QIC capstan

[steven at malikoff.com]

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: RE: QIC capstan
From:    "tony duell" <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date:    Wed, November 18, 2015 4:43 am
To:      "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
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>>
>> http://terrysrubberrollers.com/
>>
>> Terry has rebuilt about a dozen rollers for me over the past 2 years.
>> You'll need to remove the roller and send it in to him with a money order
>> (he doesn't take checks or credit cards), but he'll do a fantastic job for
>> about $40-50 per roller.
>
> Any suggestions for those of us who would rather do it ourselves?
>
> In my case I have 6 or 7 HP tape drives (an assortment of 9142's, 9144's and
> a 9145) and 4 TU58 drives to do (at least). I suspect I could do it a lot cheaper
> than around $500 and I don't want to send irreplaceable (and in the case of HP
> drives, delicate (as it includes the tacho disk) parts around the world,
>
> The important one for me at the moment is the TU58. I have some suitable
> aluminium alloy rod to make a new hub if need be, I've measured up the old
> roller (the important dimension is the outside diameter -- 5/8") [1]. Any suggestions
> as to what to use as a 'tyre' ?
>
> [1] Amusingly for a DEC machine, the motor spindle is 3mm diameter, not an
> imperial size.
>
> -tony

For that many rollers and that amount of money, personally I would spend it on a small
lathe such as a Unimat, Taig or Sherline (I'm a Unimat fanatic myself, I love 'em. A
vastly underrated machine if there ever was one).
For sources of hard rubber material I would be looking at spindles and guide rollers from
old printers, photocopiers, typewriters and other equipment. For example the IBM Selectric
typewriter guide rollers that go under the platen.
Hard rubber can be machined with a sharp bit, it's how forklift wheels and conveyor belt
rollers etc. are brought to size after remoulding.
If you have a vernier or digital caliper then get together some diagrams of what you need
and I will see if I have anything in that range in my stash of rollers and guide wheels.

Steve.