Please help reviving dirty/damaged 8mm tape

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

A while back a can of Coke got spilled directly on an 8mm video tape that
came out of my Sharp camcorder. I snapped the tape up immediately, and I
could not tell how much liquid actually made contact with the tape. Not
knowing what to do, I let the tape sit for a few hours, in the event it
needed to dry. When I tried to play it later on the camcorder, the
camcorder's "dew/clog" light came on and it froze up. I cleaned the tape
heads, and the camcorder would play all my other tapes, but to this day it
will not play the tape that got wet.
This tape is hugely important to me, and I absolutely have to salvage it
some way. I have taken it to two camera/video places, but they "don't do
that sort of thing." I'm confident that the tape is carrying residue of the
Coke - sugar, dyes, whatever - that can be cleaned with the right process.
I'm willing to go over this tape inch by inch if necessary, with whatever
solution or cleaner might work.
Please help me devise a solution, as I just have to save this tape.

Thank you for any input.

jakesnake

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

I bet you can take apart the plastic case (many are screwed together) and clean
the entire length of tape with warm water. It will be a slow process because you
will have to let it dry totally before you start rolling it up again.You'll
probably have to do a couple of feet at a time, let it dry, and then roll some
more out.

Too bad it wasn't diet coke - this version dries without any sticky residue.

Not to be too mean sounding, but it was kind of dumb to put it back in your
expensive camcorder without cleaning.

"jakesnake66" <jake@lycos.com> wrote in message
news:WajHc.741$JI.533@fe1.columbus.rr.com...
> A while back a can of Coke got spilled directly on an 8mm video tape that
> came out of my Sharp camcorder. I snapped the tape up immediately, and I
> could not tell how much liquid actually made contact with the tape. Not
> knowing what to do, I let the tape sit for a few hours, in the event it
> needed to dry. When I tried to play it later on the camcorder, the
> camcorder's "dew/clog" light came on and it froze up. I cleaned the tape
> heads, and the camcorder would play all my other tapes, but to this day it
> will not play the tape that got wet.
> This tape is hugely important to me, and I absolutely have to salvage it
> some way. I have taken it to two camera/video places, but they "don't do
> that sort of thing." I'm confident that the tape is carrying residue of the
> Coke - sugar, dyes, whatever - that can be cleaned with the right process.
> I'm willing to go over this tape inch by inch if necessary, with whatever
> solution or cleaner might work.
> Please help me devise a solution, as I just have to save this tape.
>
> Thank you for any input.
>
> jakesnake
>
>
>
>
>
>

 

[Rick]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Before doing that, I'd first take the case off to see exactly where
the soda went. The way these cases are designed, unless you
really soaked it, or turned it over, the liquid most likely went into
the space between the reels and case -- not on the tape itself.
If the reels are sticking to the case, that would cause your clog
light to come on. But it's relatively easy to clean up once you
take the case off.

Rick

"SimMike-" <simmike@comcast.net> wrote in message news:uelHc.32210$JR4.28010@attbi_s54...
> I bet you can take apart the plastic case (many are screwed together) and clean
> the entire length of tape with warm water. It will be a slow process because you
> will have to let it dry totally before you start rolling it up again.You'll
> probably have to do a couple of feet at a time, let it dry, and then roll some
> more out.
>
> Too bad it wasn't diet coke - this version dries without any sticky residue.
>
> Not to be too mean sounding, but it was kind of dumb to put it back in your
> expensive camcorder without cleaning.
>
> "jakesnake66" <jake@lycos.com> wrote in message
> news:WajHc.741$JI.533@fe1.columbus.rr.com...
> > A while back a can of Coke got spilled directly on an 8mm video tape that
> > came out of my Sharp camcorder. I snapped the tape up immediately, and I
> > could not tell how much liquid actually made contact with the tape. Not
> > knowing what to do, I let the tape sit for a few hours, in the event it
> > needed to dry. When I tried to play it later on the camcorder, the
> > camcorder's "dew/clog" light came on and it froze up. I cleaned the tape
> > heads, and the camcorder would play all my other tapes, but to this day it
> > will not play the tape that got wet.
> > This tape is hugely important to me, and I absolutely have to salvage it
> > some way. I have taken it to two camera/video places, but they "don't do
> > that sort of thing." I'm confident that the tape is carrying residue of the
> > Coke - sugar, dyes, whatever - that can be cleaned with the right process.
> > I'm willing to go over this tape inch by inch if necessary, with whatever
> > solution or cleaner might work.
> > Please help me devise a solution, as I just have to save this tape.
> >
> > Thank you for any input.
> >
> > jakesnake
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

 

[Brian]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"jakesnake66" <jake@lycos.com> wrote:

>A while back a can of Coke got spilled directly on an 8mm video tape that
>came out of my Sharp camcorder. I snapped the tape up immediately, and I
>could not tell how much liquid actually made contact with the tape. Not
>knowing what to do, I let the tape sit for a few hours, in the event it
>needed to dry. When I tried to play it later on the camcorder, the
>camcorder's "dew/clog" light came on and it froze up. I cleaned the tape
>heads, and the camcorder would play all my other tapes, but to this day it
>will not play the tape that got wet.
>This tape is hugely important to me, and I absolutely have to salvage it
>some way. I have taken it to two camera/video places, but they "don't do
>that sort of thing." I'm confident that the tape is carrying residue of the
>Coke - sugar, dyes, whatever - that can be cleaned with the right process.
>I'm willing to go over this tape inch by inch if necessary, with whatever
>solution or cleaner might work.
>Please help me devise a solution, as I just have to save this tape.
>
>Thank you for any input.
>
>jakesnake
>
>
I'd advise you to backup any tape of high value, even copying it to a
VHS tape would be better than not backing it up.

Good luck in restoring your 8mm tape.

Regards Brian