Brown stains inside and outside NOS tape Boxes

dgw

Well-Known Member
Sep 10, 2014
36
0
236
England UK.
I recently bought 3 outer boxes of NOS tape manufactured by Racal Zonal in September 1979. Zonal RZ. Ten reels per outer box. All sealed, unused, unopened. Two boxes were fine but one box ( ten tapes ) must have been kept in different conditions because each tape box has brown/ reddish stains. Sometimes just inside the box on the hinged section, sometimes more widespread and also outside the box. I think this is sometimes called "foxing".

I understand it is not possible to get rid of it and it is a type of mould. My concerns are :
- does it spread or now that the boxes are in a different environment, will the problem cease ?
- does it cause respiratory harm ?
- now that the tapes are no longer in their sealed plastic bags, will they be harmed by it ?

The tapes themselves have not been affected and record and playback perfectly.

If anybody actually knows about this, answers would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks !
 

astrotoy

VIP/Donor
May 24, 2010
1,547
1,017
1,715
SF Bay Area
Are they 10.5" reels or 7" reels? If they are 7" reels, I might throw them out, since 10 reels might be worth $280 bought new now, much less in that condition. If the tapes are all good, then rewinding them onto new reels or onto pancakes might be the best way to keep them. Don't know what the stains could be.

Larry
 

dgw

Well-Known Member
Sep 10, 2014
36
0
236
England UK.
Are they 10.5" reels or 7" reels? If they are 7" reels, I might throw them out, since 10 reels might be worth $280 bought new now, much less in that condition. If the tapes are all good, then rewinding them onto new reels or onto pancakes might be the best way to keep them. Don't know what the stains could be.

Larry
10.5" and Aluminium. The Alu reels are all good as is the tape.
 

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