On 2/9/22 12:44, Gavin Scott via cctalk wrote: > On Wed, Feb 9, 2022 at 10:11 AM Mike Katz via cctalk > <cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: >> I'm still not sure how to clean the front of the head where the tape >> touches the head. Any ideas? > > Back in the day there was "Tape Head Cleaner" Which was a little tin > of trichlorotrifluoroethane (a.k.a. Freon 113) where you screwed the > cap off and it had a rod with a fluffy ball on the end inside, and you > would slather that all over the heads of 9-track tape drives etc. It > evaporated almost instantly. Of course after evaporating it floated up > and destroyed the ozone layer, so probably not super obtainable these > days. > > A search for "Tape Head Cleaner" suggests there are similar modern > formulations used for HiFi equipment etc. that might be applicable.
I find that perchloroethylene works to get stubborn tape-head deposits cleaned up. Can be found in some formulations of brake cleaner as well as the usual dry-cleaning solvent. Nonflammable, but somewhat toxic, so use in a well-ventilated area. Not really plastic-safe, so use sparingly. Also makes a great solder flux remover from PCBs. --Chuck