The Sinclair QL Forum

techy wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2025 9:08 am hence the reason for my questions .

tape slitting is the easy part ............

filling the difficult

You might get more suggestions if you shared a bit more info on the whole process. Is the spliced tape itself on a larger spool, easy to handle? Did you create a new cartridge and if so, how: 3D printed or via molds? With a new cartridge, if it's using some 3D printing process, you could modify the design so that it is less fidgety --i.e. the problem is you have two halves with lots of loose parts, but a redesign that held most of the parts in place and gives access just to the spool and all you had to do is feed a spooled tape into the ends might make it all easier. From experience, I had to tack down a lot of little parts and then the two halves would be hard to snap together. If you are using old cartridges, then as I said, feeding a new tape to replace the old tape is simple and requires very little work.

techy wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2025 5:09 pm Has anyone ever attempted to refill a microdrive cartridge ?

Or a waferdrive cartridge ?

i have mastered the way of making new tape for them , but now comes the tricky bit of filling them .

I did... and I failed
Following this post in order to get them back and can develop for original Microdrives.

Does that company still exist that made them , and do they still have the tooling? :D

History suggests they had a small cell to manufacture them due to a never ending backlog of orders, and a price hike to quieten the peasants down.

The company that originally manufactured Microdrive cartridges was called Ablex and located in Telford. In 2000, Ablex was taken over by DocData of the Netherlands which focused on CD duplication entirely. I don't think they're still in business.

Yes I expected they would be, wasn't a serious comment on my part. But am looking to get some refelted cartridges to use.

Wicksy wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2025 12:24 pm Yes I expected they would be, wasn't a serious comment on my part. But am looking to get some refelted cartridges to use.

Well, I guess a lot of companies that focused on CD duplication had to go out of business when AOL stopped giving out their ubiquitous free internet access CDs

Yes I remember. My sister had a batch of them from swapping providers.

to be continued next weekend ,


thanks for all responses so far !!

I thought that the tape used in microdrive cartridges had some kind of lubrication applied to it. To help the tape slide over itself on the internal hub.

I doubt that video tape has this lubrication, as it does not need to rub together. So I suspect you may have jamming cartridge problems. I have had some cartridges jam on me in the past, and I have suspected that the lubrication has failed.

Martin_Head wrote: Mon Jan 20, 2025 11:13 am I thought that the tape used in microdrive cartridges had some kind of lubrication applied to it. To help the tape slide over itself on the internal hub.

I doubt that video tape has this lubrication, as it does not need to rub together. So I suspect you may have jamming cartridge problems. I have had some cartridges jam on me in the past, and I have suspected that the lubrication has failed.

Having taken several cartridges apart, there is no lubricant on the tape or in the drive itself. I've had a couple tapes wound on paper towel rolls for a few years and there is no sign of any lubricant remnants.