Author Topic: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing  (Read 1811 times)
Fluorescent05
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Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « on: March 15, 2021, 10:05:17 PM » Author: Fluorescent05
Is it possible to resurface the pinch roller in a cassette deck? If so, how would I do it? The cassette player in question is a Toshiba KT-S1 from the early 1980s.
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nogden
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #1 on: March 16, 2021, 08:46:24 AM » Author: nogden
I'd be interested to know if you find a way to do it! The biggest problem I see with resurfacing a pinch roller is that you don't want any chemical to transfer from the roller to the tape. So I'd shy away from any chemical means to do it.

Instead, I've been buying replacement rollers from fixyouraudio.com. They are in Slovokia. I've ordered from them twice and been very happy with their product and service! So far, I've always been able to find the size roller I've needed (for the three different tape decks I've repaired).
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Fluorescent05
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #2 on: March 16, 2021, 02:39:01 PM » Author: Fluorescent05
I'd be interested to know if you find a way to do it! The biggest problem I see with resurfacing a pinch roller is that you don't want any chemical to transfer from the roller to the tape. So I'd shy away from any chemical means to do it.

Instead, I've been buying replacement rollers from fixyouraudio.com. They are in Slovokia. I've ordered from them twice and been very happy with their product and service! So far, I've always been able to find the size roller I've needed (for the three different tape decks I've repaired).
Fixyouraudio doesn't have a replacement roller specifically meant for the KT-S1, so is it possible to use fine-grit sandpaper on the pinch roller to get the crown re-centered? Also, can you post pictures of the cassette decks you have serviced?
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joseph_125
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #3 on: March 16, 2021, 04:25:26 PM » Author: joseph_125
You might have to find out the size of the pinch roller and pick from the list of sizes on Fixyouraudio. They didn't list a specific roller for my Akai so I had to match by size. You can find out the size from cross referencing the service manual, audio/cassette forums, or measuring the original pinch roller. The key measurements being: outer diameter, inner diameter and depth.

For the Akai since the original rollers were long gone and the service documentation was lacking, I had to comb through forum posts until I found the correct size.

I suppose if you have a small lathe you can accurately resurface the crown, that would be hard to do accurately by hand. Do note that seemingly minor eccentricity in the roller can result in increased W&F.
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Fluorescent05
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #4 on: March 16, 2021, 04:30:56 PM » Author: Fluorescent05
You might have to find out the size of the pinch roller and pick from the list of sizes on Fixyouraudio. They didn't list a specific roller for my Akai so I had to match by size. You can find out the size from cross referencing the service manual, audio/cassette forums, or measuring the original pinch roller. The key measurements being: outer diameter, inner diameter and depth.

For the Akai since the original rollers were long gone and the service documentation was lacking, I had to comb through forum posts until I found the correct size.

I suppose if you have a small lathe you can accurately resurface the crown, that would be hard to do accurately by hand. Do note that seemingly minor eccentricity in the roller can result in increased W&F.
How would I remove the pinch roller from the bracket it's in?
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joseph_125
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #5 on: March 16, 2021, 06:51:04 PM » Author: joseph_125
Get a block of wood, drill a hole through it for the pin to pass through, centre the pin on the block of wood, using a pin punch of the right size and a small hammer give it a few taps and the pin should work it self out. Try to support the metal arm to avoid bending it while tapping the pin out.

Back in the heyday of cassettes, the practice was to replace the entire assembly but new assemblies are much harder to find than rollers.

Another option is to make a small pin pusher tool like I did for my traffic lights. The cast aluminum doesn't like being hammered with a pin punch and can crack so I have a custom made pusher to get those pins out. See the attachement.
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Fluorescent05
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #6 on: March 16, 2021, 09:39:54 PM » Author: Fluorescent05
I ended up popping the pin out on the pinch roller and flipping it around inside its bracket. I just have to try it now.
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joseph_125
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #7 on: March 16, 2021, 11:01:23 PM » Author: joseph_125
Ahh nice, if you have a decent pair of calipers, you can measure the dimensions of it and see if you can find a match online somewhere. Also if the core of the pinch roller is metal you can get it rebuilt too. Might be more than if you were to order a plastic cored one though.
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Fluorescent05
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #8 on: March 17, 2021, 07:29:11 AM » Author: Fluorescent05
Ahh nice, if you have a decent pair of calipers, you can measure the dimensions of it and see if you can find a match online somewhere. Also if the core of the pinch roller is metal you can get it rebuilt too. Might be more than if you were to order a plastic cored one though.
Its core is plastic but I saw something really weird about the KT-S1's design. The pinch roller was purposely put on off center (closer to the bottom where the tape gets pulled and chewed). I can post a picture later when I get out of school.
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nogden
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #9 on: March 17, 2021, 07:59:51 AM » Author: nogden
Like Joseph mentioned, I measure my rollers with a micrometer and find one from fixyouraudio.com based on measurements.
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nogden
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #10 on: April 17, 2021, 08:42:28 PM » Author: nogden
Also, can you post pictures of the cassette decks you have serviced?

Finally had a chance to photograph them. Photos attached.

-Nelson
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joseph_125
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #11 on: April 17, 2021, 11:20:54 PM » Author: joseph_125
Very nice set of vintage cassette decks. I love that era Pioneer decks too.
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Fluorescent05
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #12 on: April 17, 2021, 11:41:57 PM » Author: Fluorescent05
Wow! They are all awesome but the Pioneer CT-F950 is really, really cool!
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joseph_125
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #13 on: April 18, 2021, 12:15:17 AM » Author: joseph_125
Yeah, the late 1970s Pioneer with the fluorscan VFD meters. Anyway there were three decks that had the same layout. The CTF-900 and the CTF-1250 both also looked very similar. I believe the 900 was original model of that series, the 950 added metal tape capability, and the 1250 was a overall improved version of the 950.

I'd love to get a Pioneer from that series but they sell for quite a bit. There's a seller in my area with a CTF-1250 but they want $1500 for it. Even the entry level CTF-500 I have has gone in price quite bit from what I paid for mine.
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Fluorescent05
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Re: Cassette deck pinch roller resurfacing « Reply #14 on: April 18, 2021, 03:27:24 PM » Author: Fluorescent05
Yeah, the late 1970s Pioneer with the fluorscan VFD meters. Anyway there were three decks that had the same layout. The CTF-900 and the CTF-1250 both also looked very similar. I believe the 900 was original model of that series, the 950 added metal tape capability, and the 1250 was a overall improved version of the 950.

I'd love to get a Pioneer from that series but they sell for quite a bit. There's a seller in my area with a CTF-1250 but they want $1500 for it. Even the entry level CTF-500 I have has gone in price quite bit from what I paid for mine.
There is also the CT-F850 which looks very similar.
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