Chewing Cassette tapes and what to do about it.

Chewed tapes and Pinchrollers. How do the two relate? Pinchrollers, tapes and Chewing. Chewed. Destroyed. The connection is known but not defined. Welcome to the world of the Capstan and Pinchroller. It is simple but much more than that.
If you understand the Pinchrollers role in the Cassette and Reel to Reel and eight-track (8 Track), the problems are easy to address, and the eating of tapes becomes a faint memory.
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#teacw1200 #teac #garykeepitsimple #cassetteplayer #cassettetape #cassetteculture #cassette cassette store day vinyl haul teac w-1200 chewed tapes adn pinchrollers teac w 1200 cassette comeback vclt
thumb 11/11 2022

[@jackthehatphoto]

What a fantastically simple and well explained solution. Keep up the good work!

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

Many thanks!

[@samuelfellows6923]

🤨 - one thing not mentioned that can cause a compact cassette recorder to chew/eat the tape is that the take-up spool is not turning = most vintage cassette recorders have the motor belted to the flywheel, that directly drives the capstan ~ if the belt that comes off the flywheel and drives the pulley for the spools has; perished, snapped or stretched due to age, the idler wheel that drives the spools ~ its tyre has been worn smooth, has perished, fallen off the wheel, or the spring that holds it against the flywheel when ▶️⏩⏪ are engaged has lost its tension and needs re-tensioning, or even worse - the gears on the flywheel and spool drive ~ their plastic has turned brittle and teeth have snapped off = you will be “looking for a needle in a haystack-opening a can of worms-going down a rabbit hole” for replacements/3D print new ones. 🙄 - if the take-up spool doesn’t turn the tape will gather under the capstan+pinch wheel, or it will wonder sideways and go down the side of the pinch wheel and get twist-chewed by it. When I am testing a vintage cassette recorder/boombox, I open the door and press ▶️/⏪/⏩ to see if the spools are turning & pinching them with my fingers for a rough torque assumption before putting a cassette in it to test-play it

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

You are correct in what you say, I was referring to the occasional chew. I am glad you mentioned it.

[@ebon13k]

Thanks for posting this! I’ve always wondered about it and this was very informative!

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

Glad it was helpful!

[@smbigle9161]

I think I may have found the answer to my tape player problem. Thank you!

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

Thank you.

[@MusicBoxVinyl]

So would the old pinch rollers on my cassette deck be the reason my tapes are snapping?

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

The simple answer is yes and no. If you have sticky pinchrollers then yes they will cause all sorts of problems. Mostly chewing but also snapping and miss-guiding, putting creases into the tapes. However if by snaping you mean at the beginning or end, and pulling the leader off the tape ( this is very common) not really the rollers. Mostly it is the glue on the spice giving up and allowing the tape to pull off. Pinch rollers normally go hard and can sometimes be rescued by sanding the hard layer off to expose the softer rubber underneath,( not a permanent cure) If you have tape snapping mid-roll it is best to check for take-up problems and if there is any suspicion the rollers are at fault replace them. Take-up problems tend to be belts, tyres, and clutches. The take-up spool should apply a constant pull when playing but not too hard. Often they stop for a second or two and then the pinch roller gets the blame as the tape gets tangled around the rubber and all the mess that entails. Good luck and you can get back to me if you want. Let me know how you get on.

[@groovincj1402]

What to do if the pinch roller doesnt spin as much as in the video? Its kind of slow moving and i have to drag it with the swab when i clean it

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

I would suggest trying to apply a small amount of lubrication to the Pinch roller bearing. If the pinch roller has phosphor bronze bearing a light sewing machine oil or 3 in one would be OK. If the bush is nylon then Dry Silicon lube should do the trick. BUT you must make sure any OIL is cleaned away from the rubber of the pinch roller. As long as the roller rotates smoothly and freely it should be OK. If the pinch roller bearing is dry it would be worth checking the Capstan bearing also. This is almost certainly a metal bearing and again 3-in-1 oil is recommended but be very careful not to flood the bearing and to clean all the surfaces so there is no contamination. I hope that helps.

