[BC] Sticky tape problem...

[Alan Kline]

Anyone have any good ideas for rescuing a reel of 1" videotape that 
sticks to itself?

I've been trying to play a 20-year-old reel of Memorex 1" tape on our 
last remaining VPR-6.  The reel hasn't been played in at least 15 years, 
although it was stored in reasonably decent conditions (my family room). 
  I can slowly move the reels by hand, and once I've worked a particular 
section back and forth a couple of times, it plays fine. However, I'm 
not terribly anxious to do that with an 84-minute recording--it took me 
the better part of an hour to get less than 3 minutes in. It looks like 
the tape is sticking to the idler roller coming out of the audio heads. 
(It also seems that the idler isn't retracting when it should, but 
unfortunately, 1" maintenance is a very low priority around here. Comes 
right after the film chains... ;-) )

Ironically, I have about 6 or 7 other 1" reels, 3M and Ampex, that sat 
in a box in my garage for 7 Midwest winters. When I took them in to work 
and strung them up, they played beautifully the first time. The one I 
felt most important and kept inside, wouldn't. Of course, I've never had 
good luck with Memorex tape.

Any ideas would be appreciated. As a last resort, I have a VHS copy of 
the recording that I could transfer to DVD, but I'd rather do it from 
the master if I could...

ak