Broken Tapes

[PAWGLover]

Is there any possibility of saving a tape where the film has been broken ?

[highwayman274]

What kind of "tape" is it?

8mm film?

VHS?

[PAWGLover]

Vhs. Of course a unposted video. Rent A Butt. I think it's early '90s.

[fredbloggs]

Originally Posted by SamanthaSteeleFan

Vhs. Of course a unposted video. Rent A Butt. I think it's early '90s.

If it's broken at the front or back, where the clear "leader" tape joins the black magnetic tape, or a few seconds can be cut to make the join there, then you can repair that section as it never touches the video head. Cut the two ends square and join with tape on the rear (towards the cassette housing) Scotch tape will work although spicing tape is supposed to be used. Don't use anything messy which is going to get onto the video head.

There are usually four "philips" type screws which hold the two halves of the cassette together which will make the tape easier to get at if removed. HOWEVER, take it apart gently and watch how the tape is threaded through the various guides as it all tends to end up as a heap of parts....

[seany65]

I'd put some sort of gloves on as the tape is highly vulnerable to damage by fingers, even just touching the tapes can do it.

You may not believe that, but you can rewind an old tape that has something on you don't watch and then touch the tape in a place just before the point where the play heads would touch it and see what happens.

[chip]

I can suggest not taking the cassette housing apart unless absolutely necessary.

There is a tiny spring that actuates the door/cover of the cassette when it is placed in the VCR. Those things are an absolute bitch to put back if they pop out. If you can even locate them after they go flying in the first place.

There is a a button on the side that will release the spring to open the door of the tape. Locate it and then prop the door open with something. Next there is a hole on the bottom of the tape that has a release pin that unlocks the reels so that they will spin. If you depress that [ballpoint pen works good] you can unwind just a little bit of tape to make your repair.


To make the repair: find a flat hard surface that is non-magnetic. Pull some tape off of both reels. Be careful not to spend too much time touching the front of the tape, that is where the info is stored. Flip the tape over so that the front of the tape is face down on your cutting surface. Using a sharp razor blade, slice out the damaged part of the tape [if any] and make sure that you have a clean cut on both pieces of tape. Take your splicing tape and lay it over one half of your broken tape: going from top to bottom of the tape and not side to side. Leave some extra splicing tape on the top and bottom of your repair. Now take your tape with the splice and carefully line it up with your other broken piece and match it up. Press down and rub gently to make sure you get good adhesion.

Trim the extra splicing tape from the top and bottom of your repair and carefully wind the tape back into the case using the reels. Wind the repair back several turns by hand. Make sure there is no slack in the tape when you are done. It should tension itself normally.

Carefully un-prop the door and head over to the VCR.
Now rewind the tape for a bit in the VCR and then play it to see if the repair holds and if you can see it. Often times it won't be noticeable if the damaged section is short.

If the tape is broken at the beginning of the reel or the end, the process is the same, I'd imagine, as I've never repaired a damaged lead-in. I would scavenge a piece of tape from another video to make a repair and splice it to the reel and then splice the keeper tape to the donor tape. Again winding by hand initially.

It is also possible to switch reels from one housing to another if the housing is seriously damaged. That does involve removing the screws. But that doesn't sound like the issue you are describing.

One last suggestion.... Do take an old tape that you don't care about [nothing rare please], and press all of the buttons and releases to see what they do and take the thing apart to see how it works. Familiarizing yourself with the construction and operation of a tape will make diving into a tape you are trying to save much less intimidating.

Of course all of the above is from memory, and I don't think I've repaired a tape in close to 20 years.
Going forward though, I think we vintage fans may have to be willing to do things like this to save tapes from being lost.

--

[Jenny48549]

Originally Posted by SamanthaSteeleFan

Vhs. Of course a unposted video. Rent A Butt. I think it's early '90s.

It's 1992. Listed at IAFD here:

http://www.iafd.com/title.rme/title=...a%2dbutt-1.htm

Let me know if you can't fix the tape. I have a decent rip I can post.

[PAWGLover]

If you can post it Jenny that would be great.