Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: TEAC Rubber Cleaner

This is topic TEAC Rubber Cleaner in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 03-08-2013, 01:51 PM:

Many years ago, when reel to reel tape decks roamed the land, TEAC made a tape deck cleaner set, that contained 3 bottles of cleaner, one for the tape heads, one for the rubber rollers, and one for the stainless steel.

While there are many tape head and stainless steel cleaning products still available, I have found nothing like the rubber cleaner. It smelled foul, but kept the capstan rollers on my tape deck clean and prevented them from drying out or turning to goo. I also used this on my Elmo 16mm rollers, and as a result they are still in great shape after almost 30 years.

I'm down to my last bottle of the rubber cleaner, and I was wondering if anyone knows of a comparable product that is still available.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 03-08-2013, 02:18 PM:

Was is colourless and extremely volatile, would evaporate within a couple of seconds of applying it? We used to use Methyl Eethyl Ketone (MEK)on offset printing blankets, and I have used it to clean pinch rollers before now. Foul stuff, needs to be used in a well ventilated area, but it does bring rubber up very nicely.

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 03-08-2013, 02:36 PM:

Caig RBR is a dandy one. We have a lot of Caig products in the shop, cleaners and solvents and the like. All good stuff.

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 03-10-2013, 03:51 PM:

I ended up with Rubber Renue from MG Chemicals. I have been using their tape head cleaner for years, and my local electronic parts store had it in stock.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 03-10-2013, 04:01 PM:

Used touline on all parts of the Scully 270 machines for automated FM radio in the 70s. Heads and metal and rubber. About as volitile as MEK. louis

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 03-10-2013, 09:36 PM:

quote: Louis Bornwasser
Used touline on all parts of the Scully 270 machines for automated FM radio in the 70s.

In the 70's I worked in Radio by day, and as projectionist at night.
(A real one- changeovers, DC generators, manual dimmers & carbon arcs)

Both touline & MEK were used quite a bit at the station. They
bought it in bulk and it was kept in the 'chemical closet'.

We used to "test" a new intern by handing them a styrofoam
cup and sending them to the closet to get a cupfull of MEK.

The smart ones asked for another type of cup.

The others eventually found jobs running platters at multiplexes.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-21-2013, 10:54 PM:

I've done ISOPROP alcohol for years on the capstan rollers of my decks with no problems ...