Westminster reel to reel tape recorder

[julie_m]

Originally Posted by stevehertz

when I was doing a lot with tape recorders in the 70s (using them and setting them up), I remember reading that meths should not be used for cleaning heads as it is not pure enough and could leave deposits.

Where did you read that -- a sales brochure for some expensive, proprietary, magical cleaning fluid?

Methylated spirits was what the BBC used to use on all their tape machines. And if they thought it was good enough for them, who am I to argue?

Originally Posted by Brian R Pateman

I use lighter petrol (Ronsonol).

That's a bit extreme just for cleaning oxide from tape heads. It will attack plastic and rubber parts; and being a pure non-polar solvent, there are kinds of muck it won't shift. It is ideal for cleaning pulleys and surfaces that bear against idlers, though.

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by julie_m

Where did you read that -- a sales brochure for some expensive, proprietary, magical cleaning fluid?

Well Julie, if you read all that I said in that post... "...I distinctly remember reading that about meths, but personally I doubt if it's that critical, more likely having come from a manufacturer of branded tape head cleaning products! "

[Ted Kendall]

I remember Angus McKenzie advising against using purple meths for cleaning cassette heads on the grounds that the dissolved piridine and purple dye would leave a deposit on the head. Given the low tensions and smooth tape surfaces involved in cassettes, I suppose this is plausible. He advocated industrial meths, which is of course difficult to get hold of. I use IPA in critical applications like these, but have never had any trouble with purple meths on open-reel machines and, as has already been said, we used gallons of the stuff at the Beeb without problems.

[AC/HL]

IPA, about £7.50 for a litre post free from various eBay sellers.

[mole42uk]

Lighter fuel (naphtha) can be a little aggressive but is certainly a useful solvent.

In my job repairing musical instruments and musicians electronic equipment, when I need an alcohol-type cleaning agent, I use Meths for general stuff that doesn't care about staining or deposits, and medical alcohol for more delicate stuff. However, it is quite good at removing many screen-printed label texts and valve type labels. For removing old adhesive labels, white spirit often works although I also keep turpentine which is even better.

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by Ted Kendall

I remember Angus McKenzie advising against using purple meths for cleaning cassette heads on the grounds that the dissolved piridine and purple dye would leave a deposit on the head. Given the low tensions and smooth tape surfaces involved in cassettes, I suppose this is plausible. He advocated industrial meths, which is of course difficult to get hold of. I use IPA in critical applications like these, but have never had any trouble with purple meths on open-reel machines and, as has already been said, we used gallons of the stuff at the Beeb without problems.

That would make sense to me regarding where I read it. I was a great admirer of Angus McKenzie and I read with great interest everything that I saw from by his pen. But I take your points entirely, which, as I said previously, are shared by myself. But for the record, I always use IPA because I bought a bottle for that purpose.

[TonyDuell]

Maplin and Cricklewood Electronics sell 400ml spay cans of IPA (isopropyl alcohol, isopropanol, propan-2-ol, whatever you like to call it) and in my experience they do not ask what you want if for. This stuff should be safe on tape heads, I use it for general cleaning, floppy disk heads, even the heads in minicomputer hard disk units with no problem.

One curiousity. The manual for the Cipher computer tape drive that is currently covering my bench warns that alcohol-based cleaners may cause data errors and that only a particular Freon should be used. It says nothing about doing damage (so it's not that it disolves the potting compound in the head block). Needless to say said Freon is long since banned, so I guess I use IPA and hope...

[unitaudio]

Is it possible the heads need de-magnetising? In the past I've been led a merry dance because of this when a machine hasn't been used for a long time.

Regards,
Paul

[Tim]

Chris came round to Chez Tim today and we had a play.

After a head de-mag, further head clean and replacement of half a dozen hunts caps, lv electrolytics , a 10 k resistor and HT smoothers this little machine is now back in action and plenty loud enough.
The output valve does seem to be an EL84 as the pin out corresponds and internal structure looks familiar. With good HT( being brought down by leaky second half of HT cap, also reducing screen volts on EL84 and HT to rest of machine to about 170 volts) of some 250 volts things were much better. For the first time ever I actually had a smoothing cap HOT to the touch. I think we were lucky it didn't go off bang!
The tone control proved to be O/C. I think there was a leaky cap on the commonly found anode tone control arrangement. Interestingly a leaky cap was also responsible for about 11 volts on the volume control. No wonder it was crackly.

It even records reasonably well too! Another one saved!.

BTW, I find that alcohol hand cleaning gel makes excellent head cleaner. The one I use is the pure un-perfumed kind that you find in hospitals.

[moonraker67]

Hi All .The Westminster is now up and running. Thanks very much to Tim, who waved his magic fingers over it and reserected it back to life. Thanks to everyone else who replied with ideas.
Regards Chris.