How to clean vcr heads without damaging and opening the VCR

[El Enmascarado]

I heard the best way of cleaning vcr heads without open it, is to use a head cleaner tape and then run a new tape all the way but I don't know if that works well. I cleaned my ag-1980 twice yesterday when I got it. On the first pass it the frames looked better but then I decided to re-clean it and I don't know if the dots where there before but there are white dots appearing in the frames at ramdom could it be the head was old anyway? please advice what to do I want to change heads if needed to make my ag new again...

PS! How do I use my AG-1980 as a TBC for my SLV-R1000 it'll be like combining the best of both worlds if I'm successful... front inputs on the AG didn't work... the image still unstabilized!

[jggimi]

When I worked with tape decks and camcorders, I would clean the heads with solvent and a non-linting pad on a stick. The technique used to avoid damaging the flying heads is to roll the pad across them, in the direction of spin. Capstans and pinch rollers were cleaned with the same pad and solvent.

You can get away with isopropyl alcohol as the solvent, but it has a tendency to dry out the rubber of the pinch rollers.

Yes, this involved opening up equipment, and risking damage.

[El Enmascarado]

When I worked with tape decks and camcorders, I would clean the heads with solvent and a non-linting pad on a stick. The technique used to avoid damaging the flying heads is to roll the pad across them, in the direction of spin. Capstans and pinch rollers were cleaned with the same pad and solvent.

You can get away with isopropyl alcohol as the solvent, but it has a tendency to dry out the rubber of the pinch rollers.

Yes, this involved opening up equipment, and risking damage.
-Do you have a video showing how?
-How often do I have to clean it to dry out the rubbers?
-what kind of solvent and non-linting pads would you recommend?

[jggimi]

-Do you have a video showing how?Nope.-How often do I have to clean it to dry out the rubbers?With alcohol? I don't know, but I would think regular cleaning for several months would cause problems. I've only used alcohol when I didn't have solvent.-what kind of solvent and non-linting pads would you recommend?When I was doing this, it was before there was an internet (1970s, early 1980s). Nowadays, you have resources like this (http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=tape+head+solvent&btnG=Search+Froogle).

[El Enmascarado]

Nope.With alcohol? I don't know, but I would think regular cleaning for several months would cause problems. I've only used alcohol when I didn't have solvent.When I was doing this, it was before there was an internet (1970s, early 1980s). Nowadays, you have resources like this (http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=tape+head+solvent&btnG=Search+Froogle).

So you want me to use the cleaning pads or not? they contain alcohol...I thought solvents were better option?

[jggimi]

My point was about using straight isopropyl, not about products *designed* for VCRs.

I don't *want* you to do anything, I just suggested that if you were careful and brave, you might be able to manually clean your player.

[zilog jones]

I've used those head cleaning sticks like jggimi described on at least 3 VCRs and it's not as hard as it sounds. You just have to do as he says and clean the heads in the direction they rotate, so just need to keep your hand steady.

I've successfully cleaned heads using these and isopropyl alcohol on a VCR that got so dirty it wasn't displaying any useful video at all - something (in my experience) a cleaning tape could never do. However, this was some cheap Daewoo piece of crap, not a nice VCR like yours :)

[El Enmascarado]

You just have to do as he says and clean the heads in the direction they rotate, so just need to keep your hand steady.

Explain should I rotate the drum in their natural direction while keeping the towel steady or... should I move the towel in the drums direction while moving the drums in the inverse direction that it moves when is on or same thing but with the drum steady? :thanks:

[jggimi]

As I wrote above, you want to *roll* the swab across the heads. If you rub, you risk damaging the heads.

[El Enmascarado]

As I wrote above, you want to *roll* the swab across the heads. If you rub, you risk damaging the heads.

AH!! I thought rubbing was the way to go!! I did this on my AG and SLV!:devil:
How about this for the cleaning pad:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130071321955

[El Enmascarado]

I was reading a how to clean heads from VCR according to a technician with years in the field and seem very confident... he recommended to use this fluid to clean the rubber pinch roller on the VCR that will both clean and recondition the thing. However I got all that he asked... except this... which can no be found. Before you ask me if I try ebay or reselleratings or around google I say you should see that I empty all posibilities.
Anyway the site is...:
http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/trouble/headclean.html

-some people say on this page (DAT "talk"):
http://www.tape.com/techinfo/datclean.html
that the pinch roller can be clean with alcohol and not matter if it dries out and die it has to be changed every 1-2 year anyway or every 1500 hours, other say don't use alcohol instead use mild soap water for it...
-On here it says is safe to use alcohol Isopropyl (I can't believe it)
http://www.videointerchange.com/tips.htm

What is your say?

[jggimi]

I have merged your new thread into this one, since it a continuation of the same discussion.