[sebhc] hard sector substitute

[Carroll Waddell]

Dwight K. Elvey wrote:

>Hi
> I think you guys are getting a little carried away.
>A simple manual system is all that is needed unless
>you expect to go into production. One can make a simple
>manual punch with a section of drill stock and something
>as simple as a brass block to guide it. One can put some
>holes on the pulley to use as detent stops to align the
>punch on the disk. 
> When I find time, that is exactly what I intend to do.
>I have all the parts and I'm just waiting for the time
>to deal with it. This isn't a high tech problem.
>Dwight
>
>
>  
>
>>From: "Carroll Waddell" <CarrollWaddell at sc.rr.com>
>>
>>Dave Dunfield wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>>Dave,
>>>>I've been thinking about this. What I thought about was modifying an old 
>>>>diskette drive to punch the holes automatically. It would have to be 
>>>>modified to remove part of the drive where the index sensor is located. 
>>>>A slideable pice could be built that contains both an index hole sensor 
>>>>and a hole punch. A solenoid (or whatever) could move the index sensor 
>>>>so that it could sense the hole in the diskette. If there were a stepper 
>>>>motor used to rotate the disk, a Basic Stamp could rotate the diskette 
>>>>until the hole is sensed. This would be the 0 degree position. The 
>>>>slideable punch could then be positioned over the existing hole in the 
>>>>diskette and the jacket. The stepper motor could then be rotated 18 
>>>>degrees and the first new hole punched. Next, the stepper motor could 
>>>>rotate the diskette 36 degrees (repeating this ten more times) to punch 
>>>>the remaining sector holes. A solenoid or something could be used to 
>>>>operate the hole punch. VIOLA!   A new hard sector diskette made from an 
>>>>existing soft sector diskette.
>>>>
>>>>The difficult part would be to make the slideable index sensor / hole 
>>>>punch device. It would have to be thick enough and with a slot into 
>>>>which the diskette jacket could fit.
>>>>
>>>>Any new thoughts?
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>Hi Carroll,
>>>
>>>I've had similar ideas - remove the drive motor (or just don't power it
>>>for direct-drive drive) and implement a stepper motor which gives accurate
>>>positioning of the media.
>>>
>>>You might be able to get away without having to move the sensor and hole
>>>punch if you make the punch retract far enough, and sense the hole at an
>>>angle - I think it would be simpler to just line up the hole before
>>>inserting the disk in the drive - with a stepper drive, the index hole will
>>>NOT move as you close the drive lever. Then it's just a matter of
>>>'x' steps (Index to first hole distance), Punch, 'y' steps (hole to hole
>>>distance), Punch, repeat until at last hole.
>>>
>>>I'd have built one by now, but I have not been able to fashion a decent
>>>punch yet. Any ideas?
>>>
>>>Regards,
>>>Dave
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>I measured the index hole and it appears to be .1" dia. I just found a 
>>hole punch on ebay that is 2.5mm (probably close enough to work).
>>The reason I thought about making a moveable piece was to make the lower 
>>part the die into which the punch would go.
>>
>>I'm going to tear apart some printers, drives, or whatever else I can 
>>find that might have something usable. Of course the expensive way to go 
>>would be to machine the slide assembly from a solid block of metal.
>>
>>I had a hard time going to sleep last night, thinking of about a 
>>millions ways to do this.
>>CEW
>>    
>>
>
>
>--
>Delivered by the SEBHC Mailing List
>
>  
>
I do have serious mental problems. I just left the hardware store 
looking for something I could use.
My name in a former life was probably Rube Goldberg.
CEW