Mini-DV in Washing machine for 3 minutes or less... at DVinfo.net

Guy Godwin · June 21st, 2009, 05:54 PM

OK, just tell me that there is no chance this Wet Mini-DV is salvagable?
I assume it is a total loss?

Andrew Smith · June 21st, 2009, 06:19 PM

I'd give it a quick rinse with clean water (to remove soapy stuff) and then towel it dry. After it is completely dry, pop it in your deck and see if it plays.

Why? The cassette mechanism of the DV tape closes pretty tightly due to the fine manufacturing tolerances. Whilst the fine gap between the plastic tape guard mechanism is visible, the effective surface tension there should be too much for the water to be able to penetrate.

A short trip in the washing machine should be quite survivable as water would not make through to the surface of the tape.

Deep sea diving (and increased water pressure at that depth) would be another matter. :-)

Please let us know how it works out for you.

Andrew

Jonathan Jones · June 22nd, 2009, 12:28 AM

And make sure it is COMPLETELY dry first. Not just "overnight dry", but like at least a few days dry. Small beads of moisture still remaining in the cassette could seep into inner reel of the tape if it is run too soon, and potentially result in warping or stretching of the tape over time.

-Jon

Dean Sensui · June 22nd, 2009, 02:10 AM

If there isn't a looming deadline, you could leave it for several days in an airtight case with a lot of dessicant, such as Drierite, and really make sure it's dry before putting it into any kind of player.

I suspect that damp tape would do some significant damage to the heads considering the drum is spinning at 7200 RPM. After all, just a little moisture is enough to make the "dew warning" go off in a camera.

Dean Sensui · June 22nd, 2009, 02:11 AM

Ooops. Double post.

Guy Godwin · June 22nd, 2009, 05:15 AM

There is no looming deadline for this one. But it is the championship game of my sons baseball season. I did a two camera shoot with my XL2 and A1 and the fisrt XL2 tape went in my pocket and my wife put them in the wash immediately.

Robert M Wright · June 22nd, 2009, 01:09 PM

(After getting it thoroughly dry) I'd suggest trying to capture with a cheap consumer camcorder (not the XL2).

Stelios Christofides · June 24th, 2009, 07:37 AM

a you will be amazed how "bright" the pictures will look after that treatment...lol
and then sell the tale to the guys who manufactured that particular washing machine soap...

Stelios

Guy Godwin · June 25th, 2009, 08:51 PM

So far so good.
I just started the capture and it appears that nothing is wrong with it.

I did have something(Non moving image) on half of image of the horizontal zones (Every other one). I think some residue was left on the head or something. I cleaned it and all is well 50 minutes left.

Bill Pryor · June 26th, 2009, 05:13 PM

Amazing. Glad it worked.

Battle Vaughan · June 26th, 2009, 08:52 PM

Maybe this experience is yet another reason to go tapeless. I once washed -- and DRIED -- a cf card, let it sit a couple of days and it booted up like nothing had ever happend. That, however, is really pushing one's luck. Glad you salvaged your tape! / Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team

John Estcourt · July 1st, 2009, 10:20 AM

Apparently the colours were a little washed out but it saved time on the bleached by pass look..he hee

Ron Little · July 2nd, 2009, 01:36 PM

I think this is a testament to the durability of tape.

The tape is dead, Long live tape.

Dean Sensui · July 2nd, 2009, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battle Vaughan

I once washed -- and DRIED -- a cf card, let it sit a couple of days and it booted up like nothing had ever happend.

A lot of photographers have done that. And just about all reported that it was OK afterward.

Andrew Smith · July 2nd, 2009, 05:17 PM

Actually, there are stories of CF cards being mounted on recording equipment for the monitoring of controlled bridge demolition. Even after they dug 'em out of the river bank afterwards the CF storage read back the data perfectly fine.

Glad to see how well the tape worked after the washing machine incident.

Andrew

June 21st, 2009, 05:54 PM	#1
Guy Godwin Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Florence, KY Posts: 345	Mini-DV in Washing machine for 3 minutes or less... OK, just tell me that there is no chance this Wet Mini-DV is salvagable? I assume it is a total loss?

