Video tape cleaning machine (collab with VHSisLife). Much more than just VHS cleaning.

[@vhsislife]

Thanks Colin for an excellent video! I appreciate the time you took explaining the cleaner and having a wonderful discussion with me about it!

[@SFtheGreat]

Improvements for the future could include Video2000, U-Matic (or is there one already), and other obscure formats adaptors, and a dust cover to minimise the spore dispersion in the work area, or even an ability to choose the power supply plug. And accomodation for large Beta. Oh, and audio tapes too. More air-tight slits for the vacuum might be more optimal. Have you tried designing the positioning of the cleaning pads so that they clean both simultaneously, or would it put too much tension on the tape? The vacuum hose could use some twist mechanism to keep it in place, like BNC connector.

[@vhsislife]

@@SFtheGreat I already have the Umatic(S) spindles done and the next version will be a larger footprint to support larger reels such as standard Umatic and the larger Betacam. I'm currently working on V2K as well as the VCR format (n1500/n1700) spindles. I originally considered a dust cover but it's really not necessary with the vacuum, plus I find it more of a nusience and in the way than a benefit. The entire top platform of V2 will be a new design with a more linear cleaning path to allow cleaning both sides at once without strain on the tape and introducing additional points of suction in the top for the vacuum. As it currently stands the vacuum works well and provides ample suction at the current point of mold gathering so I'll have to make sure that adding additional suction points does not decrease overall suction to the point the stacks are ineffective. Audio tapes require a whole different thought process because you have to either clean them in the shell or provide a method for removing the tape without allowing it to unspool as audio tape reels do not have flanges to hold the tape in place. Overall the majority of what you have suggested is either in the works for the current platform or is part of the new version so great minds think alike. :-)

[@SFtheGreat]

@@vhsislife Excellent. Audio tapes could require transparent reels on bottom and top to prevent unspooling, like open reel tape has. Also, open reel ideo tape cleaning solution would be neat, though that might require an entirely different machine.

[@Petertronic]

Such a great invention. I have about 30 mouldy VHS tapes (sealed up in multiple bags), some have 90's home videos on them. I'm tempted!

[@vhsislife]

Thanks my friend!

[@KM2tvarchive]

Enjoyed that, I'm the proud owner of one, probably the only one in Ireland so far! Great machine, does what it says on the tin.

[@vhsislife]

So far you are the only one! Spread the word and let's make it more! 🙂

[@Suzukisidekick]

On the waiting list and hoping to hear from him soon 😊

[@DigitalForeverLtd]

What a useful video, thanks a lot Colin. I think I'll order myself one of these machines to help with our new video editing business.

[@frankowalker4662]

I enjoy the longer videos. That was a great interview/discission. I would also recommend you set it up where the mould spores coming off the tape can't contaminate any other tapes you might have near by.

[@whaka54000]

mould spores are everywhere in the air, you simply can't fight them. and they are indeed present on all sane tapes surface but in a dormant state. the only thing you can do is to prevent conditions which allow them to germinate.

[@frankowalker4662]

@@whaka54000 Fair point.

[@da1l616]

A transparent lid with a hole above one or both of the spools could help keeping the mold out of the air and even redirect the airflow to pick up some more of what comes off.

[@video99couk]

It would have to be a carefully designed lid so as not to foul the spools which go a bit beyond the top. But yes, that could help.

[@vhsislife]

I considerd a lid during my initial design and even tested a few prototypes. I found it didn't really help a lot as there is not a great deal of suction that extends beyond the vacuum stacks and most of the mold comes off at point of contact with the pad anyway as it passes over the cloth. The stacks do a great job at catching all that mold. Also it was somewhat of a nuscience as it was always in the way of what I was doing. I am working on a V2 and am looking at possibly incorporating a few vacuuming slits/spots in the top along the path of the tape so as it unspools any that might fall off could be caught there, but I have to be careful not to overextend the ability of the vacuum as there aren't a lot of affordable desktop vacuums that work well with the design which is why I fell upon the one I did. Currently it does a good job and catches the majority of the mold. I always recommend anyone concerned about mold spores in the air as they clean to simply wear a mask.

[@raythomas4812]

Really interesting Video - I have no tapes that have mould - but I feel like I want to buy one !

[@ingenfestbrems]

Just got 130+ Star Trek Collections on VHS. For free 😊 Guess i love VHS 📼

[@RochesterTVArchive]

I've been considering getting one of these as I'm coming across a lot more moldy tapes.

