[mcp6453[_2_]]

My Nakamichi Dragon is having FF and RW problems. I took the top off and cleaned the drive capstan and drive wheel.
There's just not enough friction for the deck to function properly. The rubber parts are supposedly new within the last
two years. Today is the first time the top has been off since I've had it. The deck has been used less than 20 hours
since it was rebuilt.

The FF and RW were not very "powerful" when I got it, but not having had a Dragon before, I thought it was normal. Now
it's clear to me that there is a problem.

Are the drive wheels and spindle hubs (for lack of a better word) still available? Who does a stellar job of repairing
these in the US? The only issue is mechanical. The electronics rebuild is first rate.

[Mike Rivers[_2_]]

On 10/19/2014 11:55 AM, mcp6453 wrote:
My Nakamichi Dragon is having FF and RW problems. I took the top off and cleaned the drive capstan and drive wheel.
There's just not enough friction for the deck to function properly. T

The FF and RW were not very "powerful" when I got it, but not having had a Dragon before, I thought it was normal. Now
it's clear to me that there is a problem.

Could the problem you're having with cassette speed be with your
playback deck and not the deck that recorded them?

I don't know how Stephen Sank is doing these days (he had some health
problems a while back) but one of his specialties was Nakamichi dragons.
You might try to contact him.

http://www.thuntek.net/~bk11/home.htm'




--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be operated without
a passing knowledge of computing, although it seems that it can be
operated without a passing knowledge of audio" - John Watkinson

Drop by http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com now and then

[Scott Dorsey]

mcp6453 wrote:
My Nakamichi Dragon is having FF and RW problems. I took the top off and cleaned the drive capstan and drive wheel.

With what? I recommend using 409 for these things.

There's just not enough friction for the deck to function properly. The rubber parts are supposedly new within the last
two years. Today is the first time the top has been off since I've had it. The deck has been used less than 20 hours
since it was rebuilt.

Here is the problem: all of the OEM rubber parts for cassette decks have
gone bad on the shelf. Rubber parts are wear items, they aren't expected
to last very long. There are aftermarket idlers, but a lot of them are not
of the quality of the originals.

You could probably get new idlers from Russell Industries, but they might
not be that much better than what is on there. If they have not actually
gone hard, 409 should clean them up a bit.

Are the drive wheels and spindle hubs (for lack of a better word) still available? Who does a stellar job of repairing
these in the US? The only issue is mechanical. The electronics rebuild is first rate.

Steve Sank is the only guy I know regularly doing those machines day in
and day out, but mechanically they are actually not so bad to work on.
You could probably replace the idlers yourself. There are places making
them, but how good they are I don't know.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[mcp6453[_2_]]

On 10/20/2014 11:47 AM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
mcp6453 wrote:
My Nakamichi Dragon is having FF and RW problems. I took the top off and cleaned the drive capstan and drive wheel.

With what? I recommend using 409 for these things.

What is 409?

There's just not enough friction for the deck to function properly. The rubber parts are supposedly new within the last
two years. Today is the first time the top has been off since I've had it. The deck has been used less than 20 hours
since it was rebuilt.

Here is the problem: all of the OEM rubber parts for cassette decks have
gone bad on the shelf. Rubber parts are wear items, they aren't expected
to last very long. There are aftermarket idlers, but a lot of them are not
of the quality of the originals.

You could probably get new idlers from Russell Industries, but they might
not be that much better than what is on there. If they have not actually
gone hard, 409 should clean them up a bit.

Are the drive wheels and spindle hubs (for lack of a better word) still available? Who does a stellar job of repairing
these in the US? The only issue is mechanical. The electronics rebuild is first rate.

Steve Sank is the only guy I know regularly doing those machines day in
and day out, but mechanically they are actually not so bad to work on.
You could probably replace the idlers yourself. There are places making
them, but how good they are I don't know.

I have an email out to Steve. Hopefully he has a solution.

