Making Cassette Tape Loops
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Contents |
[edit] Cassette Tape Loops
This is a tutorial on making tape loops out of compact audio cassettes, commonly known as cassette tapes. There are three designs outlined here, the standard tape loop, the tape loop credited to David Chandler, and the Möbius tape loop.
First, it is best to find a cassette you don't want and use it as source material for your loops. Just take a paperclip or something similar and pull the tape out of the case where it is exposed, and cut off the appropriate length. This will ensure that you don't end up with yards of loose tape running around your workspace.
Also, you will need the following materials: 1 or 2 cassette tapes, a hobby knife, rubber cement, scotch tape or acetone, tweezers.
[edit] Standard tape loop - 4.9 seconds
23.5 cm or 9.25 in
This simple design just runs a loop of tape around the reels.
[edit] Making your audio tape into a loop.
1. Cut a length of tape measuring 23.5 cm or about 9.3 in. It is very important that you measure precisely because the tension of the tape affects playback.
2. Using scotch tape (or for better results, professional splicing tape), secure it to a flat surface (a cutting board is best) at one end, leaving about 3/4 of an inch or 2 cm free at the end. Which end you secure should depend on whether you are left-handed (secure the right end) or right-handed (secure the left end). Try not to push the tape down onto the audio tape, because the tape will strip the magnetic recording surface from the audio tape. Just lay the scotch tape over the audio tape lightly, and then push the scotch tape down onto your flat surface on either side of the audio tape.
3. Bring the loose end over to the secure end, and join the two ends, using either specially cut pieces of scotch tape or acetone. If you use scotch tape, be sure to scotch tape both sides of the audio tape, and that the scotch tape isn't hanging off the edge of the audio tape. However you join the tape, make sure that the two ends form as close to a 180 degree angle as possible. Also, the two ends should overlap by about 1 cm, or less than 1/2 in.
[edit] Inserting the looped tape into a case
1. Rewind the cassette you want to put the loop in. This will make removal of its tape easier.
2. Remove the screws holding the cassette together. Put them somewhere safe so you can reinsert them later. Remove one side of the case and put it aside.
3. Lift the two large plastic reels that hold the wound tape out of the case. Then, remove the tape from the reels, and dispose of it. You can hold onto it if you want, but for the sake of a clean workspace, try to keep it from unravelling.
4. Apply a thin layer of rubber cement to each of the plastic reels you just removed, covering only the surface that touches the tape. This will give them enough friction to move the tape along. After drying, remove any lumps of rubber cement or bits hanging off the sides.
5. This step is tricky and requires a lot of nimble handwork. If you don't get it on the first try, keep at it. Take the looped tape you created in section I, and insert the untwisted section into the lower part of the cassette, where it is read by the tape deck. Run it around the small reels in each corner but not the plastic pins near the reels. Then take the larger reels you just coated in rubber cement and lay them down near the lower part of cassette, and run the rest of the tape loop around them. When you are sure that all of the tape loop is securely around the reels and the various plastic guides, slide the reels up and apart towards their holes until the click into place and can rotate freely.
6. Take the other half of the case and put it back into place. Holding the cassette shut with your hand, and watching the tape loop, try spinning the large reels with your finger. If the tape runs around the mechanism smoothly, screw the case back together.
7. Test the loop in a tape deck or 4-track. It should play, but if it doesn't, check where you joined the tape into a loop. Common causes of tape loops not playing are scotch tape sticking out from the audio tape, and the two ends of the tape not being lined up well or being joined at an angle. If you see any of these mistakes, take it all apart and rejoin the tape to correct the problem.
Standard tape loop
________
/O O \
/ \
/____________\
\o__________o/
^
<head>
[edit] Chandler tape loop - 7.8 seconds
37.2 cm or 14.6 in
This design plays longer than the standard tape loop, but not as long as the Möbius loop. It uses one of the reels as a pulley with the other holding the end of the loop around it. It comes from David Chandler, and was featured on cementimental.com.
[edit] Making your audio tape into a loop.
1. Cut a length of tape measuring 38.2 cm or 14.96 in. (in the end the circumference of the loop will actually be 37.2 cm, because you will overlap the two ends of tape by 1 cm). It is very important that you measure precisely because the tension of the tape affects playback.
2. Using scotch tape, secure it to a flat surface (a cutting board is best) at one end, leaving about 3/4 of an inch or 2 cm free at the end. Which end you secure should depend on whether you are left-handed (secure the right end) or right-handed (secure the left end). Try not to push the scotch tape down onto the audio tape, because the scotch tape will strip the magnetic recording surface from the audio tape. Just lay the scotch tape over the audio tape lightly, and then push the scotch tape down onto your flat surface on either side of the audio tape.
3. Bring the loose end over to the secure end, and join the two ends, using either specially cut pieces of scotch tape or acetone. If you use scotch tape, be sure to scotch tape both sides of the audio tape, and that the scotch tape isn't hanging off the edge of the audio tape. However you join the tape, make sure that the two ends form as close to a 180 degree angle as possible. Also, the two ends should overlap by about 1 cm, or less than 1/2 in.
