Reel-to-reel tape decks (was: Re: ZX81 denigrated!)

[Tony Duell]

> 
> In message <m1CZfEg-000JEDC at p850ug1>
>           ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote:
> 
> > Do you have access to Poole and Molloy (say in a good public library 
> > [1])?
> 
> Hahaha... Good public library... ROFLMAO! That's a laugh. Most of the really

If al lelse fails, I have a shelf of Poole and Molloy from 1952 to 1981, 
missing about 2 volumes. I certainly have the 3 that cover this machine 
(hint!)

> > Quite likely. I think origianlly there was a foam pad over each spool 
> > turntable. The idea was you could leave spools on the machine and put the 
> > lid on when you'd finished using it and the foam would keep them in place.
> 
> I suppose the best option to deal with that would be to sand off the remains
> of whatever adhesive was used with Wet-n-Dry paper, then glue some fresh foam

Lighter fluid is often a good solvent for removing adhesive residue...

> > If it is polystyrent then dichloromethane will stick it.
> 
> [ checks MSDS ]
> 
> Known carcinogen, suspected human carcinogen, suspected mutagen. No thanks. I

Well I get it from a _good_ model shop under the name 'Plastic Weld'. It 
makes a much stronger bond than normal polystyrene cement. And you only 
use a couple of drops of it at a time. The trick is to put the parts 
together and run a bush dipped in the solvent down the crack. Then, if 
you want a really strong reapir and don't care what one side of the part 
looks like, put a piece of cotton fabric over the back of the crack, 
'paint' the solvent onto that and force it into the softened plastic. 
That's how I fixed the keyboard bezel on my HP9830, which was shattered 
by the postal 'service'...

To be honest, I feel that a lot of these safety warnings are intended 
for people who use the material every day, probably in quite large 
quantities. I don't worry at all about using a few drops every other 
month or so.

> > > sticking the rexine back down in the areas where it's peeled off...
> 
> Not sure what to use for that though. Again, the previous owner (I prefer the
> term "wannabe restorer") tried Superglue. Yah, that worked really well.

You may find one of the car seat repair kits is of use... Normally you 
put a patch under the tear and stick the edges down to it (the rexine was 
not nromally stuck the wood all over, so sticking bits of it down to the 
wood is no the right thing to do).

-tony