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Floppy disk notcher

robert_sissco

robert_sissco

Experienced Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2021
Messages
342
Location
Midwest U.S.A.
Does anyone know where one can find a 5.25 floppy disk notch cutter? The ones I see on eBay are floating the $70+ price point, a bit high..
 
A brand new one costs about $50 so I think a bit more searching should locate a cheaper unit. Maybe include your location in case someone local has one you can borrow. In a couple of hours, one could notch all the floppies that will be used in the next decade.
 
If you're very careful, you can just drill an approximate hole in the disk. I've done many in the past in a pinch. Try one out and see if it works for you.
 
@krebizfan, good point, I am in North Dakota/US.

@Timo W. the $70 is "Buy it Now" for a used one on eMail states sites. New ones are going for $100

@Agent Orange, I also know about flipping a disk and using it to line it up and using a hole punch trick ot an Xacto knife to cut it, I was just looking for something that would match/be easier than either option I could also do easy enough.

Thanks for the input everyone
 
'Sokay, AO--if it was turning 3.5" DD into HD, I would have advocated strenuously against it. The old DD formatted as HD in PS/2 systems as well my own collection (done in a drill press with a 1/8" bit) have not survived the 30 years very well. As a matter of fact, I don't have a single readable one left in my collection. :(
OTOH, I've found that HD 3.5" formatted as DD often perform better than the real thing.

Go figure.
 
Chuck(G) said:
'Sokay, AO--if it was turning 3.5" DD into HD, I would have advocated strenuously against it. The old DD formatted as HD in PS/2 systems as well my own collection (done in a drill press with a 1/8" bit) have not survived the 30 years very well. As a matter of fact, I don't have a single readable one left in my collection. :(
OTOH, I've found that HD 3.5" formatted as DD often perform better than the real thing.

Go figure.
Click to expand...

Speaking of the 3.5 floppies, back when the 1.44 disks were coming in to their own and still kind of expensive, I bought a punch from Computer Shopper and paid about $40 for it back then. The thing was solid and very heavy. I don't know that I ever punched out that many 720 disks to even break even on that deal. Having out lived its use and no one close by wanted the thing, I pitched it.
 
We just used a generic hole punch back in the day. $2 at the grocery store.
 
Just overlay another floppy's notch on the back of the disk you want to notch and use scissors to cut out the notch. This is what I did in the 80s. Works perfectly. Use an xActo knife if you want to get fancy.
 
Agent Orange said:
Looks like a good cheap solution, but how many disks did you bork before you got it right?
Click to expand...

Never had a problem, honestly. The notch is pretty big (what, 1/3rd of an inch or so?), but the sensor is pretty small. Floppies with little half round holes were systemic where we were.

If you get the notch wrong the first time, move it a little and punch it again. The disks were never "ruined" in any sense of the word.
 
I've probably led everyone astray as I was referring to 3.5 disks which is not what this thread is about initially.
 
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