Tape head etc cleaner.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've got a pile of 1/4" tapes to transfer to CD, and have run out of my favourite head and transport cleaner - AF-Spray, order code AFS400. Last time, I bought a case of it - so a very long time ago. It was the stuff used by the BBC and ITV for cleaning all types of tape machine transports and heads - both audio and video. A good connector etc cleaner too.

I've not been able to find it at the usual suspects, CPC etc.

So wondered what is the modern equivalent? I've no idea what the solvent actually was - doesn't say on the aerosol.

[charles]

I have AF Safeclean which I suspect superceded it. The original might well have contained Ethyl Chloride which, I think, is banned by the EU, but you might find from a US vendor on EBay. My can of that has a warning that it is known to the State of California to cause cancer. (Possibly to the EU, too.)

[Andrew Mawson]

Years back I used to use AF spray for computer tape heads on Ampex 1/2" reel to reel vacuum column decks, or if none available "Safewipes" which were a lint free pad soaked in IPA and sealed in a foil sachet - except the sachets always seemed to dry out so carried a little bottle of IPA to wet them :)

Andrew

[meow2222]

isopropyl alcohol, which has much the same properties as ethyl alcohol. IIRC surgical spirit should be good, but definitely not rubbing alcohol. Vodka probably, not sure.

NT

[charles]

I thought IPA came in pint bottles with crown corks made by people like Greene King

[meow2222]

meths would be fine too

NT

[spuorgelgoog]

If it's Iso. Prop. Acl. then

A non-flammable alternative is Colclene PCS

which I see is also available from CPC

Owain

[george]

Neither Meths nor Surgical spirit - they both leave residue due to the additives in them.

[Ian Jackson]

In message , charles writes

You'll find very few pint bottles these days. Instead, they are nearly all a vastly short-measure 500ml. However, for cleaning tape heads etc, I think I've always used meths and a Q-tip.

[Peter Andrews]

As Boots don't (well my local one doesn't) seem to sell it anymore:

£16.25

Peter

[Dave Liquorice]

HOW MUCH!

£8.49 delivered, 1 l, 99.9% iso-propanol. Was £7.99 before Christmas

when I bought for the lads cloud chamber.

[The Natural Philosopher]

India Pale Ale?

I wouldn't clean my arse with that...

[meow2222]

lord, meths is far cheaper

NT

[meow2222]

enuogh to matter? Not IIRC.

NT

[Flynno]

I think I remember using acetone on a Q-tip for just this purpose - it seemed to work very well AFAIR

Best of luck!

[Dave Liquorice]

ISTR that the 500 ml of meths I bought last year was over £3, so £6+/l...

[Ian Jackson]

In message , Flynno writes

Isn't there is a great danger of acetone dissolving something? [And cellulose thinners?] Meths is far safer.

[Brian Gaff]

I use IPA myself quite cheap in cans at cpc. However it needs to be kept well sealed as it tends to evaporate. I don't like spray stuff as it can degrease things that should stay greased via overspray. Brian

[Bob Eager]

CPC do it for £9.70 inclusive, if you look around. SA01885. Minimum order £10 for card orders so you might have to buy a few resistors too.

[Lobster]

On 23 Jan 2015, [e-mail] grunted:

And what's the difference between surgical spirit and rubbing alcohol (he says, provocatively!)?