Tape Trail Reel to reel, cassette and other analogue tape formats.

---

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ Tape Trail ]

---

[ Alert Moderator ]

---

Re: Kenwood KX-2060 need some help!!!

Posted by slbender@gmail.com (A) on March 17, 2007 at 12:41:05

In Reply to: Re: Kenwood KX-2060 need some help!!! posted by jsjazz on March 17, 2007 at 09:40:47:

Many Pinch rollers get hard and slick, and loose grip against the capstan and the tape surface; there are several solutions for this.

One is to clean using alcohol and/or lighter fluid (except Pioneer rollers which turn to goo with alcohol). This gets the oxide debris and some of the slick off of it. But alcohol can leech chemicals out of the surface, making the surface a bit harder or more brittle, or turning it to a softer sticky goo. So YMMV. When properly cleaned of debris, the surface will no longer show brown, and will essentially be black. Then the surface must be roughened or made "less slick".

This can be done by using a rubber re-neu product, or a very, very, very fine sandpaper, being careful not to loose the basic centricity of the surface of the roller. Place the sandpaper on a heavy steel brick or similar hard surface, and carefully rotate the capstan/tape surface of the PR onto the SP, while turning it "against the grain" and in opposition to the direction you are moving it on the sandpaper. This eventually will remove the slick surface, leaving a clean matte surface in its place. This takes better part of a half hour to do properly, apply minimal pressure and go over the surface on different areas of the SP as the rubber will come off making small clump areas.

Visually it should be apparent when the surface is fully and consistently matte when turned and viewed under a bright light. This will be best for gripping the tape surface evenly if done right. Rollers from mechanically operated single motor machines may be deformed, or show dents in the surface, these can be removed by comtinuing to do this process until such dents and deformities are gone, assuming the rubber isn't brittle and breaking off. At worst, the roller will be somewhat smaller and off pitch and somewhat off speed, but it will hold move the tape. There comes a time when a PR should be re-tired if brittle and breaking into pieces.

Another choice is to get a new "re-tire" replacing the entire rubber tire of the roller on the original bearing. Several places do this, but it can cost more than a consumer machine is worth, and often one has the choice of materials and colors, and hardness of the rubber. One fellow (Witt) does a nice job for $35. plus return shipping, but there is no choice of rubber dura (hardness) and what he uses is a rather hard dura, harder than many pinch rollers had originally. The Kenwood PR does seem to have a tire that is on the high dura end for PR's, at least my 8077 seems to be harder than those I've seen on any of the Akai's or Tandbergs, but similar to those on some Sony's.

-Steven L. Bender, Designer of Vintage Audio Equipment

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Schiit Audio

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---