[edit] Inserting the looped tape into a case
1. Rewind the cassette you want to put the loop in. This will make removal of its tape easier.
2. Remove the screws holding the cassette together. Put them somewhere safe so you can reinsert them later. Remove one side of the case and put it aside.
2. Lift the two large plastic reels that hold the wound tape out of the case. Then, remove the tape from the reels, and dispose of it. You can hold onto it if you want, but for the sake of a clean workspace, try to keep it from unravelling.
3. Apply a thin layer of rubber cement to each of the plastic reels you just removed, covering only the surface that touches the tape. This will give them enough friction to move the tape along. After drying, remove any lumps of rubber cement or bits hanging off the sides.
4. This step is tricky and requires a lot of nimble handwork. If you don't get it on the first try, keep at it. Take the looped tape you created in section I, and insert the untwisted section into the lower part of the cassette, where it is read by the tape deck. Run it around the small reels in each corner but not the plastic pins near the reels. Then take one of the larger reels and put the other end of the loop around it. Push it into its position on the right hole. Take the other reel, and run both parts of the loose tape over it, and then slide it into position on the right.
5. Take the other half of the case and put it back into place. Holding the cassette shut with your hand, and watching the tape loop, try spinning the large reels with your finger. If the tape runs around the mechanism smoothly, screw the case back together.
6. Test the loop in a tape deck or 4-track. It should play, but if it doesn't, check where you joined the tape into a loop. Common causes of tape loops not playing are scotch tape sticking out from the audio tape, and the two ends of the tape not being lined up well or being joined at an angle. If you see any of these mistakes, take it all apart and rejoin the tape to correct the problem.
Chandler tape loop
_______
/____ \
//O \ O |
|| \_/
/ \________
o___________o
^
<head>
[edit] Möbius tape loop - 9.3 seconds
8.75 in or 22.225 cm
This design uses a short length of tape in a Möbius strip to record on both sides of the tape, doubling the recording time, and merging the cassette's four tracks into two.
[edit] Making your audio tape into a loop.
1. Cut a length of tape measuring 8.75 in or 22.225 cm. It is very important that you measure precisely because the tension of the tape affects playback.
2. Using scotch tape, secure it to a flat surface (a cutting board is best) at one end, leaving about 3/4 of an inch or 2 cm free at the end. Which end you secure should depend on whether you are left-handed (secure the right end) or right-handed (secure the left end). Try not to push the scotch tape down onto the audio tape, because the scotch tape will strip the magnetic recording surface from the audio tape. Just lay the scotch tape over the audio tape lightly, and then push the scotch tape down onto your flat surface on either side of the audio tape.
3. Take the loose end of the tape and give it a half-twist. Then, bring it over to the other end, and join the two ends, using either specially cut pieces of scotch tape or acetone. If you use scotch tape, be sure to scotch tape both sides of the audio tape, and that the scotch tape isn't hanging off the edge of the audio tape. However you join the tape, make sure that the two ends form as close to a 180 degree angle as possible. Also, the two ends should overlap by about 1 cm, or less than 1/2 in.
[edit] Inserting the looped tape into a case
1. Rewind the cassette you want to put the loop in. This will make removal of its tape easier.
2. Remove the screws holding the cassette together. Put them somewhere safe so you can reinsert them later. Remove one side of the case and put it aside.
3. Lift the two large plastic reels that hold the wound tape out of the case. Then, remove the tape from the reels, and dispose of it. You can hold onto it if you want, but for the sake of a clean workspace, try to keep it from unravelling.
4. Apply a thin layer of rubber cement to one of the plastic reels you just removed, covering only the surface that touches the tape. This will give it enough friction to move the tape along. After drying, remove any lumps of rubber cement or bits hanging off the sides.
5. This step is tricky and requires a lot of nimble handwork. If you don't get it on the first try, keep at it. Take the looped tape you created in section I, and insert the untwisted section into the lower part of the cassette, where it is read by the tape deck. Run it around the small reels in each corner but not the plastic pins near the reels. Then take the larger reel you just coated in rubber cement and lay it down near the lower part of cassette, and run the rest of the tape loop around it, making sure that the twisted part stays to the right of the reel. When you are sure that all of the tape loop is securely around the reels and the various plastic guides, slide the large reel over to the hole on the left until it clicks into place and can rotate freely.
6. Take the other half of the case and put it back into place. Holding the cassette shut with your hand, and watching the tape loop, try spinning the large reel with your finger. If the tape runs around the mechanism smoothly, screw the case back together.
7. Test the loop in a tape deck or 4-track. It should play, but if it doesn't, check where you joined the tape into a loop. Common causes of tape loops not playing are scotch tape sticking out from the audio tape, and the two ends of the tape not being lined up well or being joined at an angle. If you see any of these mistakes, take it all apart and rejoin the tape to correct the problem.
Möbius tape loop
__
/O \
/ \ <- Twist goes here
/ \
|o__________o|
^
<head>
