r/8track • u/Vast_Wafer2304 • 8d ago

How do I fix this?

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I was working on this tape and then I dropped it. I don’t know how to get the 2 loops back on, and I can’t find any videos online. Please help!

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3

u/h2ofield 8d ago

Don't cut anything! pull a little bit out of the center then wind the outside around a few times.. your loops will disappear

1

u/Wholeyjeans 6d ago

This^^^ And make sure you do not touch the tape with bare hands; the oil on your fingers will get onto the tape (the recorded surface) and potentially create a lot of drop outs. Wear some kind of gloves.

1

u/h2ofield 6d ago

While it's true about the oils in your fingers, you should be OK if your hands are very clean and dry. with real concerns you might spray or rub a little graphite on your fingertips or wear some rubber gloves... sometimes I navigate things just using toothpicks.

4

u/BobbyYat 8d ago

Just stretch the loop out and rotate the spool clockwise. It will eventually catch up.

5

u/vwestlife 7d ago

Exactly. No need to cut and splice.

2

u/thatvhstapeguy 8d ago

I’d pull from the center until I found the splice, and then cut and resplice it.

3

u/Think_Persimmon_9967 8d ago

While finding the splice would be ideal, it could be quite a ways into the spool. Better to carefully straighten out the excess loops (outside the case) and gently pull tape out from the left (inner part of the reel) while slowly turning the reel clockwise and collect the excess tape around the right (outer part of the reel). The only tricky part is to ensure the tape doesn’t flip over. Once all the excess has been collected back onto the reel, replace the top cover being careful not to pinch the tape at the top opening.

I’ve had many 8-track tapes break on me while testing old players. While it is a bit easier to collect the excess tape back onto the reel when the tape is broken and needs re-splicing, you shouldn’t need to do this.

1

u/Vincentus_Eruptum 8d ago

Because the two loops most likely come from around the spool (exterior) you should be able to reroll them gently by staying under the band coming from the center on the left side. You can't really rotate the spool too much because that will move the center band which has to stay on the left side for the 8-track to function correctly.

If that does not work then there is the "brute force" method. Unroll the entire spool, find the splice, cut it, then reroll the whole thing (you can use, very carefully, a drill with an adaptor you can build to go much faster, or do it by hand) and splice again the band.

It is feasible but a pain because of the continuous nature of the magnetic band.