15 Feb
2004
15 Feb
'04
9:28 a.m.
Does anyone know if it's ok to clean a TU58 tape head with alcohol?
(or, perhaps, does working on a tu58 lead one to drink? :-)
-brad
15 Feb
15 Feb
9:32 a.m.
On Sun, 15 Feb 2004, Brad Parker wrote:
Does anyone know if it's ok to clean a TU58 tape
head with alcohol?
Its ok, as long as you use the pure stuff.. not the stuff some
stores
sell as "cleaning alcohol" 'cos that stuff contains some really nasty
thingies that pretty much dissolve anything, including magnetic heads.
(or, perhaps, does working on a tu58 lead one to
drink? :-)
* I refuse to comment on that * :)
--f
9:40 a.m.
On Sun, 15 Feb 2004, Brad Parker wrote:
Does anyone know if it's ok to clean a TU58 tape head with alcohol?
As has been mentioned - read the label of the bottle - be sure that it's
not the usual 20/80 mix of alcohol/water - the al evaporates but the water
stays back and smears the residue all over... look for stuff that's over
80% alcohol.
Been there, done that, wrecked a TK50 tape and damn near the drive along
with it...
Cheers
John
PS: And you'd think I'd know better....
9:45 a.m.
>>>> "Brad" == Brad Parker
<brad(a)heeltoe.com> writes:
Brad> Does anyone know if it's ok to clean a TU58 tape head with
Brad> alcohol?
As others said, I'd suggest something that's well over 90% pure.
Ethanol can be had in 96% grade. Another option is isopropyl alcohol
but be sure you get the high grade stuff, NOT the 70% or so stuff that
also has oil in it ("rubbing alcohol").
There used to be head cleaner fluid available at good hi-fi stores;
some of that was probably some sort of fluorocarbon -- probably no
longer sufficiently politically correct...
Brad> (or, perhaps, does working on a tu58 lead one to drink? :-)
Very definitely. When DEC named that beast "DECtape II" they
slandered a very nice piece of hardware (the TU55/56).
paul
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brad＠heeltoe.com -
jpl15＠panix.com -
pkoning＠equallogic.com -
waltje＠pdp11.nl