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How to repair a Billy Joel cassette?

Noyade

It still works, but I noticed that small pad displaced from its copper mount.

Is this crucial to the workings of a cassette? I have no idea.

If so, what glue would you recommend - or none?

It's 41 years old and full of nostalgia. 😁

I would like to keep it a little longer if possible.

His 'The Nylon Curtain' album.

Cheers.

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EricL

Hi @Noyade

I suggest visiting your local salvos and purchasing a 1-dollar cassette, sometimes they are even cheaper. Take the cassettes apart and get the working "pad assembly" from the donor cassette into your Billy Joel cassette. This will save you from having to expose your tape to any strong adhesives. Once re-assembled I suggest popping the tape into the deck and see if it works.

Eric

Noyade

Thanks @EricL

I'll look into that suggestion.

Cheers!

Dave-1

Afternoon @Noyade

Ahhh showing my age here 🙂 I like @EricL 's solution as it would get it back to being as close to original as you can. I can remember pulling them apart when I was younger.

I am pretty sure those pads are there to give pressure for the tape to run over the heads of the tape deck (potentially not needed). If that pad is "loose" Id remove it, otherwise I would try and sorce/or record to your pc/laptop to have a copy first so if it breaks/perishes you will still have the album 🙂

Just in case you dont know, we use to use nail pollish remover to "join" the tape together when it broke. You would use around 5mm to overlap it with the other reels length and a drop of nail polish remover would join the two pieces together. The acetone acts as a solvent and joins them.

Dave

RJsPlace

Ha Dave, a great article bringing back memories, and I still have some cassettes in my radio collection.

Also, using a pencil or pen to tension the tape!

Cheers.

Noyade

Hey Dave! @Dave-1

"I can remember pulling them apart when I was younger."

The crazy thing is with all the handling of the cassette, I lost that felt pad. 😉

I had no luck with the Vinnies idea above - but then I realised - can the copyrighted cassettes of yesteryear actually be disassembled?

No screws. To me it looks like you would need to 'crack' the plastic joins?

I think I will just stick to Spotify. 😁

Dave-1

Morning @Noyade

Now you have nme questioning my memory! lol I remember taking the spools out and putting them in other cases quiet strongly. I think I ran a knife and then levered it until I either snapped the plastic clips inside or jimmied it open enough that brute force strength kicked in 😲 Will try and rem to havbe a look at my old tapes when I get home 🙂

Dave

DIYGnome

Hello @Noyade replacement felt pads can be purchased online but why not use an appropriately sized piece of adhesive door seal insulation? So long as the surface (copper strip) is prepared sufficiently well you should be good to go 👍

https://www.bunnings.com.au/moroday-grey-econo-self-adhesive-weather-seal_p4061873

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