Can anybody here teach me how to use a reel to reel properly?

[Al Jardine: Pick Up Artist]

My grandpa gave me an old Toshiba reel-to-reel recorder and a steamer trunk full of old tapes. Most have stuff on them but it's not really anything exciting, mostly transfers of what I think are old 78s. I figured I could just record over these old tapes if I so wish. However I have no idea how to actually use this thing and Google isn't much help.

On the machine itself are two metal reels, placed on there to read side 1 and side 2 but flip them around and they're identical. I know I have to take off the leftmost one and feed it through/thread it on the second reel, but I don't know what the side/side reading should be and how to put it on a reel properly. I also don't know how to play it back on the other side and everything to get it on the original reel and whatnot.

In addition, I don't know how to actually record. I understand each tape (usually) has two sides and two channels (ostensibly for stereo), but I don't understand how to actually do it.

I have all kinds of other little questions but I'd like to nail down the basics first

[Al Jardine: Pick Up Artist]

Anybody? Please?

[leggo of my ego]

Anybody? Please?

Do you have the audio connections made to your stereo?

Your full reel of tape goes on the left hub (Supply side), you want to thread the tape to the reel on the right hub.

You want the SHINY side of the tape to face downward, away from the heads and the DULL side to contact the heads
If the tape is on the reels correctly this will be normal when tape on the Supply side hangs down from the left side of the reel.

Be sure to thread through all the guides in the tape path. Usually there will be a some part in the tape path connected to a micro switch and this
needs to be engaged or the transport wont function.  This is how the Auto Stop feature is engaged.

! A photo posted here of the front of the unit / control panel would be nice if you need further assistance.

[Al Jardine: Pick Up Artist]

Ok, I think I've got all of that figured out, my question is what each reel side-wise should read. I know it doesn't technically matter, but is it Side 1/Side 2 or Side 1/Side 1 or vice versa?

[leggo of my ego]

Start with  both reels side one. If the tapes are 4 track you flip the reels and play side two and your tape will be back on its original reel ready to play again.

2 track tapes and Quad should be stored tails out. If you dont have any of those dont worry about it.