Repair your old 8mm videotape and enjoy your precious home movies.
The 8 millimeter videotape format is considered a dated and old technology by today's standards. With rapid technological advancements, 8 millimeter tape has been replaced by DVDs, Blue-Rays and other digital video formats that can be stored on a hard drive. However, you might still have some old 8 millimeter videotapes kicking around containing precious home video memories. With use and time, your 8 millimeter videotape may have split or ripped. However, you can repair 8 millimeter tape quite inexpensively through a process called splicing.
Instructions
1. Manually wind the tape by simultaneously turning the white spindles on the back of the cassette to the damaged or broken point, if it's not already there. Put on a pair of latex gloves to protect the 8mm tape from oil and dirt on your fingers. Lay the cassette containing the broken or damaged 8mm tape flat onto to a cutting board with the white spindles facing up.
2. Depress the small lever on the left side of the cassette and open the plastic tape guard. Hold the tape guard open while you proceed with the repair, or have someone help you keep it open, as it's spring loaded and will snap shut if you let go, potentially causing damage to the 8mm tape.
3. Insert a toothpick into the center hole, located slightly above the white spindles, and depress the small button at the bottom. Gently pull 3 to 6 inches of 8mm tape out of the cassette and lay it shiny side up on the cutting board. Be extra careful while handling the tape; don't allow it to kink or twist.
4. Cut the damaged piece of tape out of the 8mm tape using a fine razor. Cut at a straight angle so both ends will line up. If the tape is already severed, cut both ends so they will line up perfectly, if they don't already.
5. Line up both ends of the 8mm tape so they are perfectly matched and shiny side up. Cut a 1-inch piece of press tape with the razor blade and tailor the width to match that of the 8mm tape.
6. Join both ends of 8mm tape with the tailored press tape. Press down the press tape firmly by applying direct pressure. Wind the tape back up by turning the white spindles by hand and close the plastic tape guard. Test the tape. It should now work, but you will experience a short loss of picture and sound at the spliced point.
Tags: both ends, white spindles, press tape, tape guard, both ends tape, cutting board, ends tape
