim Adney JA Xref: core-easynews sci.electronics.repair:341435 JA I have some foam-tipped cleaning swabs that I've been using now and JA then, over the past decade, to occasionally clean the heads of DAT and JA VCR tape heads. I got these at Radio Shack years ago, but don't see JA them there now. JA I bought them because they were all I could find at the moment, but JA I've always wondered if they were really the right thing to use for JA this purpose. The cleaning pads I've always heard about were supposed JA to be some kind of synthetic chamois in the shape of a flat pad. JA When I use the foam swabs, they tend to snag on the edges of the JA heads. This makes me wonder if the heads are broken, leaving some kind JA of burr there, or if this is just the wrong kind of swab. I'm very JA careful when I do this; I just hold the swab still while moving the JA head gently sideways, back and forth. If it snags I relax and let it JA come free, rather than putting any real force on anything. JA I think what I really need are rather flat pads made of something a JA bit more substantial than these foam swabs. I believe MCM sells JA something like this. Is this what I want? JA If the foam swabs aren't for this purpose, what ARE they for? JA Is the snagging a sign of any kind of problem with the head? .... That was a fascinating period of time for electronics |
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