HP2648A tape drive capstans

I've been following this thread with interest since I'm in the midst of restoring an HP Dynamic Systems Analyzer with two of the same tape drives installed. Both capstans were gooey. I considered the various suggestions and came up with an easy, inexpensive and accurate way of restoring the rubber coating on the capstan. Plasti Dip International <http://plastidip.com/consumer/index.html> makes a coating for tools, insulating, weatherproofing, etc. You dip the object you want to coat as many times as necessary to build up the necessary layer. The product has just about the right consistency to replace the old capstan rubber and appears to have excellent wear characteristics. I was able to add 0.021" [53.3] coating to the capstan in three dips to bring the diameter to the proper value. The diameter varies less than 0.001" [0.025] over several measures and the run-out is around 0.002" [0.051]. This was on the first try. The drive appeared to run the tapes on hand properly. A couple of hints: - stir the stuff well. However, not so fast as to introduce bubbles. - attach an extension to the can of dip and add one or two drops of solvent to the top of the dip. This will ensure that the area above the surface of the dip is saturated with solvent and will prevent skimming. - coat past the capstan onto the shaft. The added weight is negligible and will ensure that the coating is uniform over the capstan's surface. My next try will be on a capstan for a DEC 7-track tape drive belonging to a friend.