Head Cleaner + Demagnetizer UK

[roblluke]

I went on a search today to my 'Local' Maplin Electronics shop to try and buy some cleaning fluids and a demagnetizer to clean my Tascam 424 mk111.

The only thing i could find was one of those consumer packs with a cleaning/demagnetizing cassette and a tube of liquid which does god knows what...

I didnt buy this because, from reading other reviews and stuff they all say to "stay away" from this type of thing.

Can anyone in the UK tell me where I can buy this stuff from. (I can't find any on ebay.co.uk and don't fancy getting it shipped from America).

 

[_DK]

Same here! But I'm in Canada. For some reason all this stuff is in US.

 

[jpmorris]

www.studiospares.com

I'm not sure if the demagnetizer is suitable for cassette decks, it might be a bit overwhelming. They sell isopropyl alcohol, though.

Since someone else has jumped in, I'll clarify that Studiospares are in the UK although they also sell to Europe, I believe.

 

[cjacek]

I went on a search today to my 'Local' Maplin Electronics shop to try and buy some cleaning fluids and a demagnetizer to clean my Tascam 424 mk111.

The only thing i could find was one of those consumer packs with a cleaning/demagnetizing cassette and a tube of liquid which does god knows what...

I didnt buy this because, from reading other reviews and stuff they all say to "stay away" from this type of thing.

Can anyone in the UK tell me where I can buy this stuff from. (I can't find any on ebay.co.uk and don't fancy getting it shipped from America).

Go to a pharmacy / chemist and ask for a bottle of 99% isopropyl alcohol. Pick up some minimum lint cotton swabs (on wooden sticks preferably).

For the rubber pinch roller, just use a lint free cloth lightly dampened in warm water (excess squeezed out).

Note: make sure the cotton from the q-tips doesn't get tangled into the capstan when cleaning.

This may be a bit controversial but, imho, unless you know that the cassette tape transport came close to a magnetic field or that there is a definite problem then there is no need to use a demagnetizer.

It's a good thing you didn't buy the cassette demager. These can cause problems.

 

[roblluke]

Thanks for your advice JPMorris + CJacek. I have orderd a studios spares catalogue.

I'm going to try and get some Isopropyl Alcohol from the chemist tomoro. As for the rubber cleaning stuff, You have suggested 'Warm Water'. I was wondering if you knew what the actual stuff is that comes in the Teac RC-1 bottle in the Tascam cleaning kits.

 

[cjacek]

I was wondering if you knew what the actual stuff is that comes in the Teac RC-1 bottle in the Tascam cleaning kits.

You mean other than carcinogens ? I'm not sure of the exact formula but it's a rubber cleaner and conditioner. As far as I know TASCAM doesn't stock these anymore but I could be wrong. This is a good alternative:

http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.179/.f

Btw, the reason I suggested the "warm water" treatment for the pinch roller, is that you could use it everytime you clean the heads, capstan etc which would be often. The rubber cleaner I'd only use occassionally (but regularly) to restore and keep the pinch roller in exactly the same condition as it did when leaving the factory.