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In Reply to: RE: What the heck? posted by DRam on June 11, 2014 at 18:38:36
Take a look at the unplayed tapes.
Mold usually appears as a whitish dusting on the sides of the tape through the windage holes (holes in the flanges).
If you remove one of the flanges, you should be able to make out the shape of the windage holes on the side of the tape pack.
If it is mold and you collect tapes that are important, you're in for a mini ordeal.
The following is a taste of what would be done at a tape archive.
First, you should use a respirator when dealing with this and all procedures should be done either outside or in a room that can be decontaminated.
Get the machine that played the tapes away from your other tapes. You might imagine it as a fountain of spores until it's been cleaned.
Cleaning should be done with hydrogen peroxide on hard surfaces and multiple vacuuming of the room you played the tape in should be done.
Dump all the tape and boxes. You can clean the reels with peroxide.
Cleaning the machine should be done with a vacuum several times then the peroxide. Partial disassembly might be called for depending on the amount of contamination.
Obviously this is pretty extreme but if you have a collection that is important, it isn't.
These spores are dangerous to people (in large amounts) and will spread the mold to other tapes.
BTW, it is possible that it's something other than mold.
Follow Ups:
Hmmm. No dusting seen on the side of the tapes. Nothing visible to the naked eye on either side of the tape. But with a 4 power magnifying glass white specks and threads can be seen on both sides, more on the oxide side than the other. I'm guessing mold in the early stages.
That really irritates me. Not only because my tape collection and deck have been compromised, but my vinyl has also. There are only 85 to 90 tape boxes and reels to clean. There are about 1700 records and associated equipment.
The next time I acquire a new tape it's going to be opened and inspected outside.
"with a 4 power magnifying glass white specks and threads can be seen on both sides, more on the oxide side than the other. I'm guessing mold in the early stages.""That really irritates me. Not only because my tape collection and deck have been compromised, but my vinyl has also. "
This is one of the reasons why you should send a sample to a lab. It's much better to know what you're dealing with, than guessing and wondering and worrying.
I will add that your comment in your original post:
"When the recorder was started white powder sprayed out from the tape path. Upon checking the entire tape path is covered with the stuff."
... doesn't seem to square with your magnifying glass comment above.
Post a few pics of the tape and tape deck path.
What tape deck do you have?
Did you fast wind the tape?
Did you inspect the other tapes?It's nearly impossible to analyze an issue like this over the Internet, but useful photos and more detailed descriptions are always helpful to at least provide some ideas worth pursuing.
I'll temper Ironbutt's comments a little: Mold and other fungal organisms, as well as bacteria and viruses, are all around us, every day. Typically, through keeping our homes clean, our bodies well-nourished and clean, and our home's atmosphere temperate - and not keeping tapes in plastic bags! - we keep these organisms at bay.
Having said all that, you could be dealing with a simple case of house dust (poor housekeeping), ultrasonic humidifier residue (a byproduct of pulverizing water), paper towel lint, etc., etc. Did I mention "get it analyzed"?
:)
Edits: 06/14/14 06/14/14
I apologize for the delay of response. Sometimes life, in the form of a family get-together interferes with computer time.
In answer to your questions and comments:
To the naked eye the tape appears clean. It is only when magnified and lighting applied that the contaminant can be seen.
The deck is an Akai GX636
I did fast wind one tape, and played in both directions.
There are four tapes, since finding the first contaminated the others have been partially unwound and checked. They are also contaminated. The picture above is from about fifteen feet into the reel of one of the tapes that has not been played.
As the tape path has been cleaned several times since the tape was played there is no sense posting a picture. Whatever the contaminant is, it cleans off easily with alcohol.
In addition to the picture above one of the reel from the side was taken. White specks of contaminant can be seen in that picture, but again, can not be seen unless magnified. Also, there is far less contamination on the side than on the playing surface.
I have every intention of contacting a test lab. There are a couple large cities within a hundred or so miles of us, and there should be someone there who can figure out what the contaminant is. We are heading out for a two week vacation, so it will be July before that will be done.
Thanks for your continued suggestions. They are appreciated.
Hey, that's a great pic! Almost artsy. I might just frame it and hang it on the wall. ;)
The first thing which struck me is that, in addition to the expected chaotic disorder, there are "lines" of the stuff. Very interesting. It's as if the tape was pulled over a contaminated surface, such as a rotating tape guide or pinch roller.
Yeah, get it checked. It could be an issue, or it could be no worries. It's always best to know for sure. Google "mold testing lab". The place I used several years ago was Moldlab. They're local to me. The girl who owns it drove a yellow Honda S2000. But I digress. I think it was like fifty or a hundred dollars (back then) to check a sample of black mold from under the kitchen sink. It turned out to be a benign non-hazardous variety (as is often the case) - typical household moisture-loving mold.
Here's the thing: If it's not mold, and is just some misc crap that doesn't grow, you can run the tape (I'm simplifying here) through a "lint-free" cloth and then you've got some nice tape and nice reels (assuming they don't also have "sticky shed"). If it's mold, put 'em all (not your machine!) in the dumpster, and you've got some cleaning to do.
Have a nice vacation!
Later,
Dave
www.youramerica.net
:)
For the most part, I suggest that someone with a modest collection of tapes do a careful cleaning of the room and machine.
I do think it's important to advise folks of possible health dangers especially when it's impossible for me to know the general health of the people who may come in contact with these spores (asthma anyone?).
I take my recommendations from the study done at the U of T at Austin by Jim Thurn and Marie O'Connell who is the tape restoration specialist at Radio New Zealand archives.
Edits: 06/15/14
Hey Ironbut, we don't disagree. Re-read my earlier post where I recommended a couple of thorough cleanings of the machine.Also note that, more than once, I've recommended sending a sample to a mold analysis lab (which is not expensive to do). This is really the ONLY way to know what the stuff is, and how to proceed. I think you would agree.
As I wrote previously, molds and other fungi are all around us every day. They only have a chance to become an issue when we ignor them, giving them an opportunity to multiply freely. Leave a loaf of bread out for a few weeks, or don't clean your shower, and you'll see exactly what I'm saying.
"No dusting seen on the side of the tapes. Nothing visible to the naked eye on either side of the tape."
Tapes, or tape? DRam, please clarify. Have you checked the other tapes, or not? If not, take them outdoors before opening them.
For anyone who might be interested in "tape baking" (which deals with another problem of older tapes), see www.youramerica.net/tapebake.htm.
Btw, my previous reference to "Ironbutt" wasn't intended as an insult or anything - I simply didn't remember if you spelled your monikor with one "t" or two. Now I know. Although, "Ironbutt" would be humorous.
:)
Edits: 06/16/14 06/16/14
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