38 reel table height questions

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morte sicura

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Hey all... the 38 is here. It was packed very well -- double boxed with peanuts in each box, also wrapped in bubblewrap and with a styrofoam enclosure surrounding the reel tables..

However - the right-hand reel table is too low; its rubber surface is below its opening in the faceplate. the reel is difficult to attach and it scratches. The left-hand reel table appears to be correct, a reel moves smoothly in it, but I suppose it could also be off - there's no way for me to tell at this point.

Anyway, Sennheiser, I read your post that it was hard to get to but not hard to do, and that the procedure is in the manual. The only manual I have is for the 34b (which should be the same regarding such adjustments) which I downloaded in .pdf form, and there's nothing in it about the reel table height adjustment. Maybe that manual is abbreviated....

Soooo, any help would be appreciated :-) I am not scared to take this thing apart - I work on just about everything I own - but I don't want to screw it up without having some kind of guide or roadmap to follow.

Thanks in advance for any input,
Andrew
 
These procedure should be in the service manual. It's quite likely you have to call Tascam to get a photo copied one, and it won't be for free either, but if you want to service this machine yourself, you got to have one.
 
Stripping the machine down to its birthday suit is not something you should do without the manual.

If I remember correctly, every panel on the chassis has to come off just to get at one little allen head cap screw. And it's metric so go get yourself a set of metric allen keys.

Make sure the chassis is adequately supported on a good workbench or other sturdy table and that you can reach all sides of the machine without turning it around. The panels add stiffness to the construction of the machine and you don't want to unneccesarily be moving it around a whole lot. Especially when you remove the right side crossmember.

I read at the TASCAM site where one ingenious fellow drilled a 5/16th hole in the appropriate place in the side of the cabinet to get at that screw so he'd never have to do the procedure again.
 
manual is on the way.

Okay, I have a photocopy of the entire manual, 101 pages plus 16 foldout pages, on the way, In the mean time I may try to find someone who's done this before and see if I can't get it wirked out so I can get to work (not to mention testing the deck). With 27 commercial studios in my local music directory (probably half of which are really just home studios offering demo services), someone will have an idea who to refer for this level of tech work. Just in case I break down and decide to pay someone this time :-)


Andrew
 
Man, it ain't Hi-tech. If you can turn a screwdriver, you can set your reel table height. Don't pay $65 an hour for something you can do yourself. It's about a 2.5-3 hour job for a first timer. Maybe an hour and a half for a tech or someone who has done it. Wouldn't you rather spend that money on tape than on someone's salary? Besides, you will learn how the mechanical part of the machine works and how all the components fit together. If you're going to own one of these machines you really should know how it operates. I can't think of a better way than stripping one down and poking around looking at components.

Have you tried to just pull the reel table up to the correct height by hand? The screw may be loose enough to get it evened up with the other one. If it won't come up by hand, don't use a tool to force it.

That'll get you up and running before the manual comes and then you can fix it correctly and permanently.
 
I'm looking forward to working on it actually...

Working on the deck won't be any trouble - I was just considering short term options :-) so I will give a tug on the reel table and see if it comes up. I do my own work on just about everything I own so this shouldn't be too bad. If I can take the motor out of my car, surely I can follow these directions (once they finally arrive).

Thanks all of you!

Andrew
 
The hardest thing is keeping track of all those damn screws and which ones go where.

Good luck to you. Let us know how it goes.
 
You'll have to remove the back cover and the top cover.

and that should give you adequate access to the reel table adjustment.
 
The front panel and right side upper crossmember must also be removed for access to the reel table adjustment screw.

At least according to the manual.
 
took apart my 48 recently with my recording tech teacher. . well, he did most of the work, but it was a similar problem, setting the reel table heights, and the brake was rubbing against the felt on the takeup reel, so the deck woudnt playback. I was really shocked that the deck could be fixed up so (relitavely) easily with the appropriate tools and the service manual. . i was scared to go in by myself, but now i think i have a bit more confidence. .
 
I don't recall exactly about the front panel having to come off,...

as I remember, [vaguely], I've done it once by removing the back, top and front covers, and another time by removing the back and top covers only.

I'll be having to adjust my 38's reel height again soon. It ran fine for a long time since last maintenance, and the day I brought home the second nice 38, the reel table slipped on the first 38. Go figure. Anyway, having taken a stab at adjusting it a few months ago, it seems that it's still about 1/32"- 1/16" too low, as the tape rubs very slightly on the front flange,.... so I'll be doing the reel height adjustment again soon, when I can find the time. It's a low use deck, and not my only deck, so if it's down, it doesn't put me completely out of recording. I'll adjust it again soon, when I get a chance.

Reel-table height is not a difficult repair, it's more of an annoyance, and it seems to keep happening, every several years, if you use the deck any substantial amount.

My original 38 has Philips head set screws on the reel tables, and not hex. I've heard that the hex screws may hold better, just because you can torque a hex much tighter. Also, I've wondered about using some Loctite-type glue to hold that hub to that shaft better, plus loctiting the set screw.

Anyway, for now I'll just adjust it if it needs adjusting. It's just another of my many fixit projects.

I've had my 38 almost 20 years, and it's had a few little problems, but I don't mind having to do a little maintenance, and most problems I'd consider routine or normal for a deck of this age, regarding rubber parts, mechanical stuff and calibration.

I sure love that 38. [sniff, sniff,... overcome with emotion,... sniff];)
 
PS: I already graduated tech school.

Life's full of stuff that needs to be fixed. Tearing stuff apart is practically a daily occurrence for me, it just seems normal, like no big deal.

Putting it together,...- ha. That's the real challenge!
 
more on the reel table

Hi everyone, an update on the reel table. I was, as Sennheiser suggested, able to tug on the table and pull it up. It's kinda loose though and it will fall back down after a bit. I stuck some felt on the machine's front panel (right at the reel table opening) to keep the reel at the right height and ran a few seconds' worth of tape through. Sometimes the motor for that side doesn't engage the table. No rewind and sometimes no ff and play. Something inside was probably jarred loose during shipping. My manual's on the way so hopefully I'll be able to get into it by Wednesday or so.


Thanks everybody!
 
Work is done, 38 is up and running!

Hi everyone, just an update... I received the manual today (Monday) around 6:30pm and had the 38 back together and running by 9pm. Very easy work! I marked the case for drilling so I can get to the adjustments w/o taking it apart but I couldn't find the drill. It will be really easy to do this after there are access holes in top of the machine!

There's a slight rub on the other reel after a few minutes' worth of tape have passed, so I'll probably snap it apart and make that adjustment over the weekend. Only setback for the procedure was a stripped screw head on the back panel.

I should add that I ordered my manual from Mark Glinksy's "Manual Manor" on Friday and it arived on Monday, for $28 total price. That's damn fast!

http://www.markglinsky.com/ManualManor.html

Now it's getting really close to tracking time!!



Thanks to all you guys!
Andrew
 
Well, that's cool. Like I said, sometimes it takes a second shot to get it right.

Thanx for posting that link. It's amazing how many manuals that guy has. Are the manuals he sells all copies, or original Tascam product?
 
Most all are good quality photocopies. I ordered the 200 page manual for my Roland R-5 a month or so ago. Fast service and reasonable prices. He's a good guy.
 
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