I wanted to start this thread to ask people if they knew of a tape head cleaning alternative other than a dedicated product or isopropyl alcohol with the shortage. I was wondering if anyone knew if hydrogen peroxide, witch hazel, or white vinegar was safe to use.
One bottle of IPA will last me years so it's never been a big issue, with alternatives you have to worry about destroying plastic parts. You might want to try looking at the tape websites for dedicated cleaner, it's probably close to 100% (no water added) and labeled for tape, so people aren't buying it for cleaning. Back when I was a youngster I worked for this company and grabbed some of the cleaner in the VHS kits, real nasty stuff that cleans like crazy, I just used some the other night. It doesn't spray but it still drips out. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-19...861605?hash=item287a149725:g:M9QAAOSwjDZYjhuv
All the good cleaning alternatives to IPA have probably now been banned due to them being CFCs. Trichloroethane was a widely used cleaner in the 20th century. Arklone was a trade name. We used to have a tank of the stuff big enough to immerse boards the size of a computer Motherboard. In small quantities Tippex thinners (back when Tippex dried in ten seconds rather than five minutes) was the same thing. I doubt if you buy any now. I wonder what was in the VHS cleaning kit Mister X used
One busy repair shop used Ronsonol lighter fluid as there cassette head and rubber cleaner. Something you can try. Used for Zippo lighters. Anyone collect them?
I can't remember what it was Longman, the box says TF, it was something like TriFloro.... I'd have to go out to the shop to check out the can, if was banned a long time ago but you can still get it on the auction sites and it has great reviews. I've got some Zippos transwave5, not many, more lighters that look like toy firearms, mostly from Hong Kong. I was at a flea market in the middle of no-where PA and a guy there had thousands, he said he was one of the top collectors and showed me a book of lighters and then he produced the lighters used in some of the photos. He was selling most of them for cheap, although the nice ones were hundreds of dollars. I picked up some really cool oddball lighters like a bowling pin.
hydrogen peroxide, witch hazel, or white vinegar theres too much water in these items and they do not remove oil or grease well. I might have one Zippo somewhere. someone mentioned collecting Zippos never thought they were collecting them. good to know if I come across some.
