Wow, this is incredibly good information on how to deal with moldy tapes. I'm thankful that I haven't yet had to work with tapes this bad, but I'm sure it will happen someday. I'm amused and impressed by your ingenuity in repurposing things you already had around the shop to build a more useful machine to deal with it. This should already exist as a product. If you could make it look a little prettier, you could probably sell them to other shops for $500+ each.
Funny story: Speaking of shedding tape, I owned a Rolie Polie Olie Easter VHS tape back in the day that shed shortly after I owned it! I remembered it shed a couple inches in the middle spot rather than the upper or lower. Luckily it was where the previews were so the actual program wasn't destroyed. I'm guessing two things: 1.) My VCR at the time ate it and caused it. 2.) I had a dud copy. Who knows? Anyways that copy is long gone so I don't have to worry about it for quite a while ROFL🤣🤣
That happened to my 1982 store-bought VHS of The Snowman. All the oxide fell off, and the tape was entirely clear throughout. No chance of recovering it, but luckily it's not something irreplaceable like a home movie!
I would always fast-forward to the end, then fully rewind VHS tapes first, just see if the player will spool them easily when the tapes have sat there for a long time without using. If I noticed a slow or laggy spooling, I won't play that tape. I'll use the cleaning method. Keep tapes upright in a dry cool location.
I do that if I’m having problems that are typical of needing that. Actuallly in my last video I did have an issue that was fixed by doing that. But I don’t do it unnecessarily. Odds are your tape was sticking to itself and fwd freed it up. Could’ve ripped. Maybe I’ve seen it happen a bunch.
@@EmeraldCoastDigitizing One time I had a tape break, right at the very end off of the supply spool in FF mode, because the hub brake pad on an high hour VCR was SO worn & glazed, it wouldn't stop the spool fast enough, when the end of tape sensor / transport stop-mechanism kicked in. I still do check to see if a tape is sluggish in FF / rew mode first I'll before I play it, just in case. Great video there for cleaning / restoring tapes 👌👌
I've heard this happens in Japan as well, I don't think it's a real issue in here, at least I never reard about tapes getting moldy, all deppends on the climate.
For the digitizing process, you should look into the doomsday duplicator; it records the signal off the head amplifier and demodulates it in software and does TBC among other things configurable to get the highest quality signal possible!
I've heard about the Domesday Duplicator. It's probably more than you need - creates absolutely massive files (essentially uncompressed video), and you still need to get the VCR to lock onto the signal and play it correctly. So it won't help with moldy/dirty tapes, or ones where the tracking is bad. It's not a magic wand you can wave over your tapes to get them to transfer perfectly every time!
What type of motor did you use in your homemade rewinder? I found it very interesting, maybe I can do it with a video cassette with a damaged head but the controls work, I have a tape here that I want to recover, it's glued too.
Man I don’t know. I’ve been wanting to try but don’t have any personal tapes that are in bad shape at the moment. I have often wondered is there is a coating we could put on tapes to preserve and clean them
Wow, this is incredibly good information on how to deal with moldy tapes. I'm thankful that I haven't yet had to work with tapes this bad, but I'm sure it will happen someday. I'm amused and impressed by your ingenuity in repurposing things you already had around the shop to build a more useful machine to deal with it. This should already exist as a product. If you could make it look a little prettier, you could probably sell them to other shops for $500+ each.
Glad it was helpful!
Funny story: Speaking of shedding tape, I owned a Rolie Polie Olie Easter VHS tape back in the day that shed shortly after I owned it! I remembered it shed a couple inches in the middle spot rather than the upper or lower. Luckily it was where the previews were so the actual program wasn't destroyed. I'm guessing two things:
1.) My VCR at the time ate it and caused it.
2.) I had a dud copy.
Who knows? Anyways that copy is long gone so I don't have to worry about it for quite a while ROFL🤣🤣
That happened to my 1982 store-bought VHS of The Snowman. All the oxide fell off, and the tape was entirely clear throughout. No chance of recovering it, but luckily it's not something irreplaceable like a home movie!
Looks like you have modified your cleaner, looks good.
I would always fast-forward to the end, then fully rewind VHS tapes first, just see if the player will spool them easily when the tapes have sat there for a long time without using. If I noticed a slow or laggy spooling, I won't play that tape. I'll use the cleaning method. Keep tapes upright in a dry cool location.
I do that if I’m having problems that are typical of needing that. Actuallly in my last video I did have an issue that was fixed by doing that. But I don’t do it unnecessarily. Odds are your tape was sticking to itself and fwd freed it up. Could’ve ripped. Maybe I’ve seen it happen a bunch.
@@EmeraldCoastDigitizing One time I had a tape break, right at the very end off of the supply spool in FF mode, because the hub brake pad on an high hour VCR was SO worn & glazed, it wouldn't stop the spool fast enough, when the end of tape sensor / transport stop-mechanism kicked in. I still do check to see if a tape is sluggish in FF / rew mode first I'll before I play it, just in case. Great video there for cleaning / restoring tapes 👌👌
Nice work! And nice cleaner!
I've heard this happens in Japan as well, I don't think it's a real issue in here, at least I never reard about tapes getting moldy, all deppends on the climate.
Outside in Florida.
For the digitizing process, you should look into the doomsday duplicator; it records the signal off the head amplifier and demodulates it in software and does TBC among other things configurable to get the highest quality signal possible!
Sweet! How many do you have? I need 12
I've heard about the Domesday Duplicator. It's probably more than you need - creates absolutely massive files (essentially uncompressed video), and you still need to get the VCR to lock onto the signal and play it correctly. So it won't help with moldy/dirty tapes, or ones where the tracking is bad. It's not a magic wand you can wave over your tapes to get them to transfer perfectly every time!
What type of motor did you use in your homemade rewinder? I found it very interesting, maybe I can do it with a video cassette with a damaged head but the controls work, I have a tape here that I want to recover, it's glued too.
Just put a pad over the erase head of a vcr. Instant cleaner
@@EmeraldCoastDigitizingThanks
How did these videos get mold on them in the first place, were they kept in an attic or basement?
You got it!
Can silicone lubricant spray like WD40 be used to deal with sticky spray or when the tape looks stiff and frigid?
Man I don’t know. I’ve been wanting to try but don’t have any personal tapes that are in bad shape at the moment. I have often wondered is there is a coating we could put on tapes to preserve and clean them
No, do not use WD40 on video tapes. I use electronic cleaner or just do exactly what this tutorial says to do. It works most of the time.