> On Jan 24, 2022, at 10:27 PM, Gary Oliver via cctech <cct...@classiccmp.org> wrote: > >> ... > > As to the real reason I was doing this: Most of my tapes are un-boxed and have suffered being in a dusty area (before I got them) with the dust forming a sort of 'crust' on the outside of the tape. It's only on the first wrap or so, but it's enough that it keeps those handy vinyl cohesive tapes from sticking. For that reason, I was trying to find something to clean of this dusty gunk so the vinyl strip would hold the tape into a spooled condition. It was the side-effect of this effort that lead me to the discovery if this "removable layer" on the DECtape. >
I talked to a friend who was at DEC during the days of DECTape and thereafter, his comment: ..."I think it is a thin version of the base material, some flavor of polyester film. Most likely a 3M tape. The bit density is so low a little spacing doesn't matter much. ...The UNISERVO I, of Univac I, tape drives had a separate spool of clear very thin film that was clock motor wound across the head when tape was moving, since the phosphor bronze plated tape was very abrasive. That existed long before LINCtape/DECtape." Note that LINCtape is DECtape :-) Tom
