How do you notch your disks to use the other side?

[1200XL M.U.L.E.]

Just wondering what people use to cut notches in their disks so they can use the other side of the disk? Way back when I remember my dad used a metal nibbler intended for sheet metal.

 

Product recommendations?

[+Stephen]

I just used a cheap paper punch.

[+x=usr(1536)]

14 minutes ago, Stephen said:

I just used a cheap paper punch.

Or scissors, or a leather punch.  Somewhere, I should have an actual disk notch puncher.

 

 

Disk goes in slot at bottom, hand slams down on plunger, notch puncher hopefully does its job correctly.

[+slx]

A disc notch puncher, of course! Before I got one or when I didn't find it, a paper punch or nail clippers were a good substitute.

[+kheller2]

Remember this method only works for drives that don't rely on the timing hole.

[+nasty niff]

Write protect switch, easy to make

[Mazzspeed]

Ever since I was a kid, all I've ever used is scissors. Never had an issue with a single disk, they all worked perfectly as flippies.

[1200XL M.U.L.E.]

52 minutes ago, kheller2 said:

Remember this method only works for drives that don't rely on the timing hole.

 

@kheller2 Oh, oh! I forgot about the timing hole. Does the XF551 rely on it?

[BillC]

54 minutes ago, 1200XL M.U.L.E. said:

Oh, oh! I forgot about the timing hole. Does the XF551 rely on it?

IIRC the Chinon mechanism can't access a flippy disc at all, while the Mitsumi mechanism can read/write but not format, I may have this backwards.

[Mclaneinc]

Like most I used a hole punch until I got a disk notcher....

[Keatah]

14 hours ago, kheller2 said:

Remember this method only works for drives that don't rely on the timing hole.

Otherwise you have to disassemble the disk and make another timing hole.

 

 

[Keatah]

Standard hole puncher, scissors, wirecutters, disk notcher tool that you slam, whatever was available to us.

 

In recent times I avoid the notcher tool. It tends to shatter brittle jackets.

[Mclaneinc]

Ha ha, the tool that you slammed was what I had....Silly old memories, so fun..

[Tempest]

51 minutes ago, Keatah said:

Otherwise you have to disassemble the disk and make another timing hole.

 

 

Yep.  The Coleco Adam and Tandy CoCo both require this.  Pain in the butt, but it works.

 

I still have my red disk notcher from back in the day, it's one of my prized positions.  Sort of like my version of a red stapler.

[Gunstar]

19 hours ago, Stephen said:

I just used a cheap paper punch.

Same here, a paper punch since the 80's. I just line it up with the notch on the other side and place the punch so slightly more than half the circle is punched out.

[Gunstar]

18 hours ago, mistapaul said:

Write protect switch, easy to make

Good point, for those who can and don't mind modifying cases (I don't mind personally). Though I already have drive select switches (front bezel) installed on my Happy 1050's and it's easier for me to just make flippy disk than installing another switch and the same with my 810, though I will installed a write protect switch on the 810 soon, while installing my Happy upgrade; because I also have 2 Indus GT's connected that have a stock write protect button. So once the 810 has one too, I'll never need to notch disks for my Incognito 800. I'll stick with notching disks for my 1050's & 1200XL. A paper hole punch is always at hand.

[Gunstar]

4 hours ago, Keatah said:

Otherwise you have to disassemble the disk and make another timing hole.

 

 

I've done this successfully (for Coco 2) just by spreading the sleeve and magnetic disk from one another from the inside ring enough to carefully cut a hole with an Exacto blade. Just make sure it's a new blade so it is sharp enough to poke and cut without much pressure to ensure it doesn't slip too far and damage the magnetic disk. I've thought about using a paper hole punch this way too, but I've never tried because the hole would be much bigger than needed and the chance of the punched plastic circle falling in the disk and getting stuck, which would then require a full disassembly anyway.

Edited April 2, 2021 by Gunstar

[Gunstar]

3 hours ago, Tempest said:

Yep.  The Coleco Adam and Tandy CoCo both require this.  Pain in the butt, but it works.

 

I still have my red disk notcher from back in the day, it's one of my prized positions.  Sort of like my version of a red stapler.

My prized positions are a couple involving the fairer sex, and one is sitting on the porcelain throne. How about a picture of you in your prized position with your disk notcher?

Edited April 2, 2021 by Gunstar

[1200XL M.U.L.E.]

17 hours ago, BillC said:

IIRC the Chinon mechanism can't access a flippy disc at all, while the Mitsumi mechanism can read/write but not format, I may have this backwards.

Is there any easy way to tell which mechanism is inside a particular XF551 drive without taking it apart?

[BillC]

1 hour ago, 1200XL M.U.L.E. said:

Is there any easy way to tell which mechanism is inside a particular XF551 drive without taking it apart?

According to the FAQ the Mitsumi was in early production drives and is the more common mechanism.

 

Here is a picture of the face-plates of the Chinon/Mitsumi 5.25" mechanisms.

[1200XL M.U.L.E.]

@BillC Thanks for the pictures! Based on them I can say I have a Mitsumi mechanism.

[BillC]

Just now, 1200XL M.U.L.E. said:

@BillC Thanks for the pictures! Based on them I can say I have a Mitsumi mechanism.

That's good, the drive should be able to read/write the back side of flippy discs.

[Tillek]

 

Never really had an issue with it.

 

[Tillek]

On 4/1/2021 at 6:21 PM, BillC said:

IIRC the Chinon mechanism can't access a flippy disc at all, while the Mitsumi mechanism can read/write but not format, I may have this backwards.

Actually, just a side note... BASF did have a "reversible" DSDD floppy available that actually had the notches pre-cut and also had the timing holes pre-cut into them too (for both sides).

 

Bought a bunch of them off ebay specifically for disks I knew I'd want to use as "flippy" in my XE that has the XF551's attached.  They work well.

[+CharlieChaplin]

1 hour ago, Tillek said:

 

Never really had an issue with it.

 

 

... and I can hear The Doors singing "Break on through to the other side"...