I'm not sure that you'd want to make them any more pliable than they already are due to the fact that the grove is an embossed one as oppossed to being cut and it may well self erase. My 2 bits... Bob Hodge Robert Hodge, Senior Engineer Belfer Audio Archive Syracuse University 222 Waverly Ave . Syracuse N.Y. 13244-2010 315-443- 7971 FAX-315-443-4866 >>> [log in to unmask] 12/5/2006 2:39 PM >>> --- Craig Breaden <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I'm trying to find resources on grooved dictabelt recordings > (restoration > and care, playback, etc.). I'm looking specifically for > information on > restoring pliability to grooved dictabelts. I use an older Dictaphone machine that has larger-diameter mandrels than the newer ones. I've found that running the belt on the machine for an hour or so will help flatten out any creases from the belt having been pressed flat. The mailer sleeves that Dictaphone sold for the belts also pressed them flat, so the company didn't seem to think that flattening them would cause permanent damage. The machine I have has an Atstatic crystal pickup which has a line level output that terminates in an RCA plug. This makes it very easy to connect to an audio board. I've never tried any kind of chemical on a belt to make it more pliable as I've never (in my limited experience) encountered one that I would consider stiffer than the belts were when new. David Breneman [log in to unmask] ____________________________________________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta. http://new.mail.yahoo.com