Re: Will these old tapes be playable?
I thought the main problem with mold was the health risk, i.e. while handling or cleaning the tape the particles will fly off into the air which is not healthy to breathe in.
I would expect this can be alleviated to a large extent by doing the operation in a well ventilated area (e.g. outdoors) and wearing appropriate protection (e.g. those single use surgical masks that cover your mouth and nose).
But I'm no expert and have never actually come across a moldy tape myself so just trying to contribute to the discussion here.
I always feel the amount of effort put into playing a tape is proportional to what is on it. I.e. I wouldn't bin a tape that had a precious family recording on it, whatever its condition.
|