Need instructions for replacing video case

[Pratima]

I remember seeing instructions for putting a video inside a new plastic casing, but can't seem to find them now. Can anyone give me a link to that?

Thanks!

[Barbara F]

Here is the text of instructions that it looks like were written by Dawn P. I put this in a word file and saved it forever after (and my DH used it to once to replace a broken Cathe case; it worked perfectly ). I could e-mail you the Word file, if you want me to. . .

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REPAIRING A BROKEN VIDEOTAPE

WARNINGS
You should never splice sections of a broken videotape, as an imperfect splice or seriously crinkled section of tape can shatter the VCR’s video heads - the most expensive single part in a VCR. If the videotape is broken at one end of the tape, you can reconnect the bulk of the tape to the reel and throw away the broken tape from the end of the videotape.

As a rule, once this type of repair has been done, you cannot rewind or fast -forward the tape all the way to the end as the automatic end sensor will not work and the VCR cannot automatically stop the rewind or fast-forward operation. The tape will run to the end and the VCR will then shut down when it can’t move the tape anymore. This could put additional stress on your VCR’s mechanical parts or rip the videotape from its reel.

This is not likely to seriously damage the VCR, but for this reason you should “zero” the tape a little further down the tape while playing it so the tape will never completely rewind to the beginning (or fast-forward completely to the end). Make sure the “Repeat Play” feature is not ON when playing a repaired tape in your VCR, as this feature plays tapes all the way to the end and rewinds all the way to the beginning for continuos replay.

CAUTION: When repairing tapes, remember that the videotape itself is very thin and easily crinkled. Be very gentle when handling it and avoid touching the oxide (dull side) if at all possible.

SUPPLIES NEEDED

· Small Phillips screwdriver
· Good lighted work surface
· Medium-sized sewing or needle or pin
· Exacto knife or razor blade
· Epoxy (only if needed, see step #14 below)
· Replacement videocassette shell (from a new videocassette) if replacing a broken shell

OPENING THE VIDEOCASSETTE

1. Peel off any labels that appear on the spine of the videocassette or carefully slice down its centerline with an Exacto knife or razor blade. You have to do this so you can open the videocassette up completely.
2. Place the cassette upside-down on a flat surface and remove the five (5) Phillips head screws from the backside. Set these aside. (NOTE: These are small black screws, and it helps to place them on a light-colored surface away from your work area. Consider placing a piece of masking tape sticky-side up on a table and sticking the screws to it!).
3. While holding the cassette together, place it label side up on a clean surface. (This is very important – place the videocassette with the screw-side DOWN and the top of theclear casing UP towards you. If you separate the cassette while it is upside down, little parts will likely fall out!).
4. Gently remove the top (along with the hinged door) to reveal the interior. At this point, you should see something that looks like the illustration shown at Videotape Inside View.
5. You will likely see a silver steel bar fall out, it is kind of curved and normally sits on top of the tape reels and provides tension that presses them down. Set this piece aside.
6. Examine the illustration above. You can now see how the tape threads from one reel to the other. It feeds through the pegs and flaps shown. IMPORTANT: To turn the reels, you have to lift up the little reel locks that show up on the bottom side of the cassette (see picture).
7. Remove the empty reel. Cut off any crinkled or frayed videotape from the leader end.
8. Remove the plastic plug that is stuck into the center of the empty reel. Do this by pushing the sewing needle through the tiny hole on the center white plastic center on the underside of the spool This plug is used to secure the tape to the reel. Remove and discard any broken tape.
9. Thread the new leader end of the videotape around the spool, being careful to damage or bend the tape as little as possible.
10. Use the little plastic plug to connect the tape to the reels. Do this by pressing the plug into place with your fingers. (NOTE: The plug is like a clip that can be pushed in from the side of the spool, it does not have to be dropped down through the hole from the top of the cassette.)
11. If the plug is broken or missing, use some strong tape to secure the tape end to the reel. (Reinforced packing tape might work here.)
12. If you are replacing the entire cassette shell, take apart the new blank tape using the above instructions, then pull the reels out of the old tape and drop them into the new shell, following the illustration to thread the tape properly.
13. Tighten the tape by lifting up the little reel locks at the bottom of the cassette while turning one of the reels to take up the slack
14. You need to replace that silver steel tension bar if it fell out during disassembly. It goes on the inside of the top case (the clear side where you can see through to the reels). Look for little black plastic knobs where the holes on the tension bar. Press the tension bar on these knobs. If they do not hold firmly, glue them in place with some epoxy and allow it to dry.
15. Reassemble the shell and avoid crunching the tape under the hinged door - depress the unlock button on the side and lift the hinged door to clear the tape if needed.
16. Flip the cassette over and screw the Phillips screws back in. (Do the center screw first, as it holds the tension bar in place).
17. Test the videotape in an older VCR if you have one. Be careful not to rewind or fast-forward all the way to the repaired end, or you could damage your VCR! Don’t forget!
18. You should really consider copying the tape to a new videotape to preserve the videotape and prevent any possibility of damaging your VCR, especially if this is a family heirloom tape with precious memories.
19. Now, go brag to your husband! Not only are you a videofitness amazon, you are a
mechanical genius!

Adapted from “Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of Video Cassette Recorders” by Samuel M. Goldwasser as seen on the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ website, RepairFAQ.org.

Dawn P.

[Pratima]

Thanks Barbara!

[WendyB]

Pratima,
Is the tape itself broken or just the casing? If it's just the case, I just use another blank videotape and remove the good tape and put it inside the new case. You can use the attached instructions to insert the old tape into the new casing. Dawn P posted these sometime back and I cut and pasted the info into a text file for future reference. Her instructions refer to actually splicing a broken tape together, but you can use part of it for unassembling and reassembling the cases and removing/inserting the tapes. Hope this helps!

[WendyB]

LOL, I see Barbara F was posting at the same time I was.

[Barbara F]

Check out the website at the bottom of Dawn's instructions, because it has pictures, which my DH found quite helpful.

[Barbara F]

Just out of curiosity, how did you make that file an attachment to your post???

[WendyB]

Barbara,

At the bottom of the post reply screen, there is an attachment box. It's just above the "submit reply" button and just below the "options" checkboxes. Just browse your hard disk to find the file.

I'm glad to know that website has pictures, by the way. I've got to check that out and save the web page instead of just the text file.

[DawnP]

Wow, thanks Wendy & Barbara,

Thanks for posting my instructions! I'm amazed folks are still using those...

There's two links in the body of the instructions that you can't see, so I'm attaching the file again and "unveiling" the links for those of you who want to download it again!

Good luck Pratima!

[WendyB]

Thanks for the complete file, Dawn, links and all! Now perhaps the next time I do surgery on a videotape, I might actually get all the little pieces put back. I sometimes have leftovers I don't know what to do with.