June 22nd, 2009, 12:28 AM	#3
Jonathan Jones Trustee Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Healdsburg, California Posts: 1,138	And make sure it is COMPLETELY dry first. Not just "overnight dry", but like at least a few days dry. Small beads of moisture still remaining in the cassette could seep into inner reel of the tape if it is run too soon, and potentially result in warping or stretching of the tape over time. -Jon __________________ "Are we to go on record, sir, with our assertion that the 'pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, and green clovers' are, in point of fact', magically delicious?" - Walter Hollarhan before the House Subcommittee on Integrity in Advertising - May, 1974

June 22nd, 2009, 02:10 AM	#4
Dean Sensui Inner Circle Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 2,054	If there isn't a looming deadline, you could leave it for several days in an airtight case with a lot of dessicant, such as Drierite, and really make sure it's dry before putting it into any kind of player. I suspect that damp tape would do some significant damage to the heads considering the drum is spinning at 7200 RPM. After all, just a little moisture is enough to make the "dew warning" go off in a camera. __________________ Dean Sensui Exec Producer, Hawaii Goes Fishing

June 22nd, 2009, 02:11 AM	#5
Dean Sensui Inner Circle Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 2,054	Ooops. Double post. __________________ Dean Sensui Exec Producer, Hawaii Goes Fishing

June 24th, 2009, 07:37 AM	#8
Stelios Christofides Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Nicosia, CYPRUS Posts: 1,080	a you will be amazed how "bright" the pictures will look after that treatment...lol and then sell the tale to the guys who manufactured that particular washing machine soap... Stelios __________________ My Blog: http://steliosc.blogspot.com "I hope for nothing, I fear nothing, I am free" Nikos Kazantzakis

June 21st, 2009, 06:19 PM	#2
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,016	I'd give it a quick rinse with clean water (to remove soapy stuff) and then towel it dry. After it is completely dry, pop it in your deck and see if it plays. Why? The cassette mechanism of the DV tape closes pretty tightly due to the fine manufacturing tolerances. Whilst the fine gap between the plastic tape guard mechanism is visible, the effective surface tension there should be too much for the water to be able to penetrate. A short trip in the washing machine should be quite survivable as water would not make through to the surface of the tape. Deep sea diving (and increased water pressure at that depth) would be another matter. :-) Please let us know how it works out for you. Andrew

June 22nd, 2009, 05:15 AM	#6
Guy Godwin Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Florence, KY Posts: 345	There is no looming deadline for this one. But it is the championship game of my sons baseball season. I did a two camera shoot with my XL2 and A1 and the fisrt XL2 tape went in my pocket and my wife put them in the wash immediately.

June 22nd, 2009, 01:09 PM	#7
Robert M Wright Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Minnesota (USA) Posts: 2,171	(After getting it thoroughly dry) I'd suggest trying to capture with a cheap consumer camcorder (not the XL2).

June 25th, 2009, 08:51 PM	#9
Guy Godwin Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Florence, KY Posts: 345	So far so good. I just started the capture and it appears that nothing is wrong with it. I did have something(Non moving image) on half of image of the horizontal zones (Every other one). I think some residue was left on the head or something. I cleaned it and all is well 50 minutes left.

June 26th, 2009, 05:13 PM	#10
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Amazing. Glad it worked.

June 26th, 2009, 08:52 PM	#11
Battle Vaughan Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami, FL USA Posts: 1,505	Maybe this experience is yet another reason to go tapeless. I once washed -- and DRIED -- a cf card, let it sit a couple of days and it booted up like nothing had ever happend. That, however, is really pushing one's luck. Glad you salvaged your tape! / Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team

July 1st, 2009, 10:20 AM	#12
John Estcourt Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Scotland, Ayr www.amour weddingvideos.co.uk Posts: 305	Apparently the colours were a little washed out but it saved time on the bleached by pass look..he hee __________________ john estcourt www.amourweddingvideos.co.uk

July 2nd, 2009, 01:36 PM	#13
Ron Little Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Pensacola Fl. Posts: 627	I think this is a testament to the durability of tape. The tape is dead, Long live tape.

July 2nd, 2009, 05:17 PM	#15
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,016	Actually, there are stories of CF cards being mounted on recording equipment for the monitoring of controlled bridge demolition. Even after they dug 'em out of the river bank afterwards the CF storage read back the data perfectly fine. Glad to see how well the tape worked after the washing machine incident. Andrew