where to buy take-up reels

  • Thread starter Thread starter antispatula
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antispatula

antispatula

Active member
I need a 1/2" take-up reel. Where's the best place to look? I've gone to ebay many times, with no luck.

Oh, and one more question. I've got some 1/2" 456 tape, both are sealed, but old. Are these good to use? Should I get new ones? Should I bake them? Don't have a clue. Thanks!
 
You may have the answer to your own question here.

Ampex 456 with the label in the center of the box is likely bad. If the Ampex label is down at the bottom you may be in luck.

Either way you're in luck, actually. If you have old tape that's going to have Sticky Shed Syndtome- toss the tape and you have a take-up reel! :D

Anyway, that's my experience. I'm going to get a dehydrator after the holidays and see if baking my old tapes will revive them. I have my doubts, but I want to try it out anyway.

-C
 
antispatula said:
I need a 1/2" take-up reel. Where's the best place to look? I've gone to ebay many times, with no luck.
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For one million dollars I will sell you and deliver in person any take up reel you desire. :)

If you act before midnight tonight, I will also name my first born male child after you. :D

Cheers! :)
 
Just like the guys mentioned, get yourself a nasty shedding old used ampex tape, which will likely go for cheap, toss the tape (with a vacuum trick one of our members mentioned) and use the empty reel. Just make sure the take up reel is in good condition and ask the seller about it.

~Daniel
 
ok, thanks guys. So I was now wondering if the 456 sealed tape will be ok. It's old, but sealed, and the 456 is down in the corner of the box.
 
antispatula said:
ok, thanks guys. So I was now wondering if the 456 sealed tape will be ok. It's old, but sealed, and the 456 is down in the corner of the box.
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Do you see a date code anywhere ? It really doesn't matter if it's sealed and unused. If it's from the 80's or early 90's, I'd stay away.

~Daniel
 
antispatula said:
it says 96282 on them......
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Sweeeeet! You're fine. 1996 is one of the best years after the sticky shed days... just like new. :)
 
antispatula said:
it says 96282 on them......
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"96" the year and "282" the day of the year. This tape is from late 1996. It should be good as Quantegy took over production in around '95 and probably didn't change boxes, yet, with their name on it. You most likely have good "Quantegy" type tape in your hands. Tim (Beck), anyone ... if I'm off please let me know.

~Daniel
 
http://www.mwsound.com/

This is my local shop. I don't know if they will do mailorder, but, I was having problems finding a not bent takeup reel and they had some empty reels in stock (1/2"). They sold me 1 for 10$ and it is superflat. No more annoying tape rubbing on the takeup reel. I suppose you could email them and see if they would ship you one?
 
I need a new take up reel too. From AtoZ audio would this be the one I want for a 38? I don't know what "NAB" means.

1/2" x 10-1/2" Metal NAB reel $9.95
 
SteveMac said:
I don't know what "NAB" means.
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NAB is an acronym for National Association of Broadcasters.

It basically refers to tape reels with the large 3" holes on the middle of them instead of the smaller holes used on 7" & 5" reels which is closer to a 1/4" hole.

You dig?

Cheers! :)
 
The Ghost of FM said:
NAB is an acronym for National Association of Broadcasters.

It basically refers to tape reels with the large 3" holes on the middle of them instead of the smaller holes used on 7" & 5" reels which is closer to a 1/4" hole.

You dig?

Cheers! :)
Click to expand...

I dig! :cool: Thanks Ghost. So those must be the ones I want. Only $9.95? I wonder if they're good.
 
The Ghost of FM said:
For one million dollars I will sell you and deliver in person any take up reel you desire.
Click to expand...

Mr. Ghost, sir, I would like to take you up on that offer. I will require a 10" diamond reel for 2" tape (ok, it can be several smaller diamonds glued together, but no individual stone under 3K please, and they must be of high gem quality). Deliver it as your schedule permits, and I will have cash ready here in Hollywood, FL. :D :D :D
I think about you this time of year as Hollywood is a seasonal home to many Canadian folks, namely license plates from Quebec. If you ever decide to visit south Florida PM me so I can buy you a drink and dinner.
 
If you are still looking for a take up reel, check this auction on eBay out. It is for 10 reels of 3M 8206 logging tape, the kind that police depts used to use on their voice-activated, low-speed logging machines to record all the telephone calls. Throw out the tape and you have yourself 3M precision reels. I use a 1/4" 8206 reel on my 1/2-track, high-speed A77 as a take up reel (or is it supply reel actually? because I always store my tapes tail-out).

The 3M precision reels are very nice. The hub is machined metal and acts to perfectly center the flanges, and the flanges are machined, not stamped like the non-precision reels. They also have six screws holding them together. There is actually a paper by a 3M engineer on the AES website describing the need for and the design of the precision reels.

FWIW, shipping on the whole batch of 10 reels to my zip code, in Florida, is about $15 - $16, so, if you wind up the only bidder, you get a whole bunch of take up reels for about $25 or so. 10 reels for the cost of one at USR. And you can try to sell off what you don't need.
 
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