Re: Storage for 1/2" open reel tape

[Chuck Guzis]

On 4/8/19 9:06 PM, Jeff Woolsey via cctech wrote:
>> I've noted earlier that the vinyl "hanger strips" for 1/2" magnetic tape
>> have been degrading, becoming brittle and simply breaking away,
>> sometimes in small particles.
> 
> I have about a hundred tapes from various contributors, and have noticed
> no age-related [1] deterioration of the seals, probably because mine
> don't get handled very much.  About 1/3 of mine have the vinyl hanger
> strips, another third the autoload seals, and the remainder are in the
> bulky canisters (with several different closures).  I also have a couple
> of tape racks (think "dish rack") that hold maybe thirty tapes, but the
> canisters are too thick to fit in.

That's great--but these are customer tapes, not mine and many are from
the 1960s and 70s.  (About 2/3s of the current batch are 7-track)
Perhaps 50 years of storage takes its toll.  I don't know.

The other minor annoyance is that 40-50 years tends to dry out the
adhesive on labels and less often, leader splices.

As far as racks go, you can sometimes find the 16mm film racks at
auction--they rarely attract bids.  They're mostly Neumade products.

--Chuck