By
eHow Electronics Editor
Difficulty: Moderately challenging
Things You’ll Need:
- Razor Blade
- Adhesive Tape
- Phillips Screwdriver
- A Videocassette You Can Sacrifice
Step1
Take out the five screws with a Phillips screwdriver from the bottom of two videocassettes--one you can sacrifice and the one that's been damaged.
Step2
Gently separate the tops and bottoms of the cassettes. Slice through the label (if any) on the side edge with a razor blade.
Step3
Study the way the tape threads through the cassette (see A). You'll need to remember this later.
Step4
Discard all of the tape from the sacrificed cassette, but keep all the other parts, including the reels.
Step5
Take the first section of the damaged tape (still on its reel) from the videocassette you want to save and transfer it to the shell of the sacrificed cassette. Attach it to the take-up reel with adhesive tape (see B).
Step6
Take the empty reel from the sacrificed cassette and transfer it to the shell of the cassette you're saving. Attach the second section of broken tape to this cassette.
Step7
Reassemble the cassette shells, being careful to thread the tape the way you found it. You now have two tapes that contain as much of your material as can be saved, with no midtape splice that could damage your video-head drum.
Step8
Copy the two tapes to a new videocassette and then throw them away.