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Hi Carla:

Respectfully, I think you should have stated in clear, non-conditional language that ONLY experts 
should be baking and playing sticky tapes. This is not something for civilians to mess with if the 
content on the tapes is of any value. As Richard and others have said on this list, repeatedly and 
often, the whole sticky-shed thing is an on-going problem, baking times appear to increase as tapes 
age, and there is still discussion and controversy about how many times a tape can be baked and 
played without audible damage to the sonic contents. I think you should update the PDF of the 
document now, and agree that an update in future print editions is appropriate.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carla Arton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, May 30, 2015 7:54 AM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Baking tapes on plastic reels ?


> This is a very valid point. A quick reminder however is the intended
> audience for this guide is someone with little to no experience with
> audiotape. This is why the entire baking section is not very specific. We
> wanted to encourage readers to go to experts such as yourselves who would
> better understand the risks.
>
> Indeed trying to dismantle a plastic reel adds a whole other risk. Maybe a
> qualifying sentence is needed in a future edition to further address this
> point.
>
> Thanks so much for your feedback.
>
> Best,
> Carla Arton
> On May 30, 2015 1:59 AM, "Marie O'Connell" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Same, I bake in a Contherm scientific oven and have never in 21 years had a
>> plastic reel warp or melt on me.
>> Cheers
>> Marie
>>
>> On Sat, May 30, 2015 at 5:47 PM, John Chester <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> > On 5/29/15 10:08 PM, Richard L. Hess wrote:
>> >
>> >> I just reviewed the wonderful document:
>> >>
>> >> ARSC Guide to Audio Preservation
>> >> http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub164/pub164.pdf
>> >>
>> >> On page 60 (PDF 72) it says, "Only bake tapes with metal flanges, as
>> >> plastic reels may warp."
>> >>
>> >> It is true, they MAY warp, but in baking tapes in food dehydrators for
>> >> over a decade, I may have had ONE plastic reel warp.
>> >>
>> >> This is a case of the lesser of many evils.
>> >>
>> >> One should not unspool a tape that needs to be baked as the mag coat may
>> >> be found adhering to the back coat of the next layer.
>> >>
>> > 100% agree.  I have seen tapes which were unspooled before baking where
>> > 50% or more of the oxide layer was stuck to the back coating, and the
>> tape
>> > was completely ruined.  So don't do that.
>> >
>> >> So I would suggest that the risk of having to cut a warped plastic
>> flange
>> >> is much lower risk than unspooling the unbaked tape.
>> >>
>> > I have never seen a plastic reel which was so badly warped by baking that
>> > I had to cut the reel to remove the tape.  Very occasionally I have
>> chosen
>> > to replace the reel before returning the tape to storage, but usually the
>> > reel is completely undamaged.
>> >
>> > -- John Chester
>> >
>>
>
>