How To Repair Cassette Player

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Former audio cassette tapes can run into a number of issues that call for some cassette tape surgery. For example, the tape might tear and break, requiring you to splice it back together. Some other common effect is for the tape to come unraveled from i of the bicycle hubs, in which example y'all can splice it to the end of the record on a new cycle hub from a blank cassette tape. Either style, you lot can get the task done with a few simple tools and a frail touch!

1
Unscrew the cassette example, if it has screws, using a small-scale Phillips screwdriver. Use a tiny Phillips-caput screwdriver to remove the screws in the two top corners of the cassette tape. Set the screws aside somewhere where you won't lose them, such every bit in a small dish or cup.^[1]
- If you don't see any screws, your cassette is the type that is glued together.
- Issues that you will need to take a cassette tape apart to fix include a ripped or broken tape and a tape that has come up off one of the wheel hubs.
ii
Pry the cassette apart using a tiny flathead screwdriver, if it is glued together. Insert the edge of the flathead screwdriver into the cleft where the front and back pieces of the case are glued together on one side of the cassette. Work information technology back and forth in a lever motility along the fissure to gently pause the two halves apart.^[two]
- If you can't pry the cassette case apart with your hands afterwards separating the halves on one side, repeat the process with the screwdriver for the other sides of the cassette until you can pull them apart.
Tip: If you are having trouble separating the pieces with just a flathead screwdriver, try carefully running the blade of a boxcutter or utility pocketknife along the cracks to slice through some of the glue.

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3
Open the cassette tape horizontally so the spools don't fall out. Place the tape horizontally on a apartment surface earlier you open it upwardly. Pull the meridian half off and try to exit the bottom half flat on your work surface.^[3]
- This volition go on the bicycle hubs in identify so you don't accidentally drop them out and crusade more damage to the tape.
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1
Use pocket-sized, sharp scissors to cut off the damaged ends of the broken tape. Put the ii halves of the cassette tape flat on the cut board with the insides facing upward at you lot. Exist careful non to uncoil the record from the wheel hubs.^[4] Carefully trim off as petty of the record as possible, then you are merely removing the damaged parts of the record where it ripped and broke. This will allow you to tape the ii pieces neatly back together.^[5]
- If y'all don't accept a pair of small, sharp scissors, yous can carefully cut the damaged ends off using a boxcutter or utility knife and your cutting board.
- Depending how much damaged tape yous have to cut off, there could be a noticeable skip in the audio of the tape afterwards y'all splice it back together.
two
Tape one end of the broken tape down on the cutting board. Straighten out one of the sides of the cleaved tape flat against the cutting lath and carefully tape information technology down. Leave the end you trimmed exposed.^[6]
- Make sure that the broken terminate of the tape is completely flat and non curling at all, so that it is easy to piece of work with when you're splicing the other broken end to it.
iii
Use cellophane tape to splice the 2 sides of the cassette's tape together. Carefully line up the terminate of the other side of the broken tape with the end of the side you lot but taped down. Printing a piece of cellophane tape down over them to splice them together.^[seven]
- The spliced pieces will exist held down on the cutting board by the cellophane tape at this signal.
4
Peel upwardly the cellophane tape and flip the cassette'southward tape over on the cutting board. Use your fingernails to gently peel the cellophane record upwards from the cutting lath, being conscientious non to unsplice the two halves of the cassette'south tape that you merely stuck together. Flip over the tape so yous can splice together the other side.^[8]
- The sticky side of the cellophane record and the side of the cassette's tape that has no cellophane record on information technology should now be facing upward towards yous.
five
Put a piece of cellophane tape on the other side of spliced tape. Double-check to make sure the ends of the broken record are still lined upward and stuck together. Carefully stick a new piece of cellophane record over the exposed sides of the cassette's tape to stop splicing the cleaved ends together.^[nine]
- This should hold the cleaved tape securely together and limit the chances of it coming undone in the hereafter.
six
Trim the excess cellophane tape off using a boxcutter or utility pocketknife. Concord the tape apartment confronting the cut board. Advisedly trim the excess cellophane record that is hanging off the sides of the spliced record, correct upwards to the edge of the tape.^[ten]
- You tin at present put the cassette record dorsum together.
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one
Buy a new blank cassette tape to use for parts and open it up. Purchase a blank cassette that is held together by screws. Unscrew it using a Phillips screwdriver and take it apart, just similar you did for the cassette tape you want to fix.^[11]
- If y'all have a cassette tape that has come off i of the hubs, it is very difficult to reattach it to the aforementioned hub. Using a new bicycle record from a bare cassette that already has tape attached to information technology will allow y'all to splice the old tape to it to attach information technology to a new hub more hands.
2
Cut the new cassette's tape one–2 in (2.5–5.i cm) from the cease of the tape. The plastic, non-magnetic end of the record that secures the magnetic record to the wheel hub is called the leader tape. Remove the spool that has the leader record exposed from the cassette and cut the record ane–ii in (2.v–5.1 cm) from the end of the leader tape using pocket-sized, sharp scissors.^[12]
- This will give y'all a new spool with a groomed piece of tape to splice the tape from your old cassette to, so that it is attached to the new wheel hub.
three
Remove the cycle hubs from your one-time cassette. Lift out the empty wheel hub and throw it away. Have out the bike hub that has the tape spooled around information technology and set information technology down in front of you.^[13]
- It's best to exercise this on a cutting board on a flat work surface in front of you lot.
four
Splice the tape from the new bike hub to the tape on the old hub. Line up the cut finish of the new blank tape with the end of the tape from your one-time cassette. Tape them carefully together using cellophane tape.^[14]
- Run across the in a higher place method for complete instructions on how to splice cassette tape together.
5
Identify the bicycle hub back in the cassette case. Carefully put each wheel hub back into the onetime cassette so that the holes in the middles of the hubs line upward with the holes in the cassette case. Use a pencil to current of air the wheel hubs so the tape is non loose and all over the place.^[xv]
- Y'all tin can at present reassemble the cassette tape.
Tip: You could utilize the new cassette body instead of the former one if information technology's easier. For instance, if the onetime cassette was glued together, it might exist better to use the new screw-together cassette instance. However, you lot might want to use the old cassette if information technology has labels and other information on it.

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1

Line upwardly the tape with the rollers and pressure pad at the top of the cassette case. Make sure the tape is spooled tightly so information technology is straight and flat at the summit. Identify the record over the rollers that are located in each of the height corners. Put the tape underneath the pressure pad, which is in the center of the top of the cassette.^[16]
2

Screw the cassette example together if it has screws. Snap the two halves of the cassette case back together and identify the tiny screws dorsum in the holes in the corners of the case. Use a small Phillips screwdriver to tighten them all the manner.^[17]
iii
Mucilage the cassette case together if it doesn't have screws. Put a small dot of superglue in each corner on the edge of 1 half of the cassette example. Snap the two halves of the instance together and hold them together for xxx seconds.^[18]
- It'southward best not to glue all the fashion around the cassette tape, but in example you have to take information technology apart once again in the future.
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If the damaged cassette tape you want to set up is very important to you, let a professional tape repair and restoration service fix it for you to ensure the best results.

Cheers for submitting a tip for review!

If you have a cassette tape with all the tape pulled out and tangled, unfortunately, y'all won't be able to fix it.
Be careful not to permit the tape spools drop out when y'all open up upwardly a cassette tape. Yous could cease up causing more damage to the tape.