Date   : Sun, 16 Aug 2009 23:18:02 +0200
From   : rick@... (Rick Murray)
Subject: Floppy drive cleaner

Mick Champion wrote:

> I wouldn't use WD40 on any sort head as it leaves a  protective
 > residue behind.

Exactly. You'd be a nutter to use WD40 in any disc drive - the step 
mechanism needs grease, and imagine the mess if it go on the surface of 
a disc!

 > moving the head drum in its natural direction (just in case individual
 > heads stick out one more one end with wear). Ribbed paper can not be
 > considered safe IMO.

That's why I said the REVERSE (flat) side of the paper. I think ribbed 
envelopes are a heavier grade of paper. Apply when the head is spun up 
(3000rpm) with PRACTICALLY NO PRESSURE AT ALL. Move ONLY in the 
direction of the spin, if at all. NEVER up and down!

After applying it for a couple of seconds, release and carefully remove. 
You may see brown streaks on the paper. The gunk from the heads. The 
gunk, I might point out, that alcohol and a rub when static failed to 
remove.

As an added bonus, most decks will require a tape to be threaded in 
order to spin up the head, so you will get instant feedback as to 
whether you have cleaned it well enough or not. But, wear headphones or 
something, for I have noticed on my Daewoo deck that a cleaning enough 
to get a reasonable picture [*] may not be enough to get HiFi audio 
working. A useful rule of thumb if your deck isn't overloaded with 
electronics is to hit pause and see how 'noisy' it is.

Oh, and don't forget that applying pressure of any sort to the spinning 
drum will alter its speed so the picture freaking out like that is 
normal. :-)


* - "reasonable" within the standard definition of how crap
     VHS can be...


> I'll use chamois leather every time.

Try finding a suitable one. I found one in the supermarket and it had a 
texture like felt. I can imagine if I put that anywhere near the drum, 
it'd rip the heads off!


 > Give it time to evaporate else you could find the next tape you put
 > in sticks to, and spins with the head!

:-)


> Last time I attempted clean a disc drive (5.25"), I must have applied 
> too much pressure. One of the two heads promptly fell off :-( Treat
 > them gently folks.

I think the glue or whatever that holds heads in place can 'age'. Looks 
like some sort of epoxy resin? I had one drive fall apart when I put it 
on the desk (and I didn't throw it!). Thankfully there were little guide 
holes in a sort of ribbon circuit that had the head mounted in it, so I 
could glue the thing back together and, better yet, it worked!

Treat old drives GENTLY, period!


Best wishes,

Rick.

-- 
Rick Murray, eeePC901 & ADSL WiFI'd into it, all ETLAs!
BBC B: DNFS, 2 x 5.25" floppies, EPROM prog, Acorn TTX
E01S FileStore, A3000/A5000/RiscPC/various PCs/blahblah...