I use Marie O'Connell's wet playback technique but without her "saturate & wipe" feature.  

I insert a disposable pipette full of isopropyl alcohol into the hollow shaft of a cotton bud after cutting the shaft in half.  A light squeeze of the pipette pushes the IPA down through the shaft.  It's Labour intensive but it astonishing how little IPA is needed - just enough keep the cotton bud damp.  Most of the IPA evaporates before it hits the capstan.

I'm no scientist but this suggests to me that the effect comes from localised cooling rather than lubrication!?!

Nigel


-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Schroth
Sent: Wednesday, 15 August 2012 1:10 p.m.
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Tape recovery Information resources (was Treemonisha 1972 at Carbondale squeaks

Hi Richard and others:

For tapes with squealing problems, I have used the wet play system that was started by, I believe, Marie O'Connell. I use an ATR-100 customized by ATR services, with a drip bag and jig I built to distribute 100% isopropyl to the tape. The deck is on it's factory rolling rack and is positioned down at roughly a 45 degree angle so that the extra run-off of iso does not hit the boards or any other important mechanical/electrical components. The excess alcohol drips off the head block and out through the open audio board access door on the front of the deck onto a drip pan I place on the floor.

I have no experience with D5. Could the same setup use D5 instead? Would
D5 be better to use than iso, as far as to minimize any long-term effect/damage to the tapes? Has anyone done testing to determine the effect D5 has verses iso on tape? Does anyone have suggestions other than these two chemicals?

Regards,

John Schroth
Media Transfer Service, LLC