Anybody try Slitting your own tape?

[evm1024]

I think about all that 2" tape going for not too much and I think "Gee, I should be able to slit that down the middle to get 2, 1" then slit again to get 4, 1/2" reels".

Anybody have any thought or experience?

--Ethan

 

[miroslav]

Do you think you could do it with super-tight tolerances for the full lenght of tape?

If not...your transport guides will have a tough time with it.

It would have to be fully automated...ain't nothing you will do by hand with any success...IMO.

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Having a deck that could handle 2 inch reels would seem to be a prerequisite?

With one, you could simply set up a tightly clamped exacto blade somewhere before the erase head and after the first guide post and then you could just run the tape through to the take up reel which would then need to be re-spooled off to a 1" reel with one side of the now slit tape pack taped closed to not unspool while it runs through to the one inch receiving reel.

Then you could need to flip the 2" reel and un-tape the end and then spool that off to the second empty 1" take up reel.

The whole trick would be in precisely placing the blade and ensuring the mounting of it was solid enough so as not to move while it does its slitting.

The 2" transport would be key in keeping the tape in it's proper position.

Cheers!

 

[sweetbeats]

Or a splicing block to hold the tape? Not sure but they seem to hold the tape with no wiggle room and the length of the block would inhibit any axial play. Having a cover over the block would keep the tape from popping out...could just be made out of nylon and drilled so fasteners could go through it and then through splicing block mounting holes...adjustable blade holder mounted on that so no need to mod the splicing block.

I'd be concerned about having a blade that would cut cleanly without dulling for half a mile worth of tape too...My wife has a tool from Pampered Chef called an islice or something like that with a ceramic blade in it...cuts really and seems to never dull.

Another thought...we've all dealt with the fact that 1/2 inch tape has been slitted in a couple standard widths, the 12.7mm and whatever the other one was that Ampex/Quantegy used. I dealt with this on my 58 because when I set the path up for my cal tape it was then too narrow for the SM911 I was using (which was the slightly wider 12.7mm). My point is that yes the width is very important...little room for variance but there HAVE been variances in the industry and I think CONSISTENCY in the slitting edges barely into first place as key.

 

[evm1024]

I sold my milling machine ages ago so that is out.

I was thinking about a jig with a splicing block or 3. Run from the supply reel to the splicing block. Have some teflon inserts that keep the tape from moving around. I wold not be opposed to drilling a hole in the block so that the cutter could project into the tape path. From there out of the block and back onto another 2" reel. Once the cutting pass is done you cold take another pass back to (2) 1" reels.

Think about picking up an old 2" 15 ips MRL tape and cutting down to a 1", a 1/2" and (2) 1/4" cl tapes. (Not a new MRL so hold your horses).

Good input so far.

Thanks, ethan

 

[grimtraveller]

You got guts mate ! Even a gun to my kneecaps wouldn't get me to cut tape ! I did a fair job on a 6 foot blind though !