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Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Most 10 1/2" NAB reels were metal, but does your machine use them? At one
time they were being chucked out in their thousands. Now you'd probably
have to buy one and they're not cheap.

Are you sure you truly have oxide shedding? I've got tapes more than 40
years old that are ok. Although all my tapes are of European manufacture.


Thanks. The tapes in question were made by Ampex and the symptoms
match descriptions of sticky shed syndrome. (I also have recordings on
Maxell tape that seem to be fine.) And no, my machine does not use NAB
hubs: I was referring to the spools that hold the tape itself. I have
a couple of tapes on metal spool, but all the rest are plastic.


European broadcasting companies used AEG metal centres, with the
tape sitting on a backing plate when on the tape machine.
These centres might be a much cheaper alternative to NAB reels.
Be aware however, that you should spool anything other than
matt-backed tape onto these centres at a very low speed.
Iain