The Mellotron Group

Hello everybody,

As winter approaches here, I think it is time to get
started on restoring #1565. I am planning to start on
the keyboard.

The pinch rollers look in good condition but a lot of
them are stuck or sticking. I am intend to soak them
in isopropyl alcohol. I think this can cause problems
with the rubber of the pinch rollers and that they may
need to be treated with rubber rejuvenator afterwards.

New Zealand is a land with 2 mellotrons that I know of
and very few reel to reel tape recorders, rubber
rejuvenator is something with which to clean car
tyres.

So first of all would car tyre cleaner do the job? I
suspect not but that is all I can find here so far.
If not some trade names of products would be helpful
or a list of ingedients.

Thanks

Mark




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Mark -

If you are thinking of using the likes of tyrewall blackener then forget
it. Like any abrasive cleaner this works by wearing the rubber away
rather than rejuvenating it. All very well taking the outside edge from
your tyres, but it may end up causing the pinch rollers to become very
uneven and pitted which would result in some catastrophic wobblies. I'd
avoid it, if I were you.

Mike

Mark Pring wrote:

>
> Hello everybody,
>
> As winter approaches here, I think it is time to get
> started on restoring #1565. I am planning to start on
> the keyboard.
>
> The pinch rollers look in good condition but a lot of
> them are stuck or sticking. I am intend to soak them
> in isopropyl alcohol. I think this can cause problems
> with the rubber of the pinch rollers and that they may
> need to be treated with rubber rejuvenator afterwards.
>
> New Zealand is a land with 2 mellotrons that I know of
> and very few reel to reel tape recorders, rubber
> rejuvenator is something with which to clean car
> tyres.
>
> So first of all would car tyre cleaner do the job? I
> suspect not but that is all I can find here so far.
> If not some trade names of products would be helpful
> or a list of ingedients.
>
> Thanks
>
> Mark
>
> __________________________________________________________
> Be a better friend, newshound, and
> know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
> http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
> <http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ>
>
>

No, no, no, no, no.
Rubber conditioners and rejuvinators, as Mike stated,
can result in the eventual gooifying of your rollers.
As a long-time analogue recordist and owner of quite a
few tape machines, I've seen this in action, not on my
machines, thankfully, but I've had to replace many a
roller that had been treated as such. Even the stuff
that's made for tape machines will do the same thing.
I would use alcohol or head cleaning fluid, but I
wouldn't soak them. A simple wipe-down should do the
trick. Alcohol can dry out the rubber so be frugal.
Still, a dry roller is better than a pastey, sticky
mess.
I'm sure that many will disagree with me on this, but
take heed. Get a few opinions and good luck!
-Jack



--- Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com> wrote:

> Mark -
>
> If you are thinking of using the likes of tyrewall
> blackener then forget
> it. Like any abrasive cleaner this works by wearing
> the rubber away
> rather than rejuvenating it. All very well taking
> the outside edge from
> your tyres, but it may end up causing the pinch
> rollers to become very
> uneven and pitted which would result in some
> catastrophic wobblies. I'd
> avoid it, if I were you.
>
> Mike
>
> Mark Pring wrote:
> >
> > Hello everybody,
> >
> > As winter approaches here, I think it is time to
> get
> > started on restoring #1565. I am planning to start
> on
> > the keyboard.
> >
> > The pinch rollers look in good condition but a lot
> of
> > them are stuck or sticking. I am intend to soak
> them
> > in isopropyl alcohol. I think this can cause
> problems
> > with the rubber of the pinch rollers and that they
> may
> > need to be treated with rubber rejuvenator
> afterwards.
> >
> > New Zealand is a land with 2 mellotrons that I
> know of
> > and very few reel to reel tape recorders, rubber
> > rejuvenator is something with which to clean car
> > tyres.
> >
> > So first of all would car tyre cleaner do the job?
> I
> > suspect not but that is all I can find here so
> far.
> > If not some trade names of products would be
> helpful
> > or a list of ingedients.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Mark
> >
> >
>

__________________________________________________________

> > Be a better friend, newshound, and
> > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
> >
>

http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

>
> >
>

<http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ>

> >
> >
>
>
>

____________________________________________________________________________________
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Platen cleaner & rejuv is one I hadn't thought of,
thanks Frank! This makes sense, as I seem to remember
the old tron pucks were neoprene (correct me if I'm
wrong).

Another hint next year? Then I guess I'll keep the
hammer and vise-grips handy.... :-)


-Bruce D.


--- lsf5275@aol.com wrote:

> FRANK'S HINT OF THE YEAR
>
> I have found that platen cleaner and rejuvenator is
> the best way to go. It
> really works great and won't destroy the rubber. You
> put it on for about 45
> seconds to a minute, then wipe it off, the rubber
> will be magically transformed.
> I'd tell you what brand to use and where to get it
> but that would require
> getting up and walking downstairs. I'm planning on
> going downstairs tomorrow,
> so I'll post it them then unless I forget.
>
> Incidentally... there is no way to loosen sticky
> rollers permanently except
> this way:
>
> The roller and axle must be carefully extracted from
> the key spring. The
> axle should be cleaned with a Dremel tool and a tiny
> wire wheel. If your rollers
> stick, the axles likely have rust and corrosion as
> well as gummy crap on
> them.
>
> Then, you need to carefully clean out the inside of
> the hub where the axle
> passes through. Remove all grime and oil. Push the
> axle back into the hub and
> hold the ends between two fingers and see if the
> roller spins freely, if not
> clean some more and check for little burrs. Also,
> examine the axle under a
> magnifier. Sometimes, when the axle ends are peened,
> they spread a bit near the
> ends. If that is the case, you'll need some real
> patience to solve that
> problem. I don't have the patience to explain how
> right now.
>
> Once each roller spins freely, replace it in its key
> spring and peen the
> ends... gently. Be careful not to bend everything
> out of shape. If you do this
> right, your rollers will spin like skateboard
> wheels. Never oil them again...
> ever.
>
> If this is to much trouble, then just do it the
> wrong way and worry about it
> next month. You can soak them in alcohol and spin
> them for a week and that
> won't solve the problem. They may loosen for a time,
> but they'll gum up again.
> You can also send them to me and I'll do it... for a
> price.
>
> Stay tuned next year for another hint.
>
> Frank
>
>
>
> **************Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch
> video on AOL Living.
>

(http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/

> 2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)
>

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