[@dabstheleo1967]

Great video. Many thanks..

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@umeshupadhyay...]

Very nicely explained in words and pictures also.Total wrong concept or imagination got cleared.How delicate mechanisms is of tape between rollers and capstan .The stiff bearings are of capstan I think ,which require periodical lubrication. Thank you very much again for your nice and informative video .

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

So nice of you. Thanks for the feedback.

[@umeshupadhyay...]

@@GaryKeepItSimple Today I was running a C90 cassette deck in my Nak DR 2 and the playback was happening upto minus 5 dB level so all the narratives came to my mind .I played the same cassette in my another Nak DECK and the problem was same,the minus 5 level playback happening and here I found it to be the fault in the cassette hub which was nit smooth.But,once agsin I thank you for clearing my misconception . Thank you for acknowledging my views.

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

@@umeshupadhyay... I am really glad to have helped . Thank you for keeping me informed.

[@willitbend7262]

What do I use to clean the pinch rollers? 99 isopropyl good?

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

I use 99% isopropyl alcohol. It works well and dries quickly. In 40 years I have never had a problem with it. Cotton buds or q tips are OK . Just do not press too hard when you clean. It must be a gentle process.

[@scottoliver7288]

hello their im trying to figure out how to get into to try and remove the pinch roller as its cracked and really old, chews up my tapes, ugh the dramas ty

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

What make model deck is it?

[@abbynormal371]

​@GaryKeepItSimple I'm also looking to replace the roller on mine. Its a Philips Magnavox AZ9210 radio/cd/casette player. I have yet to find one online, just a very similar looking one.

[@-______-______-]

Thanks. My pinch roller does turn though

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

if it is chewing, the problem is the take-up spool.

[@-______-______-]

@@GaryKeepItSimple ​ I don't suppose you have another video on addressing take up issues?😅 I cleaned my pinch roller and it has helped ​(I sanded it evenly with 400 grit paper as there was a bit of glossy sheen to it). But my take up pulley is weak and temperamental even without a tape in it. Supply is good. Rewind temperamental.

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

@@-______-______- The answer is no, not yet. I will do a video but at the moment all my take-ups work OKish. But the normal cure appears to be to replace the rubber tires on the take-up spool and if possible the idlers. people appear to have success using plumbing supplies O rings. They need to be sanded to take the gloss off and fitted in place of the originals. You can try sanding the surfaces on the originals and that may be enough but it depends on how hard the rubber has gone. in my experience sanding is a temporary repair. because it is not how grippy the surface is but how soft the contact area is. I hope that helps. Let me know if you need anything else.

[@-______-______-]

@@GaryKeepItSimple Thanks, your a gent. It's useful advice. I've got a Marantz 50300. It's pretty old. I've changed belts and tried changing idler tyres (they may not have been the perfect replacements), to which it was actually worse, so I changed them back. I see videos by a guy on KZbin called Mr Nobody, he has a technique to take off the tyre, then wrap a 3M brand, 2mm wide double sided tape around the wheel, to give around an added 1mm of diameter to it.

[@LANCEofIRAQ]

If any cassette type get be eating, it can go to the Hell We are looking for the best deck can work good with official cassettes

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

yes

[@LANCEofIRAQ]

@@GaryKeepItSimple Please can you advise me to cassette decks that work with full auto stop with play, fast forward and rewind? Containing sendust head with logic mechanism? Or there are videos that you suggest to me for watching and knowing about?

[@GaryKeepItSimple]

That is a difficult question. Any 3 head big-name deck would be good. Sendust was a trading name so just stick to good brands and you should be OK Akai Sansui and Sony are among the best. Nakamichi is good but expensive. 2 head are good but Vintage will all need work.

[@LANCEofIRAQ]

@@GaryKeepItSimple Thank you so much. I'll look for them 🆗