[@fsfs555]

Neat product. Hopefully they have a future revision that accepts 7" open-reel spools (for both 1/2" video and 1/4" audio tapes), which would also help fit UMatic tapes.

[@vhsislife]

I just finished production of spindles for the Umatic (S) small version tape that works fine with the current machine. I am hoping next year to modify or develop a new cleaner to accept larger reels as well as large format U-matic.

[@djsherz]

Great product Tony! Like was said in the interview, this could have been a fancier device if was injection moulded and had extra features like auto stop sensors etc, but by keeping it simple and 3D printing the parts, the end result is a functional tool that doesn't cost the earth. Keep up the good work!

[@video99couk]

I suspect auto-stop would have caused more problems than it solved.

[@vhsislife]

Thank you my friend! My goal to make it affordable for most anyone to justify and use seems to have worked as I have over 350 of these in 9 countries so far and at least that many on the waitlist! Not bad for a small one-man hobby that turned into a semi-business lol!

[@emerickscott]

thanks for this informational video! I just ordered one from Tony.

[@UpLateGeek]

It seems like a couple of small vents on the deck near where the tape comes off the spools might help suck up some of the mould as it comes off the tape.

[@video99couk]

Yes, however with the range of different spool sizes for different formats, that would be tricky to implement.

[@snap_oversteer]

Nice machine and review, I saw picture of it somewhere before but didn't know anything else about it. Shame about large Betacam tape not being able to fit but I'm sure the next revision will adress that.

[@CanizaM]

Adjustable backtension seems like it would be a very good feature to have.

[@video99couk]

Very tricky to implement though.

[@josuegarciagimeno5378]

Great Vídeo! I'm taking this machine that will help me and save me a lot of time.

[@andrew1479]

Now there is a T-shirt I would buy - "VHS-C not a format, Just a bodge!". Brilliant!

[@robturner3065]

1:20:00 there was a 1/4" perforated audio tape for home cinema use, compatible with super 8 sprockets. The film and tape both ran over a common drum for synchronization.

[@Talefromthehangar]

we got one its great, Top Notch no problem this guy is great !!!!!

[@vhsislife]

Thank you my friend!

[@BongbongA99]

A great posting Colin, Tony. Perhaps Tony is referring to the likes of open reel tapes for the Sony AV3600, AV3650, CV2100 etc (half inch tape) i.e. not film? They come in 5" and 7" I think.

[@video99couk]

I think one of Tony's customers had requested Cine Film and 1/4" audio spool spindles (Cine Film is sometimes loaded onto audio spools and vice versa) hence a bit of confusion crept in.

[@alphabeets]

One question, would it make sense to literally submerse the reels into alcohol for a few minutes to help dissolve the mold and stickiness?

[@video99couk]

I would never submerge tape in anything.

[@northernplacecorporation]

Hmm... the size of the cabinet of this VHS is Life mold cleaner needed to be extended to the sides, just so a larger Betacam/Betacam SP/Digital Betacam/Betacam SX/HDCAM/MPEG IMX/HDCAM SR reel, and that of a U-Matic reel would fit in-between the wipes.

[@video99couk]

Tony is considering a large format machine for large Betacam formats and large Umatic too.

[@northernplacecorporation]

@@video99couk OK.

[@Capturing-Memories]

Wet cleaning is the best, it too requires taking the tape out of the shell, soak it in distilled water until all the mold is dissolved which helps loosen the tape layers and then put it on the machine for cleaning, I have my doubts about using alcohol, it may damage the bonding agent on the tape and cause the magnetic layer to flake off. I'm thinking of making a machine for my own use that do all that inside a bath of distilled water so no vacuum is needed and finish with a similar one like yours for drying the tape, I personally use a VCR with the drum removed for that and use trickle play various speeds.

[@video99couk]

The thought of submerging a tape terrifies me. I've seen tapes wrinkle up to a mess when they get wet.

[@Capturing-Memories]

@@video99couk Distilled water is completely harmless to tapes, alcohol is what scares me.

[@SFtheGreat]

As for cleaning plastic elements, I wonder if an ultrasound bath filled with isopropanol would do the trick. If it does M2, does it also do Digital-S (D9)?

[@peopyt]

I also looked into this machine, but I do miss one wet and one dry cleaning cloth at the same time

[@video99couk]

I think it might be possible to configure this for one we followed by dry cloth.

[@peopyt]

@@video99couk I think that will be smart so the videotape doesn't stick

[@IainDavies-z2l]

And of course if it's from the USA it will be NTSC, sorry joke, joke!!!

