[78-L] Has anyone successfully glued a flaked acetate recording if flakes have been kept?

[Graham Newton]

Dennis Flannigan wrote:

> A friend transported a rare acetate a few miles. Took it out when he
> arrived and the flakes were all
> over the place. Within a glass frame, but scary. Real scary.
> 
> This is rare, legendary, and valuable even as flaked acetate, but he's not
> selling,
> or wanting to sell, only salvage. Is it possible? Anyone pulled it off? He
> hasn't asked whether it
> is possible, but if it is, he'd be glad to know.

Yes, it is possible, but it's a very fiddly process.

I have pictures if anyone wants to see them...

In one, you see the flaked off portion showing the clean dry disc base material 
which is usually aluminum...

In another, you see the flake re-placed and glued in place...

After experimenting and discussing the prospective restorative procedures with 
others, I considered using kitchen paraffin wax but discarded the idea in favor 
of a common room temperature glue with a long set time.

The gluing was done with a UHU Glue Stick, and the glue was carefully applied 
in a light film to the back of the grooved flake (while placed on a piece of 
white paper and holding the flake to prevent it picking up excess glue on the 
grooved side) moving from the center to the edges.  The piece is then picked up 
with tweezers and oriented in the correct spot on the disc, and then carefully 
positioned under a binocular microscope to try and line up the groove positions 
  on the inbound and outbound edges as closely as possible.  This will never be 
perfect because the lacquer surface will have shrunk and there will be cracks 
for the stylus to jump upon playback.

The area is then covered with a white paper, and a small weight is placed on 
top and left overnight.

Repeat as necessary with other flakes.



... Graham Newton

-- 
Audio Restoration by Graham Newton, http://www.audio-restoration.com
World class professional services applied to tape or phonograph records for
consumers and re-releases, featuring CEDAR's CAMBRIDGE processes.