7
trancedental
New member
Looke like they need a relap & a good clean?
I'm sure the real experts on here will be along in a while!!!!!!!
I'm sure the real experts on here will be along in a while!!!!!!!
evm1024
New member
Tangent
They look good in general. It would be worth measuring how much wear before starting a relap.
The upper head looks to have been off in tangent. That is to say that the wear is more on one side than the other.
The recording gap is NOT visible so there is some life left in these heads.
I wonder what the "blemish" is at the bottom of the lower head. Is this dirt/dust or the head gap starting to show?
You could use a caliper to measure the depth of wear. Somewhere in this BBS I posted the typical allowed wear for a bunch of Mfg heads. I don't remember the numbers off hand.
If you measured 1 mil of wear on a head that has 2 mil of gap depth then you would be abouut 50% worn. After a relap you would have perhaps 40 or 45% life left.
Regards - Ethan
They look good in general. It would be worth measuring how much wear before starting a relap.
The upper head looks to have been off in tangent. That is to say that the wear is more on one side than the other.
The recording gap is NOT visible so there is some life left in these heads.
I wonder what the "blemish" is at the bottom of the lower head. Is this dirt/dust or the head gap starting to show?
You could use a caliper to measure the depth of wear. Somewhere in this BBS I posted the typical allowed wear for a bunch of Mfg heads. I don't remember the numbers off hand.
If you measured 1 mil of wear on a head that has 2 mil of gap depth then you would be abouut 50% worn. After a relap you would have perhaps 40 or 45% life left.
Regards - Ethan
7
7x7
New member
Thanks guys.
The 'blemish' part is also something I noticed. It's some sort of surface dent or something, I don't know. This is as close as I could get with my camera, I should get a magnifying glass to really be sure. When I cleaned the heads as well as I could with cotton swaps and some head cleaner it didn't feel as a gab, that's all I can say...All I felt was the relief slot.
Also, I can't get them any cleaner then this... I reckon the dirty parts I see is oxide?
This might be a dumb question but what exactly should I measure so that I can determine the depth of wear?
I saw on reel openreel.net that new heads are 6900 yen, which is about 40 euro (or $70). Would it be a waste to search new heads instead of relapping these old ones?
The 'blemish' part is also something I noticed. It's some sort of surface dent or something, I don't know. This is as close as I could get with my camera, I should get a magnifying glass to really be sure. When I cleaned the heads as well as I could with cotton swaps and some head cleaner it didn't feel as a gab, that's all I can say...All I felt was the relief slot.
Also, I can't get them any cleaner then this... I reckon the dirty parts I see is oxide?
This might be a dumb question but what exactly should I measure so that I can determine the depth of wear?
I saw on reel openreel.net that new heads are 6900 yen, which is about 40 euro (or $70). Would it be a waste to search new heads instead of relapping these old ones?
cjacek
Analogue Enthusiast
T
Tim Gillett
Banned
Estimating the likely life left is more important if you're paying someone else to do the relap.
But if you do it yourself and the head wears through shortly after, what does it matter? You've learned how to relap heads and can do it the next time, this time well before the head is at the end of its life.
Read the Nortronics guide mentioned above.
Over 30 years I've done simple relaps on probably 1000 tape heads.
No big deal. It's not rocket science.
Cheers Tim
But if you do it yourself and the head wears through shortly after, what does it matter? You've learned how to relap heads and can do it the next time, this time well before the head is at the end of its life.
Read the Nortronics guide mentioned above.
Over 30 years I've done simple relaps on probably 1000 tape heads.
No big deal. It's not rocket science.
Cheers Tim
evm1024
New member
Yup...
...Thats the post I was thinking about. (Thanks for looking it up)
The measurement is from the place were the tape has worn away the head to the "crown" of the head right next to it. This is the depth of the head that has been worn away. It would be worth knowing.
A----|......|-----
B.....+----+
Here is a crude drawing showing the tape path with the worn depth A to B.
I agree with Tim G. You should give lapping a try. I would start with the record head after measuring it. I'm guessing that the blemish is in fact the head gap opening up. If that is so then you will see more of it in a line as you lap away on the head.
Nothing lost there and a lot of good experience gained. And if it is the gap then you know that the head is toast and by knowing the depth you can verify that the playback head is also on its last legs.
Regards, Ethan
...Thats the post I was thinking about. (Thanks for looking it up)
The measurement is from the place were the tape has worn away the head to the "crown" of the head right next to it. This is the depth of the head that has been worn away. It would be worth knowing.
A----|......|-----
B.....+----+
Here is a crude drawing showing the tape path with the worn depth A to B.
I agree with Tim G. You should give lapping a try. I would start with the record head after measuring it. I'm guessing that the blemish is in fact the head gap opening up. If that is so then you will see more of it in a line as you lap away on the head.
