Rubber idler wheel rubber restoration

[Ken Layton]

   That looks like a page out of their mid '70s paper catalog.  How did
you find it?  Most of the links of the Russell website are dead, and
most good pages are dated 2002.

I went to: http://www.russellind.com/index1.htm

Then "download" and then PRB Line catalog.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

I went to: http://www.russellind.com/index1.htm

Then "download" and then PRB Line catalog.

That link was dead when I tried it, yesterday. I got a 404 error.
It's working tonight.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Mr. Land]

Yep.

TEAC used to sell a rubber rejuvenator for cassette decks that was
essentially xylene. A suitable substitute can be bought in the US as a
paint/gunk remover called "goof off" in the yellow metal can.

Finally. Someone named a product after me.

 

[Colin Horsley]

I've been volunteered to resurrect a Gerard A75 turntable and a Sony
250 reel to reel tape deck.

Both the turntable and tape recorder have rubber idler wheels that
have turned hard as a rock. Is it possible to soften the rubber with
some chemical?

softening rubber idler wheels?

I have used Rubber Roller Restorer from www.fixyourownprinter.com

http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/specials/misc/all/S03

Fixes printer rubber rollers etc etc.
Colin

 

[Ken G.]

All the rejuvenating stuff will not work or will not last long .

If you have some VCR belts around that will fit around the hard idler .
A real thin one the same width would be deal but 1 or 2 of the square
ones will work .

Stretch or place the belt-s around the idler and run a bead of superglue
around to hold it on . mount the idler in a drill and run it on
sandpaper .
If you are using square belt-s you shound sand it down in the drill
first to take some off so the finished diameter is closer .

This works for me 100%

 

[[email protected]]

I've been volunteered to resurrect a Gerard A75 turntable and a Sony
250 reel to reel tape deck.

Both the turntable and tape recorder have rubber idler wheels that
have turned hard as a rock. Is it possible to soften the rubber with
some chemical?

About 25 years ago, I had a Nordmende pinch roller that didn't respond
to the usual surface treatments, so a coworker tried TCE or MEK. The
trick was that he used either heat and/or pressure/vacuum (don't
remember anymore what the chamber was) to induce the TCE to
penetrate. After the TCE the pinch roller was clean and pliable, but
shrunken. So I followed another recommendation to soak it in brake
fluid, and sure enough, it plumped right up. YMMV, no warranty
expressed or implied, etc.

TM

 

[msg]

All the rejuvenating stuff will not work or will not last long .

If you have some VCR belts around that will fit around the hard idler .
A real thin one the same width would be deal but 1 or 2 of the square
ones will work .

Stretch or place the belt-s around the idler and run a bead of superglue
around to hold it on . mount the idler in a drill and run it on
sandpaper .
If you are using square belt-s you shound sand it down in the drill
first to take some off so the finished diameter is closer .

This works for me 100%

Nice hearing the various techniques mentioned in this thread. I have
restored digital tape transport capstans by removing the deteriorated
rubber and layering back to the original diameter using multiple dips
in liquid vinyl; the capstan needs to be spun at low rpm with the shaft
horizontal until each vinyl layer has set. I did a capstan for an
HP-85 awhile ago that required quite close tolerances and this technique
worked well; the result was a bright red surface however ;-)

Regards,

Michael

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

Nice hearing the various techniques mentioned in this thread. I have
restored digital tape transport capstans by removing the deteriorated
rubber and layering back to the original diameter using multiple dips
in liquid vinyl; the capstan needs to be spun at low rpm with the shaft
horizontal until each vinyl layer has set. I did a capstan for an
HP-85 awhile ago that required quite close tolerances and this technique
worked well; the result was a bright red surface however ;-)

The HP85 drive roller is mostly metal with a relatively thin coating
of rubber. See photos at:
<http://www.voidware.com/calcs/hp85rep.htm>
See page 2 of 3 pages. Resurfacing such a roller will work just fine.
However, the Sony and Gerrard idlers have a much thicker layer of
rubber. The deformation depth of the capstan is also substantially
deeper than the HP85 drive roller, requiring a much thicker deposition
of added rubber. It's probably possible, using the suggested freezing
the rubber and machining it down to the diameter required. As I
indicated in a previous message, I think it will work with the
relatively wide Sony idler, but will not work with the fairly narrow
Gerrard idler.

Current status is that I'm gathering an assortment of chemicals and
concoctions, along with a variety of rubber parts. I'll try some
experiments next weekend, and then apply the least disgusting fix to
the customers antique tape recorder and turntable.

Thanks for all the suggestions and hints.

Incidentally, this is how I repaired an HP65 calculator drive roller:
<http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/hp65/slides/Hp65-Drive-Roller.html>
The "rubber" is a piece of vinyl tubing, conveniently with the correct
diameter. The only good way to cut it to size is with a razor blade.