[Mike Rivers[_2_]]

On 10/20/2014 10:04 AM, mcp6453 wrote:
I have an email out to Steve. Hopefully he has a solution.

A solution of 409?

It's a household cleaner. Get it at your favorite local grocery store.

--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be operated without
a passing knowledge of computing, although it seems that it can be
operated without a passing knowledge of audio" - John Watkinson

Drop by http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com now and then

[Scott Dorsey]

In article , Mike Rivers wrote:
On 10/20/2014 10:04 AM, mcp6453 wrote:
I have an email out to Steve. Hopefully he has a solution.

A solution of 409?

It's a household cleaner. Get it at your favorite local grocery store.

I saved my nickels and I saved my dimes. Giddyap, giddyap, 409.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Tobiah]

On 10/20/2014 08:47 AM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
mcp6453 wrote:
My Nakamichi Dragon is having FF and RW problems. I took the top off and cleaned the drive capstan and drive wheel.

With what? I recommend using 409 for these things.

There's just not enough friction for the deck to function properly. The rubber parts are supposedly new within the last
two years. Today is the first time the top has been off since I've had it. The deck has been used less than 20 hours
since it was rebuilt.

Here is the problem: all of the OEM rubber parts for cassette decks have
gone bad on the shelf. Rubber parts are wear items, they aren't expected
to last very long. There are aftermarket idlers, but a lot of them are not
of the quality of the originals.

You could probably get new idlers from Russell Industries, but they might
not be that much better than what is on there. If they have not actually
gone hard, 409 should clean them up a bit.

We have a lot of old printers at work for various papers and credit cards.
The production guy has this red thick looking 'rubber rejuvinater'. When old
rubber wheels that are meant to grip the medium go hard, and slip, this stuff
seems to soften them up and make them grip again.

Tobiah

Are the drive wheels and spindle hubs (for lack of a better word) still available? Who does a stellar job of repairing
these in the US? The only issue is mechanical. The electronics rebuild is first rate.

Steve Sank is the only guy I know regularly doing those machines day in
and day out, but mechanically they are actually not so bad to work on.
You could probably replace the idlers yourself. There are places making
them, but how good they are I don't know.
--scott

[John Williamson]

On 04/11/2014 17:18, Tobiah wrote:
On 10/20/2014 08:47 AM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
You could probably get new idlers from Russell Industries, but they might
not be that much better than what is on there. If they have not
actually
gone hard, 409 should clean them up a bit.

We have a lot of old printers at work for various papers and credit cards.
The production guy has this red thick looking 'rubber rejuvinater'.
When old
rubber wheels that are meant to grip the medium go hard, and slip, this
stuff
seems to soften them up and make them grip again.

My experience with rubber rollers (And belts) in tape decks tends to be
that they go soft and turn to goo.


--
Tciao for Now!

John.

[Scott Dorsey]

John Williamson wrote:
On 04/11/2014 17:18, Tobiah wrote:
On 10/20/2014 08:47 AM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
You could probably get new idlers from Russell Industries, but they might
not be that much better than what is on there. If they have not
actually
gone hard, 409 should clean them up a bit.

We have a lot of old printers at work for various papers and credit cards.
The production guy has this red thick looking 'rubber rejuvinater'.
When old
rubber wheels that are meant to grip the medium go hard, and slip, this
stuff
seems to soften them up and make them grip again.

My experience with rubber rollers (And belts) in tape decks tends to be
that they go soft and turn to goo.

There are a million totally unrelated things that are all called "rubber."
Latex and neoprene will tend to get hard, urethane will tend to turn to goo.

Various rubber rejuvenator products like Fedron and methyl acetate can work
well on particular kinds of "rubber" and can damage others at times.

Which is why I recommend 409, which will clean them all and not damage any
of them. It won't help if they are getting hard or soft or if they were
poor quality in the first place, though.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."