VHS Video Cassette and Tape Repair

This video shows how to take apart, clean, splice and reassemble a VHS video cassette and tape. Mainly it shows how to put it back together if you have a jumbled mess.

[@Sol-Cutta]

This guy repaired his cassette beautifully, the best ive seen on these instructionals...a nice pro machine friendly splice. 💪

[@ancpisc]

Thank you so much, been trying to save a tape from the 80s full of my parents college memories. Without this vid I would've been totally lost! You are a lifesaver dear sir.

[@yeahboy4453]

Sir, I just wanna say You are a lifesaver When I was a toddler I ruined the tape from our VHS which is a recording of my parents' wedding And Now a 16yr old self of mine just fixed it with your help Thanks

[@mrs.v-schoolbusdriver2648]

Thank you for showing all the different versions of the clips. I was successful in repairing my video. You saved a memory!!

[@HarukaTavares]

10:19 Thank you so much for this tutorial! All this information was extremely useful to save a rare commercial cassette release in my country that appeared to my hands with a broken tape. It now works well! 😄

[@willardcmcd]

Thank you! Used this to take apart a family video VHS tape that had been eaten by the VCR when digitizing it. Managed to salvage almost the whole thing.

[@DeniseCold]

"Don't Despair"...sweeter words were never spoken. Saved my family memories. Thank you! Love that you went the extra mile and showed different types of cassettes.

[@BubblyOasis]

Thank you so much for this video! I absolutely panicked when the springs popped out and I thought I had broken it forever. I had a bit of trouble with the putting the tape between the rollers (it's very hard to see since it's black-on-black) but I really appreciate this tutorial!

[@noneofyourbusiness7025]

Fantastic video, the kind of in depth explanation I was searching for, the section on variations was especially appreciated!

[@TheLun4tic]

Thank you James. your tutorial helped me save recordings of my late grandfather.

[@bobwinberry]

what Denise said, ""Don't Despair"...sweeter words were never spoken" thanks for takng the time to show how to do it when you started wrong ;)

[@DungeonStudio]

Just had to salvage a friends old family VHS tape from a damaged cassette. This video was great to get everything back in place properly. Thanks so much! :)

[@mattbatt0]

Thank you. I am digitizing VHS tapes from the 80's and 90's and one came off the reel and you helped me recover a piece of my childhood.

[@UnderscoreSystem]

Same

[@universorosabyrossegrado4163]

Thanks for the vídeo, i'm from México, with you video, I was able to recover videos from when I was little

[@Collected-Light]

I love how you actually gave a preview if something went wrong too show how to fix it :') thanks alot

[@BigValley_Girl]

Very well explained and covered ALL DETAILS...Thank You... I deal with brain damage and problem solving is a FAIL for me. This was awesome and slow... so people with Brain Traumas are left crying and frustrated and feeling stupid 😉 I have my Don's 1yr Bday VHS to Save, thank you .....but, also a lot of VHS's to transfer to CD. Maybe you can tell us how to do that too?

[@OrdoNekro]

I was able to repair my copy of the Seventh Seal, thanks to your video. Awesome :)

[@ashleyboman]

THANK YOU! I would have been lost without this video

[@dumdumm3299]

thank you so much! i found my childhood copy of one of my favorite movies, Kiki's Delivery Service, in the attic. unfortunately a big spider and a stinkbug had taken up residence and died there, leaving two corpses and a thick spiderweb right on top of the supply wheel. i thought the tape was gonna be ruined forever... thank you so much!

[@Beachbum2912]

This was huge help! Thank you! Saved my butt on a documentary project that has many old brittle vhs tapes, including one that broke internally!

[@58thedrive30]

I thought I would mess up doing and Im glad you showed me properly to put the pieces back.

[@AlexHecht208]

Thank you for making this video. I was able to save a beloved copy of A Muppet Family Christmas.

[@chriscastino7473]

Thank you! I saved a recording project that was recorded on ADAT tapes!

[@christopherworkman9070]

Word of advice. Always make sure the tape is either rewound to the very beginning or fast-forwarded to the very end.

[@aodaddycheerio]

I found a missing piece after fixing a tape and this video helped me find where to put it thank you!

[@waltmanning1446]

Thanks just saved 35 yr old tape . Thought would never get it fixed. Daughter at age six soccer game

[@assurance13]

'Thank You! "Thank You!" Thank You!" You saved the day sir!!!" We're in a Christian Drug Program trying to fix a preaching tape for some ladies, & truly without you we'd be in a pickle. God bless you sir!!

