Date   : Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:10:43 -0500
From   : jules.richardson99@... (Jules Richardson)
Subject: happy bunny

Alex Taylor wrote:
> Not long back I picked up an Apple HD20 which is an external unit that
> fits the floppy port of the very earliest Macs, and uses a 20MB Rodime
> mechanism with a unique interface. I had to repair the interface PCB
> inside the unit because someone had mashed it up with a screwdriver.
> Once powered up, the drive wouldn't spin. After shaking and tapping
> it, I surmised that I'd have nothing to lose by taking the top off the
> drive and trying to get it spinning by hand. However, removing the lid
> let out all the rusty water and exposed the surface-rust covered
> platters.

Urgh. I think my worst was the Fujitsu where all the coating had flaked off 
the magnets for the head actuator mechanism, not only jamming the heads but 
also coating the platters.

I ended up taking the head assembly right out, scraping enough crud off that 
the heads could move, blasting the platters with compressed air to blow the 
flakes out, then reassembling. About 80% of the data came back before the 
drive turned up its toes.