Yes you can splice a VCR tape using Sellotape, a sharp pair of scisssors, a pencil, and steady hands.
Care must be taken to ensure a good clean and straight join. The video head revolves as the tape passes around it, any gap or raised part of tape join may catch the small head segments and destroy them.
I have good results and used this method many times, but must stress you do this at your own risk.
Firstly locate the square button behind the tape protection flap, push it in and lift up the flap, hold it back to the main body with Sellotape to access the tape.
On the underside of the cassette you will see two large white cog wheels, and also a small hole towards the rear of the cassette body, the white piece seen through this hole is the release lever for these cogs.
Press this lever in with a pencil and draw the pieces of tape forward ready for joining.
Cut the edges of the tape either side of the break nice and square ready to join together.
Cut an inch or two of Sellotape and stick to the REAR of the video tape (THE DULL SIDE) leave half of the sellotape width exposed to join the other part of the video tape to complete the joint. The Sellotape`s length must be at 90 degrees to the video tape so as little Sellotape width as possible is used to make the join. Join the tape as square and straight as you can.
When joined, trim the excess sello from the tape outer edges and wind the tape back in using the white spools until the tape lies flat. Remove the peice of sello from the flap and body, ... job done.
If the tape has disappeared in to the body it is quite easy to open the cassette to retrieve the ends.
Turn the cassette upside down, remove the six small screws, turn the cassette the right way up remove the top, flip the white locking lever and gently pull out the tape ends.
Hold the tape flap back with selo and refit the top, turn the cassette over and insert the six screws. Join the video tape as described earlier.
This may seem a lengthy explanation for a simple job, but once you have done once you will find it easy to do again.
Mark Le M, April 2009