[@JacGoudsmit]

Sorry if you mentioned it and I missed it, but it looks to me like that machine is designed to do both sides of the tape at the same time, with the tape going around both pads. Was there a reason why you didn't try that, other than the chance that the tape might snap because of the extra friction?

[@video99couk]

It might be possible but I think the load on the tape might be a bit high.

[@vhsislife]

I did initially design it for that but you hit the nail on the head that it causes a lot of extra surface tension on the tape and in the beginning I had customers that snapped a few tapes so I changed my recommended use to one side only as well as switched up the motors to step-down gear driven motors which will basically reduce speed as load increases too much to avoid snapping the tape. In the end we always need to put proper cleaning above speed and with this cleaner, once you've gotten the hang of it, it's fairly quick to make a few passes one side at a time and accomplish our goal!

[@Comfortzone99]

The isopropanol alcohol itself would kill the mould.

[@ConsumerDV]

So, his idea is to clean tapes so they can be re-used? IDK. I don't think mould can be removed completely in a machine like this, so I would not be keeping or playing a cleaned tape in my living room. After all, breathing mould is not healthy. I am from the camp "Make it playable, digitize, and throw the tape away". If anyone wants to have fun with VHS or other format, there are still plenty of NOS tapes on eBay. I bought a NOS M2 tape purely for demonstration purposes to unwrap in my video. IMO, Small M2 and VHS-C are the ugliest cassette designs. VHS-C cassettes are always noisy, and are inefficient in terms of tape length by using a large VHS spindle. Small M2 cassettes have unused space to the side of one of the spindles - how Sony was able to create a small Umatic cassette with symmetric spindles in the mid-1970s, but Panasonic designed this abomination in the mid 1980s? I like 8-mm cassettes - well-designed, perfect size, long recording time. I wish they were used for DV from the get go.

[@video99couk]

The rig was primarily designed so that mouldy tapes could be played again, be it once or many times. I agree, VHSC and M2 small are nasty. I've found that the small spool on the M2 tape can be driven by the 8mm hub.

[@ingenfestbrems]

Why not clean both sides at once?

[@video99couk]

Could be done, though there would be more load on the tape.

[@ingenfestbrems]

@video99couk you mean friction from 2 cotton rags or the tape must go in S formation. I think it can be driven more slowly and use more surface area on cotton rags. And at the end you don't have to spend more time

[@video99couk]

@@ingenfestbrems Both, two pads and the s-shape, would increase the drag on the tape. It might be too much for the tape to run without damage.

[@ConsumerDV]

"VHS Is Life"? Huh, a rather corny name. I wish it was just a sticker or it was painted so it could be easily removed. I am glad I don't come across too many sticky tapes, I just throw them away.

[@video99couk]

Alas I come across plenty of sticky, mouldy and otherwise nasty tapes. But I clean them and run them. To be fair, the original name seems wrong now it is getting some function creep.

[@vhsislife]

Weird how people seem to feel it necessary to judge another persons business name, but I guess it's the internet so why not? In response to your corny statement, my brand name is centered around VHS products in general, not just the cleaner. I initially built the cleaner for myself as I had hundreds of rare and important VHS tapes to clean and was tired of using an old vcr. Once my friends saw it they wanted one too, then I decided to share it with the community. The fact that it cleans other formats was features I added on at the request of many others included my friends across the pond. The Smithsonian Institute Archives video lab in the US uses one as well as the Derby Museum there in the UK and many universities. It's in 9 countries with over 350 sold so far and at least that many on the waitlist. None of those people care about the name on it. It'll always have my brand name on it because I put a lot of time, effort, and $$ into the design of this and decided to keep the cost low to share with the world to help keep people from just tossing moldy tapes. Over here we have a saying that goes a little something like this... "If you don't have anything nice to say, then just don't say anything at all". Maybe give that a shot next time you feel the need to judge another mans business.

[@vhsislife]

@@video99couk That's because my brand is centered around VHS and extends far beyond the cleaner. I focus on and love VHS and built the cleaner for myself, which then turned into something I offered the community. I'm not going to change the brand name simply because I adapted it to work for other formats.

[@ConsumerDV]

​@@vhsislife Weird how people feel so defensive about their product name that they go out of their way to explain their business philosophy and company history. It is also weird that the product page on their website is password protected, but I guess this is how they run their business.

[@vhsislife]

@@ConsumerDV The product is password protected because people were buying it before getting on the waitlist and I didn't want to hold their money for months without being able to ship their product. And it clearly states that on the product page that you need to message to get on the waitlist. You either don't know how to read or simply a troll, move along man.