Maxell UD35-10 Acquisition

[Acoustic]

Got six of these Maxell UD35-10 tapes for $68 + $10 shipping off fleabay. And they do sound good. One question to any users of this tape (Des?). I was thinking of taking the sticker off the metal reel. Has anyone tried this... any recommendations on how? I was thinking: get the tape onto another reel so I could work with the reel empty. Get off what I could peeling with my fingernail. Then get the residue left off with either Goo Gone or WD 40. They don't look bad with the sticker on but I would prefer to see if I at least get it to a plain reel. Thanks for any suggestions.

BTW I don't know how old the sticker is but the price on it is $14.50 from a place called 'Playback'. Also the boxes are in good shape but they are written on the back similar to the one shown. And you can almost see two letters on the spine of the box... which is also on side 1 of the sticker on the reel. The music on the reels is classical and the needles barely moved. Bulk erased!!:)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/2739704101_7a6e18568b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2310/2740540994_9a41c4233a.jpg

[Des-Lab]

Good score! :-)<-

First, I can tell you this. Those reels are old. I'm talking around 1972 vintage.

So even if you do succeed in getting those labels off, you are all but assured to still see a silhouette outline of them in the brushed aluminum of the reels. Remember, the part not under the labels have been exposed to air, humidity, etc. for all this time while the part under the labels has been for all intents and purposes hermetically sealed.

So before you go on a label peeling rampage, ask yourself if you are willing to live with those reels in THAT condition.

Anyway, to remove them, you could try your fingernails. Certainly if you plan to discard the labels, you won't mind if they are torn to bits. Because that's what will happen. Those labels, because of their age, will NEVER come off in one piece. Just be careful to not scratch the metal (very easy to do).

Your idea of using WD40 or some other solvent is definitely on the right track. As long as you can get the reel taken apart first. Some older Maxell reels had GLUED screws and you will NEVER get them apart with just a couple of screwdrivers. You will need to drill them out. Or use some liquid wrench or something. Make sure you have a spare set of screws around before you destroy them. I do not recommend washing or deep-cleaning reels in one piece. Because the solvent (such as water) can get trapped inside the flanges and the center hub, where it can rust or start some mold growth. Very bad!

Once you have the reel taken apart, I would recommend soaking it in some warm to hot water for about an hour. That will both loosen and expand (by heat and water) the label and the glue. It should then be a lot easier to peel or scrape off the label. Use some WD-40 to remove any excess paper or adhesive. It's best to rub/scrape ONLY in the direction of the metal grain (same as sanding wood). Then thoroughly wash the flange in some hot water and grease cutting cleaner (I highly recommend Simple Green) to get the WD-40 off. That stuff, being an oil base, can get into your tapes and ruin them or else splatter all over your deck or adjacent components. And then dry them off with a clean lint free towel and reassemble.

Good luck.

[Scorpion8]

So before you go on a label peeling rampage, ask yourself if you are willing to live with those reels in THAT condition.


The GooGone stuff works wonders on old labels, as done orange-based cleaners. Once the label is off, if you wantt you could probably have them re-brushed or sanded to an as-new condition, or with some patience and a steady hand do it yourself.

[Acoustic]

Des- Thanks for your input. And thanks to your Maxell thread I felt these were some decent tapes. Some good food for thought in your reply. Interesting that Maxell actually glued the screws back then on some tapes. I might try one to see the outcome. I'll update on this thread if I do.

Another thing I was thinking about when I was bidding on the tapes was that the metal reel wasn't very desirable to any collectors probably. So I felt I could get some quality tapes at a decent price. Also I was thinking that this tape was what was available when my Teac came out and should match well. I mainly tape off of FM and the one I made sounds great. 3 hours non stop with the auto reverse at 7 1/2 ips!!:-)<-

[Jay Pemberton]

Me, I wish I had a Maxell reel or two with those on them. They look cool to me, and are of the time. Nicely retro. Looks good on that Teac as well.

[Acoustic]

Thanks, it's my favorite deck. You know, your right. Why should I 'alter' that retro look. And I'll bet it's more trouble than it's worth!*check*