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A customer brought in a 1980s VCR from their attic and asked if I could 'just clean the heads'.
I opened it up in my shop and found a mouse nest made of shredded wires and insulation, which explained the burning smell. The owner was shocked and said, 'My mom's wedding video is still in there,' making me feel awful about the likely total loss. Has anyone else had a simple request turn into a major salvage job on old media devices?
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william_garcia4d ago
I used to think those old tapes were pretty tough until I found one in a damp basement. The mold had eaten through the actual tape ribbon, it just fell apart in my hands. Now I warn people that storage conditions matter way more than they think.
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williams.sage4d ago
I read that freezing can help like @ninaowens said, but once the oxide flakes off it's game over.
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That 80s insulation was basically mouse candy. The real killer is the magnetic oxide layer on the tape itself, it flakes off if it gets too dry. Humidity is a problem, but so is a bone-dry attic for twenty years.
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