Cleaning RK05 packs (Was: LGP-30 Memory Drum Update)

[Pete Lancashire]

>>Ah, oh.... How should that get between the heads and the platter?

If it can happen it will. It did. I had saved up three or four cartridges
for future repair. I was told such work should be done by
(someone not so expensive) so off they went to one of the manufacturing
repair techs. I was busy a few weeks later and did
not do my usual look inside. Spun up the RK05 and data errors all over the
place. Pulled the cart, did a head inspection and
there was a not the usual black/dark brown streak on the head. Go get the
box of Texwipes, etc and pull out the RK, but the
head just did not feel smooth, if you have done such a cleaning a dozen
times you get to know the feeling when you know
things are flat again.  So time to take the cartridge apart. Its screws
needed very little torque, as in a couple pretty much
fell out. Yep the inside was full of plastic shards. Later found out the
tech used an air screwdriver to put the screws back.

Anyway, I put a DO NOT USE sticker on the door and called DEC, yep .. the
head had to be replaced. For years I kept
it on my desk as a reminder that maybe the department who keep the
compressors, pumps, wirewrap machines etc
running was not a way to save money.

Exact details somewhat fuzzy since this was like 1976

-pete

On Mon, Apr 3, 2017 at 6:33 AM, Philipp Hachtmann via cctalk <
cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:

>
>
> Another thing to watch out for is the two halves of some if not all
>> were screwed together with self tapping screws. When you take
>> them apart bit of plastic may come out of the holes or fall off the
>> insides of the screw threads. That plastic if gets between the platter
>> and head will not be to the heads advantage.
>>
> Ah, oh.... How should that get between the heads and the platter? It's
> nearly impossible to get something of substantial size into that gap.
> Look at the RK05 manual (and pack bag): It's the *really* small stuff that
> gets into the wrong place.
> Normal dust from the paper you used for cleaning (and from your working
> environment) is kicked off the platter by the head. Makes funny sounds.
>
> My procedure: Clean the disk, load it, manually visit the whole surface
> with the heads. If it crashes or clinging does not go away soon, reclean.
> If the disk has become silent and is running nicely, I give the heads a
> "quick brutal cleaning": Towel with IPA, between the heads, load heads onto
> the towel, move towel until heads clean. Must be done carefully...
>
> I once had an RC05 disk crashing. With an awful noise and a white stripe
> on the disk. After cleaning, both heads and disks were fully functional
> again. But I have also seen packs which look perfect but either keep making
> heavy sound or having data errors.
>
> Philipp
>
>