Inappropriately sticky DC100 tapes

From: Frank McConnell <fmc_at_reanimators.org>
Date: Sun Jul 23 12:26:00 2000

Once again I have some HP 85 tapes, which are basically 3M DC100
cartridges. These have the interesting property that, left to sit for
the better part of a decade, when the tape is first spun the oxide
ends up stuck to the tensioner loop inside of the cartridge, leaving a
clear spot on the tape. Which is bad as the drives use optical
sensors to find BOT/EOT perforations in the tape, not to mention the
fact that your Important Data is now missing some bits as they are
stuck to the tensioner loop which doesn't get to touch the head.

Suppose I'm willing to take extreme measures with a tape that I think
has not been spun in a while, like disassembling and reassembling the
cartridge. (As you might imagine from my description above, I have
some cartridges which are sacrificable for parts.) Anybody got any
good ideas for removing and replacing the tensioner loop without
removing the oxide from the tape?

-Frank McConnell
Received on Sun Jul 23 2000 - 12:26:00 BST