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Old 07-28-2008, 01:02 AM
n0jcf n0jcf is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Mahtomedi, MN
Posts: 9
Default paper tapes and rubber bands-- not good after 30 yrs

I have been performing archeology on hundreds of paper tapes I received with my vintage 680b and tty model 33... and have found that the rubber bands that were used to keep the tapes in a roll have melted into various piles of goo, stains and other strange forms that have made a mess of a lot of the tapes. The really sad one is an original MITS assembler/editor tape set for the 680b in an UNOPENED bag that has two rubber bands melted all over the tapes inside the bag.

Clearly the oil on the tapes has accelerated the demise of the rubber bands. Does anyone have any techniques for further dissolving the rubber while safely preserving the tapes?

It's really a mess... sad.

Chris
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