Repairing VHS tape

[Broke 0]

It would seem that the leader has seperated from the rest of my video tape. I would really like to get this together seeing as it is video of my first 4-way. Nothing special just one minute of raw footage. Anyone have any ideas? I tried google and it wasn't any help.

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[leroydb 0]

scotch tape and super glue

Leroy


..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio...

[DSE 5]

Scotch tape works in the absence of splicing tape. Never heard of using super glue, I'd think the glue could scratch the heads, but maybe not?

Search for splicing

[quade 4]

How good are you at small mechanical things? I mean really small, jewler's screw size small.

Think of the repair you are about to do and the LAST resort and LAST time this video tape will EVER be played. You are going to repair it for the sole purpose of copying it to a miniDV tape or a computer.

If you're VERY lucky, the shell for your VHS tape can be unscrewed. If you're NOT lucky, it was glued/welded shut.

What you really want to do is first find another VHS tape that CAN be unscrewed and taken apart. You're going to do this very, very carefully and study how the tape is threaded through the cassette, because what you MAY have to do is a tape transplant in addition to your splice.

If the clear leader has separated from the main part of the tape, you're a little screwed but not entirely. The clear section is so that a light sensor inside the VHS deck can stop the tape when it comes to the end. Yes, you certainly could scotch tape that back together, but again, this is NOT a permanent fix, just enough to get you through ONE copying session.

If whatever caused the tape to break is a mechanical thing, do the transplant of the reels. VHS tape cassettes are amazingly similar internally and you may just get away with a simple swap here.

Next you're going to very carefully open the "sick" VHS tape. Your goal here is to NOT disturb any more of the tape off the spools as possible. Try not to get any wrinkles in it.

Hopefully from that point forward it should be fairly simple as long as you paid attention to how the tape threads through the cassette.

I've done this literally dozens and dozens of times for various people over the years. It absolutely can be done just by being careful.

Good luck and remember, this repair is ONLY to get it so you can copy it. If you try to rewind the tape again, it's probably going to break again. At least, that's how you ought to treat it.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver