Hi Sarah: Would you, for us non-scientists on the list, summarize Bradshaw's thinking and the opposing view(s)? Please try to keep it in the realm of what an English major or at least what a MLS major can comprehend. Practical experience tells me that baking works, temporarily rendering a sticky tape playable via standard playback. I have my own clearly audible findings about repeated baking degrading the sound quality, but no science to show why and debate from others who don't hear degradation in tapes they've repeatedly baked. I don't much believe any of the theories that say either that baking "doesn't work" (years of practice in the field say otherwise) or that super-dry storage can avoid future baking (I haven't seen any in-field reports of this being true, in other words all sticky tapes eventually go back to being sticky at some point after baking no matter how dry the storage conditions). I think the second point is important because super-dry storage is not appropriate for older pre-sticky tapes, and if it makes no difference for sticky tapes, it's a dumb goal for an archive environment. I'm very interested in the in-field experience we've been discussing on this list, specifically how baking times are getting ever-longer. Do any of the theories you explored about what causes sticky-shed reveal why baking times would be increasing as the tapes get older? -- Tom Fine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah Norris" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 10:41 AM Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Sticky SHRED >Do you happen to have specific references to Bhushan's tomes that describe this? If they are in your paper I'd love a final electronic copy of it. Here are the references from the paper: Bradshaw, R. and B. Bhushan. "Friction in Magnetic Tapes III: Role of Chemical Properties." ASLE Transactions, 1984;27(3):207-219. Bradshaw, R., B. Bhushan, C. Kalthoff, and M. Warne. "Chemical and Mechanical Performance of Flexible Magnetic Tape Containing Chromium Dioxide." IBM Journal of Research and Development, 1986;30(2):203-216. Sarah Norris Conservator Texas State Library and Archives Commission phone: (512) 463-5446 fax: (512) 463-5430 e-mail: [log in to unmask]