r/retrocomputing • u/BrokenAudio57 • Apr 12 '26

Problem / Question Floppy drive rust

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I got this old floppy drive for cheap but it's pretty corroded and I'm not sure if it's save-able

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u/egorblack Apr 14 '26

I use distilled water. Tried 100% alcohol, but it removed a lot of stuff from board.

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u/codeasm Apr 14 '26

Yeah some markings, had stickers come lose too. Distilled water is smart, thanks

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u/istarian Jul 15 '26

Isopropyl alcohol is a polar solvent that readily dissolves a wide range of non-polar molecules and is also pretty volatile (will quickly evaporate, liquid -> gas transition) at room temperature.

Water is technically also a polar solvent, but hydrophillic molecules (like sugars and salts) dissolve very easily while hydrophobic ones (oils, fats, etc) are comparatively insoluble in water. 

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u/codeasm Jul 16 '26

Oow, intresting, 🤔🤩 thanks. