25 May
2023
25 May
'23
3:35 p.m.
Greetings,
Amidst all the floppy archiving discussion, here's a slightly different
question:
The weather is warmer now where I live, so it's starting to be a good time
to do messy work outdoors. I have some mouldy floppy diskettes that I'd
like to try to read (mostly 5.25"), plus a good flux reader. What is the
best way to attempt to image these floppies?
My thinking right now is that for each floppy I can attempt this procedure:
- remove the mouldy cookie from the infected disk jacket; discard the latter
- give the cookie the best clean I can (how?) and allow to dry
- place the cookie in a clean disk jacket
- attempt to image
- clean floppy drive heads
Does this seem like a sensible plan? If so, what would be the best way to
clean as much mould off the cookie as I can? Tools that come to mind are
distilled water (tap water here is full of chalk), dish soap,
cyclomethicone, and of course more fearsome solvents. I have kimwipes,
microfibre cloths, and... 200-grit sandpaper, I guess :-)
Thanks for any advice,
--Tom
25 May
25 May
4:15 p.m.
On 5/25/23 15:35, Tom Stepleton via cctalk wrote:
Does this seem like a sensible plan? If so, what would
be the best way to
clean as much mould off the cookie as I can? Tools that come to mind are
distilled water (tap water here is full of chalk), dish soap,
cyclomethicone, and of course more fearsome solvents. I have kimwipes,
microfibre cloths, and... 200-grit sandpaper, I guess :-)
Sounds like a workable plan--I use distilled water and Kodak Photflo (a
wetting agent), lint-free wipes and air-drying. I usually coat the
cookie with a drop or two of cyclomethicone before reading, just as a
precaution.
--Chuck
5:11 p.m.
Tom,
You may save yourself some time with this nifty contraption ==>
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303620862566
It's a floppy disk cleaning apparatus. You place the floppy disk into the
frame, apply your cleaning solution and cloth to the index opening, and
then manually spin the disk.
Sellam
On Thu, May 25, 2023 at 3:36 PM Tom Stepleton via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
Greetings,
Amidst all the floppy archiving discussion, here's a slightly different
question:
The weather is warmer now where I live, so it's starting to be a good time
to do messy work outdoors. I have some mouldy floppy diskettes that I'd
like to try to read (mostly 5.25"), plus a good flux reader. What is the
best way to attempt to image these floppies?
My thinking right now is that for each floppy I can attempt this procedure:
- remove the mouldy cookie from the infected disk jacket; discard the
latter
- give the cookie the best clean I can (how?) and allow to dry
- place the cookie in a clean disk jacket
- attempt to image
- clean floppy drive heads
Does this seem like a sensible plan? If so, what would be the best way to
clean as much mould off the cookie as I can? Tools that come to mind are
distilled water (tap water here is full of chalk), dish soap,
cyclomethicone, and of course more fearsome solvents. I have kimwipes,
microfibre cloths, and... 200-grit sandpaper, I guess :-)
Thanks for any advice,
--Tom
5:28 p.m.
On Thu, 25 May 2023, Sellam Abraham via cctalk wrote:
Tom,
You may save yourself some time with this nifty contraption ==>
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303620862566
It's a floppy disk cleaning apparatus. You place the floppy disk into the
frame, apply your cleaning solution and cloth to the index opening, and
then manually spin the disk.
It looks handy for mild cleaning, where the cookie doesn't need to be
removed from the jacket.
Some disks should be removed, and discard the old jacket, and not even put
the disk into another jacket until it has had some cleaning.
If leaving the disk in the jacket, . . .
I have encountered plenty of 5.25" and 8" disks, where the disk doesn't
turn freely.
Rub the edge of the disk/jacket on a corner of a table, firmly enough that
it is bowing SLIGHTLY. Do that for all four edges of the floppy jacket.
The disk will now turn free-er.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com
5:32 p.m.
On 2023/05/25 5:11 p.m., Sellam Abraham via cctalk wrote:
Tom,
You may save yourself some time with this nifty contraption ==>
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303620862566
It's a floppy disk cleaning apparatus. You place the floppy disk into the
frame, apply your cleaning solution and cloth to the index opening, and
then manually spin the disk.
Sellam
If you have a 3D printer then Thingiverse has 3.5 and 5.25 inch floppy
cleaner files:
https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=floppy+disc+cleaner&page=1&typ…
John :-#)#
On Thu, May 25, 2023 at 3:36 PM Tom Stepleton via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
> Greetings,
>
> Amidst all the floppy archiving discussion, here's a slightly different
> question:
>
> The weather is warmer now where I live, so it's starting to be a good time
> to do messy work outdoors. I have some mouldy floppy diskettes that I'd
> like to try to read (mostly 5.25"), plus a good flux reader. What is the
> best way to attempt to image these floppies?
>
> My thinking right now is that for each floppy I can attempt this procedure:
> - remove the mouldy cookie from the infected disk jacket; discard the
> latter
> - give the cookie the best clean I can (how?) and allow to dry
> - place the cookie in a clean disk jacket
> - attempt to image
> - clean floppy drive heads
>
> Does this seem like a sensible plan? If so, what would be the best way to
> clean as much mould off the cookie as I can? Tools that come to mind are
> distilled water (tap water here is full of chalk), dish soap,
> cyclomethicone, and of course more fearsome solvents. I have kimwipes,
> microfibre cloths, and... 200-grit sandpaper, I guess :-)
>
> Thanks for any advice,
> --Tom
>
--
John's Jukes Ltd.
7 - 3979 Marine Way, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5J 5E3
Call (604)872-5757 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out"
572
days inactive
573
days old
4 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
-
Chuck Guzis -
Fred Cisin -
John Robertson -
Sellam Abraham -
Tom Stepleton