Storage after baking sticky tape?

[Blue Jinn]

I don't know how to "bake" a tape just yet (have a food dehydrator, and it will fit, just need to look up the thread) but I'm trying to confirm the storage after the fact. I recall Beck or someone else having baked an alignment tape, and then stored with dessicant in a plastic bag to preserve? Or do you just bake each time you need to do an alignment. I have a 1/4" Ampex alignment tape that I'm going to assume is sticky as it's 1. backcoated and 2. has the word "Ampex" on it.

It came with a Fostex deck that a guy was selling cheap because he was testing it out with Ampex 456 and well you know. I did tell him about sticky tape, but didn't have any good tape to test. so he stuck to the price, which made it a screaming deal....No, a wickedly screamin deal, even if it became just a "parts deck..."

 

[sweetbeats]

Rule of thumb of which I'm aware is to bake and store in zipper plastic bag ("freezer" type preferred) with desiccant and figure it's good that way for maybe a month give or take before needing baked again.

Ymmv

 

[Beck]

Yep, basically what sweetbeats said, but I would bake an alignment tape a couple days before use. After baking its best to let it slowly get back to room temperature... about 24 hours or longer. I have an older Teac 1/2" calibration tape that needs to be baked. I also have a newer version that does not have sticky shed issues. After baking the older one the levels on it are precisely the same as on the newer tape.

It's difficult to predict how long a baked tape will last. Could be weeks... could be months, depending on the climate and storage conditions. Just remember baking is for short-term recovery, so performance after storage is iffy. When in doubt bake again.