The Floppy Connection

[Zesko]

Wow, I've finally found a use for all my increasingly obsolete 3.5" floppy disks... Did you know that a diskette's plastic casing makes EXCELLENT internal patch material for plastic robot parts? Tonight I was working on a tin & plastic Super Giant whose head had cracked off around the collar (this robot belonged to somebody in here a couple of years ago, so you probably know what damage I'm talking about). Anyway, the neck and base of the head were a mess, in need of serious reinforcement... I was looking for a strong patch material that was thin and flexible, so I could cut and shape the various patches required, like cutting a custom gasket. After rummaging through a box of likely plastic bits and finding nothing suitable, my eye fell on another box of old 3.5" diskettes. I popped one apart and started shaping the thin plastic casing with an x-acto, then sanded it and cemented it in place (inside the head and neck). 30 minutes and 3 additional diskette patches later, the Super Giant's head and neck were restored, perhaps even STRONGER than new. So don't throw away those old diskettes, guys....

[SH MIKE]

The metal slide that covers the access hole when not in the computer can be used for "TAB" material. It should be thin enough and strong enough. Make the exposed part the same size as the old tab and make the rest of it wider and glue it in place inside the body half. (or any part that needs tabs). I have used COKE cans for this but they are too thin.

[Zesko]

And, you know, I could have used that metal slide for further plastic reinforcement... As it happened, though, the diskette plastic (or vinyl, or whatever it is) was amazingly strong all by itself. Those diskettes are made of TOUGH material, but it's still workable by knife and sandpaper, and it accepts polystyrene cement like a champ. Once again proving that Necessity is the Mother of Cannibalism.

:o

[robothut]

Diskets are made of syrene plastic thats why it glues so nice. you can get sheets of styrene at most hobby stores in any thickness. and the water thin styrene glue that you apply with a syringe works even better as it dries much faster and flows in to every nook and granny. But the price is righ on the flopys! Now lets make a floppy robot.