Reel-to-reel tape decks (was: Re: ZX81 denigrated!)

If al lelse fails, I have a shelf of Poole and Molloy from 1952 to 1981, missing about 2 volumes. I certainly have the 3 that cover this machine (hint!) Lighter fluid is often a good solvent for removing adhesive residue... Well I get it from a _good_ model shop under the name 'Plastic Weld'. It makes a much stronger bond than normal polystyrene cement. And you only use a couple of drops of it at a time. The trick is to put the parts together and run a bush dipped in the solvent down the crack. Then, if you want a really strong reapir and don't care what one side of the part looks like, put a piece of cotton fabric over the back of the crack, 'paint' the solvent onto that and force it into the softened plastic. That's how I fixed the keyboard bezel on my HP9830, which was shattered by the postal 'service'... To be honest, I feel that a lot of these safety warnings are intended for people who use the material every day, probably in quite large quantities. I don't worry at all about using a few drops every other month or so. You may find one of the car seat repair kits is of use... Normally you put a patch under the tear and stick the edges down to it (the rexine was not nromally stuck the wood all over, so sticking bits of it down to the wood is no the right thing to do). -tony