Repairing An Audio Cassette

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magpens

magpens

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My music listening days go back many decades. I think I remember when audio cassettes first came out.

Back then, as I seem to recall, you could take a cassette apart by removing a few screws (and prying a little bit with a small screwdriver).

Yes, I have graduated to CDs now .... for the most part. But I still have some cassettes that I cherish and I also have a player for them.

The problem is that the lead tape end for Side 1 of one cassette has become detached from the take-up reel ... not broken, just detached.
The tape still plays, but the already-played portion "bunches up" where it should go up onto the take-up reel. . I detected the problem very early in Track 1 and I don't think there is any (or much) damage to the musical information on the tape.

If I could open the cassette, I think I could reattach the tape.

Does anybody know how to open the cassette? There don't seem to be any screws to loosen.
I suspect there is a clever "clip mechanism" molded into the plastic of the cassette body, but I can't see any obvious motion of the two "halves" of the body when I poke in various places around the periphery of the cassette. There seems to be a "seam" around the edge of the cassette but the final closure of the two halves is either done with glue, thermal welding, or a very clever clip design molded into the plastic body of the cassette.

Any help or suggestions for opening the cassette would be greatly appreciated. . A non-destructive method would be preferred .... :).
 
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look under the label and see if there are screws under them.should be able to rub the label and find a depression or two if there are some. Otherwise a sharp knife prised under the seam may do the trick. Been a few years since I took one apart.

Roly
 
magpens said:
There seems to be a "seam" around the edge of the cassette but the final closure of the two halves is either done with glue, thermal welding, or a very clever clip design molded into the plastic body of the cassette.
Click to expand...
I'm guessing glued or welded. Assuming its a clear cassette, look for posts around the edge where screws used to be used to hold it together but are now glued. You will have to destructively open it and then transfer the guts into a donor cassette.

There may be a way to open it up without causing too much damage but no way to put it back together.
 
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It has been a loooong time since I repaired one like that. I took the recorded tape off of a damaged case and put it into another case and it worked fine. If you have a case that you can use that has screws in it, use that one for the replacement.
 
I have fixed a few of these, many, many, many.... years ago.
If I remember right, the screws were quite often under the label. If not, go to a thrift store and get an old cassette with screws, then carefully crack open yours.

Once inside, the small pickup wheel, has a wedge style tape lock. It slides sideways to remove, but will snap back in once the tape is in place.

Good luck Mal
 
Roly said:
look under the label and see if there are screws under them.should be able to rub the label and find a depression or two if there are some. Otherwise a sharp knife prised under the seam may do the trick. Been a few years since I took one apart.

Roly
Click to expand...

Thanks for suggestion. . Problem is that there is no label. . Info about the tape is "printed" directly on the plastic of the casing.
 
darrin1200 said:
I have fixed a few of these, many, many, many.... years ago.
If I remember right, the screws were quite often under the label. If not, go to a thrift store and get an old cassette with screws, then carefully crack open yours.

Once inside, the small pickup wheel, has a wedge style tape lock. It slides sideways to remove, but will snap back in once the tape is in place.

Good luck Mal
Click to expand...

Thanks for the good idea, Darrin. . I'll try the "thrift store salvage" method. . We have a Value Village very near and I love going there !!
My cassette has no paper label and no screws. . With a bit of luck, I might find an old cassette from eons ago !
 
magpens said:
Thanks for the good idea, Darrin. . I'll try the "thrift store salvage" method. . We have a Value Village very near and I love going there !!
My cassette has no paper label and no screws. . With a bit of luck, I might find an old cassette from eons ago !
Click to expand...

By a couple of cassettes Mal. A couple with screws and a couple without. That way you have a couple of practice pieces.

Good luck
 
You can still get repair kits on Ebay. Older tapes used screws but they switched to ultrasonic welded construction. Just gently pry the two halfs of the shell apart. then put the tape into the new shell. Transfer to MP3 when you can.
 
randyrls said:
You can still get repair kits on Ebay. Older tapes used screws but they switched to ultrasonic welded construction. Just gently pry the two halfs of the shell apart. then put the tape into the new shell. Transfer to MP3 when you can.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Randy !
 
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