Nothing lost there and a lot of good experience gained. And if it is the gap then you know that the head is toast and by knowing the depth you can verify that the playback head is also on its last legs.
Regards, Ethan
7
7x7
New member
Right, now I think I understand! I was also looking at the black parts that look worn, but I should be focussing on the 'flat spot'?
The 'Relapping Heads' topic and the Nortronics manual are pretty clear, I sure will give it a try. I do hope my hands aren't too shaky... Perhaps it's no rocket science but it does look like surgery
I'll be looking at the blemish part today, my girlfriend took her magnifying glass to work
(she's a nurse, no worries there )
As for the numbers, what do you mean with the 'crown' of the head? Since heads are symmetric, I believe you mean the center? Should I be looking at A or at B?
These numbers look pretty bad (1,45mm = 57mils, not by far in the range of the numbers you mentioned)...
The 'Relapping Heads' topic and the Nortronics manual are pretty clear, I sure will give it a try. I do hope my hands aren't too shaky... Perhaps it's no rocket science but it does look like surgery
I'll be looking at the blemish part today, my girlfriend took her magnifying glass to work
(she's a nurse, no worries there )As for the numbers, what do you mean with the 'crown' of the head? Since heads are symmetric, I believe you mean the center? Should I be looking at A or at B?
These numbers look pretty bad (1,45mm = 57mils, not by far in the range of the numbers you mentioned)...
Attachments
Last edited:
evm1024
New member
almost
A and B are in the Z axis. That is to say they represent the depth of the flat spot. The center of the flat spot is B. It is how deep the tape has worn the head away. A is the side of the worn spot. (So it comes out of your screen to you)
Here is another crude drawing looking down on the head from the side with the tape running across the head from behind the drawing straight out at you.
..................+ A
..................+
.............+
.............+ B Track 1
.............+
..................+
..................+ A
..................+
.............+
.............+ B Track 2
.............+
..................+
..................+ A
Measure from A to B to find the worn depth.
When heads are new A and B are (more or less depending on the head) at the same level (left to right in this drawing).
-E
A and B are in the Z axis. That is to say they represent the depth of the flat spot. The center of the flat spot is B. It is how deep the tape has worn the head away. A is the side of the worn spot. (So it comes out of your screen to you)
Here is another crude drawing looking down on the head from the side with the tape running across the head from behind the drawing straight out at you.
..................+ A
..................+
.............+
.............+ B Track 1
.............+
..................+
..................+ A
..................+
.............+
.............+ B Track 2
.............+
..................+
..................+ A
Measure from A to B to find the worn depth.
When heads are new A and B are (more or less depending on the head) at the same level (left to right in this drawing).
-E
7
7x7
New member
Right, now I got it. Depth, not width... Sorry for thinking slow... Thanks for your patience 
F
faelucho
New member
Head wear
Hello, I realize this is a very old thread but I need help?? This is my first post on this wonderful forum, I've always been a reader but seems not a writer yet!
I got offered two used TASCAM ATR 60-80 for a great price here in Spain. The thing is I can't inspect the recorders as they are 6 hours away from where I live, so I got both sellers to take pictures of the heads.
I need help as to how this heads look, they seem worn to me but more exeprienced eye could probably help me out. I've already asked them to clean the heads and take better pictures. But maybe someone can see rght away if they are worth it.
They are offering them at very affordable prices, 300 euros and 500 euros respectively. So maybe I could relap the heads and have good machine for some time.
I've attached pictures of both machine's heads. Any help would be truly appreciated.
thanks in advance to any help and cheers to everyone!
Hello, I realize this is a very old thread but I need help?? This is my first post on this wonderful forum, I've always been a reader but seems not a writer yet!
I got offered two used TASCAM ATR 60-80 for a great price here in Spain. The thing is I can't inspect the recorders as they are 6 hours away from where I live, so I got both sellers to take pictures of the heads.
I need help as to how this heads look, they seem worn to me but more exeprienced eye could probably help me out. I've already asked them to clean the heads and take better pictures. But maybe someone can see rght away if they are worth it.
They are offering them at very affordable prices, 300 euros and 500 euros respectively. So maybe I could relap the heads and have good machine for some time.
I've attached pictures of both machine's heads. Any help would be truly appreciated.
thanks in advance to any help and cheers to everyone!
Attachments
jpmorris
Tape Wolf
They are a bit flat, but not too bad IMHO. I think there's a fair bit of life in them yet.
Crucially, they don't seem to have any keystoning where the bottom is more worn than the top, something which seems to happen quite often on TASCAM decks.
Crucially, they don't seem to have any keystoning where the bottom is more worn than the top, something which seems to happen quite often on TASCAM decks.