Hi Jim,

Having recently carried out the digitization of an important set of 
about 600 slow speed dictabelts, 230 recorded hours from the trial of 
Nelson Mandela and other accused, I wrote the following lines on that 
topic:
http://www.archeophone.org/dictabelt/windex.php
No splits there, but huge creases all the same, and heavy scratches. 
This text may be of interest, telling about a few of the of the 
difficulties met by myself, or by some people who worked on such things 
before I did. But this text does not say I even had to face a few pin 
holes and staple holes on some dictabelt tracks...

As the designer/maker of the Archeophone phonograph and its mandrels I 
wish also to introduce the following short video. By the end it shows a 
prototype of the Dictabelt mandrel and how it reduces the creases :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nRREq3v6vY

I designed and provide since some improved mandrels which are easier to 
work with for repeated procedures on huge collections. A few views on 
this other video show of a first version of that new mandrel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYUMobapuSk

How advanced is the deterioration on your Dictabelts ? If possible I 
would love to see photos of some specific creases and splits you met.

With cheers from Paris !

Henri Chamoux

-- 
Henri CHAMOUX
The many adventures of the Archeophone phonograph : http://www.archeophone.org/windex.php
École normale supérieure de Lyon
LARHRA - UMR 5190
Pôle histoire numérique

Tel : 33 6 64 80 00 81
[log in to unmask]
http://larhra.ish-lyon.cnrs.fr/membre/113



Le 01/08/2016 20:21, Jim Meade a écrit :
> Hi all,
>
> We have a collection of Dictabelts which have been stored in less than ideal conditions. They have been pressed flat, leaving two pronounced creases on each one, a familiar tale! The creased areas are now splitting on some of them.
>
> Our plan is to attempt to replay them on the Archeophone using the appropriate mandrel.
>
> Does anyone have advice to offer as to how to alleviate such creasing on Dictabelts?
>
> Any help will be gratefully received.
>
> Cheers
> Jim Meade
>
>
> Jim Meade | Audio Preservation Engineer
> Belfer Audio Archive, Special Collections Research Center
> 222 Waverly Avenue,
> Syracuse, New York 13244
> t 315.443.7971 e [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> w belfer.syr.edu
> SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
> syr.edu
>