What's the best way to clean 5 1/4" external disk drive Heads without taking the drive apart? I would get a "cleaning kit" but $40-50 is just absurd. Is there a way to make a homemade 5 1/4" "cleaning" disk using the housing of a typical 5 1/4" disk and replacing the internal disk media with something else?
Paralel wrote on 2024-03-17, 20:25:Is there a way to make a homemade 5 1/4" "cleaning" disk using the housing of a typical 5 1/4" disk and replacing the internal disk media with something else?
That would be a great way to permanently bend the heads' suspension springs or even rip them off - should one catch on something on the rotating surface. Frankly even the manufactured cleaning floppies can pose such danger if they are overused and the fibers start to separate. I do agree that the cleaning kits are way overpriced but then again they are a bit rare now, so...
IMO if you want the drive properly serviced then you need to do it yourself (this also includes removing dust, and possibly lubricating internals - depends on the construction). Decent access to the heads is required, which in many cases requires at least some disassembly. Then a good quality q-tip and some IPA will do the job. I have read stories about people ripping the heads off with q-tips but frankly that must be their own fault. Don't be impatient and don't use force and it'll be fine.
Use something lint free. Qtips will leave a ton of fibers behind, and many will probably catch on the head.