[@dalbertsnyc]

Most helpful. Thank you J. Lester!

[@shockme79]

Thank you! You saved my family memories!

[@Gold_Yoshi]

Found a broken tape at Goodwill. Thanks to you, I now know what was on it. (Some outdated workout video)

[@lutzmatschke8816]

Dear Lester, thank you very much for your video, it has been very useful.

[@carloscazares2676]

Excellent, thank you for the tutorial!

[@zioninni]

Thank you James

[@paulcuminale970]

This was an excellent video. Super helpful.

[@tashwash1]

Thank you, thank you, thank you Sir, you are amazing 👍

[@rayasunchine]

Awesome! Thank you. Saved Gran’s memories tape. 🙂

[@mopedinthemalverns6661]

Thank you!!! You have saved 2 of my James Bond videos whicih were making hideous grinding noises! I had opened the first one from the bottom... found you then rebuilt it. The second video went to plan: it was also making hideous noises. I took it apart and rebuilt it but couldn't find anything wrong with either cassette. They worked perfectly after though - perhaps I reset the ratchets? Subscribed!

[@rodpitts952]

What a great, helpful presentation. Thank you

[@risky1]

Very Instructive. Very well done ...Thank you....

[@chaseak4453]

Many Thanks. Great filming. Even better explanation.

[@mid-atlanticdroneservices]

Great video. Thank you

[@bitcrypto4689]

The Video helped me alot, and the casette is working again. Thanx alot.

[@mistereggman]

Thank you, very helpful video!

[@MCPint]

Geil vielen dank, hab durch deine Hilfe die VHS meines Dads reparieren können

[@jameslesterbaldwin9841]

I’m glad this was helpful. Thanks for watching. Sincerely, James Lester Baldwin.

[@busterscrugs]

Great video, thanks! Was able to get the broken plastic out of my Shawshank Redemption tape using your video. Thankfully it wasn't any functional part of the internals, just a part of the shell.

[@NewYorkRootsMusicAssociation]

Thank you so much - this was a real lifesaver!

[@southerncomfortuk]

Brilliant tutorial - thank you so much

[@jindrasmutny4181]

8:35 XDD same thing happened to me. And second thing: huge thanks for you, you saved our memories from Tunisia from 2010 😁👊

[@RobbinGreven]

Thank you You saved my family memories :)

[@adrianofranzoia7036]

Thanks you sir!!! You have just saved my day! 😂

[@will.taylor]

Very helpful video, thanks. I have somebody's precious tape to digitise, but the tape is creased and flipped over. Should be able to fix it now 👍

[@rongrant3500]

Very helpful!!!! Thanks for posting.

[@claytonmanson03]

Thank you so much! I did repair my vhs tape !

[@scottk917]

Fantastic instruction...thanks so much

[@ffunyman]

This was so helpful, thank you for making this video!!!

[@badboystyla8561]

Do you think if I open the tapes and remove the clickers or will help any? Tapes are playing fine but get stuck

[@JeriReino]

Thank you dear sir .

[@behcettascioglu643]

Nice show thank you

[@brianhaas6099]

Dude this worked, thanks!

[@melaniemarymiller]

Thanks so much for the easy to follow video. Unfortunately, the spring came out on the other side of the tape, so I have to figure out how that one works.

[@VonDemus]

Thanks! This helped a lot!

[@edgardorosa4601]

Thank you!! This helped me!

[@veroniquegrodent7778]

Bravo et merci! Ca m'a vraiment bien aidée

[@jjmaciswack]

this video saved my life

[@skanman2]

thank you for the video upload.

[@TheNBZone]

😀👍 Thanks James!

[@reggiethepotter]

Thank you!

[@drunkguy4276]

Thank You - Very Informative ty

[@shadowfrost44]

Thank you sooooo much!!

[@Cassandra26sweetness]

Thank you!! ❤

[@fernandoguerrero8008]

Thanks Master!

[@mazinkhateeb1]

😊 very good and helpful

[@jenniferwhitley8280]

God bless you!!! Thank you SO much!!!:)

[@RobertoBonettoik1zyq]

Grazie, mi ha aiutato molto !

[@miniremovals]

Best video on this here, only thing your hands got in the line of vision a bit, but very good.

[@miquelasandate]

THANK YOU!! I thought I ruined my first year video. The clear part ripped! Was able to repair it and convert to a digital file! You ROCK!

[@aniyanvarghese288]

Thanks നന്ദി

[@kreiger0]

Fuckin hell yeah brother, this is exactly what I needed

[@danrowe79]

Great video Thank You. Do you have similar instructions for Compact VHS tapes? These are a PAIN.

[@dtpadge]

Excellent instructional...I too would like to know what kind of "oil" you use...I'm thinking a light 3 in 1 but would like to hear from you James Lester Baldwin...Thanks...

[@mopedinthemalverns6661]

That would do fine I'd say. Or a bit of WD40.

[@faceboxtv4789]

Isn’t easier to use a 1/2” splicer guide and 1/2” adhesive tape for audio reels ? like the one we use with audio tape and open reels ?

[@randomwrestlingthemes524]

i cleaned my first vcr when i was 7 repaired my first vhs tape as well in 1992!

[@mopedinthemalverns6661]

Superb!

[@raulzavala9061]

I've saved many tapes this way, as a teenager I was curious how the insides of a VHS worked and just like you said there are many tape variations.

[@badboystyla8561]

Hi brother, my tapes are getting stuck while playing, it has something to do with the clickers, do you think removing them will make the tape keep playing?

[@badboystyla8561]

What is the purpose of the clickers anyway?

[@raulzavala9061]

@@badboystyla8561 - the clickers help for the tape reels to stay in place for when watching the VHS and rewind and fast forward.

[@franceslovato9842]

What kind of oil did you use? Just any?

[@carneyna]

Excellent repair video. Thanks for showing different tape types. This was a huge help.

[@DoubleACS]

What type of lubricant are you using?

[@TheOriginalKellyLynnAnderson]

The reels are oversized on 3 of these tapes in this video.

[@DGBTV]

How do I replace the lid I dropped my tape and that lid that opens up broke I'd like to replace it but I'm unsure if there's pins on that lid

[@AA-uk2ld]

I have an old VCR eats my tapes. I just discovered that it is the right rotator. There are 2 rotators for the videocassette tape reels: the left one with the rubber band and the right without the band. The right rotator for tapes stop spinning and the left one only rotates. Then it eats up the tape and I have to eject immediately before any damage is caused. Can you tell me why the right reel in VCR is not rotating like the left?

[@LaBelleGames]

🖤

[@speedyboishan87]

Hi I have a few tapes that have a screw that looks like a blister, but is shiny, what screw driver do I need to use to remove the screw, please advise, thnx, it's a security screw that is shiny and cannot be removed using a normal screwdriver.

[@Sol-Cutta]

You dont NEED to splice the spine label COLLECTORS..unscrew the tapes as normal, release lift the tape header protector (he calls it the head cover) then SLOWLY , GENTLY begin to lift the top video cassette sleeve and slowly give a gentle left right motion (zig zag) this will slowly and neatly lift the spine label away from ONE edge of the cassette spine.(That its attached to) Very slowly and gently do this until the ENTIRE half of the sticker lifts up and away from the spine. You will feel the tension of the sticker against the plastic, NEVER force this and dont do it fast. Once it is off the entire front of the cassette will lift away and the bottom half will have half a sticker attached to its bottom section. When you place the top back on ensure you dont knock the sticker til the top is down then gently press down the sticker half left to right.back to front centre to edges..then hold the top of tape turn it over and.replace screws.

[@weRweekendwarriors]

Hi! I have a cassette adapter that I put the smaller vhs tapes from my camcorder into. When I play a few tapes they’ve got like a static at the bottom of the screen. I know these tapes are kinda old but is there any way I can fix this problem? It must be coming from the smaller vhs tape rather than the cassette adapter I’m thinking. Anyway any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

[@Pete_R63]

Dang, this is the second video I have watched that didn't address my problem. My tape came completely off the reel after rewinding so I need to find out how to attach the very end back to the take up reel. I've seen 2 videos that showed splicing but nothing that shows how to reattach it to the reel.

[@jameslesterbaldwin9841]

I think that you can merely scotch tape it back to the real making sure you get it on in the right direction.

[@tyeb54]

merci

[@jameslesterbaldwin9841]

You are very welcome.

[@vhsmies3990]

📼👍

[@p3wned]

I really wish I watched this before taking apart my cassette. I opened it upside down and all the parts went everywhere. I had to use a donor shell

[@matikalt1243]

The only part of this video that I need to see is at 7:18, but the camera is being blocked by the hand 😑

[@nostoon4332]

i'm trying to follow this, but i just can't see how to put the pieces back together.

[@philsfrt]

how to put back the clickers and springs please?

[@TheNargisyahia]

What kind of lubricant is that?

[@jkssyahoo8952]

Sir, we also have an old bcr please make it up. Tell us what will become a little problem.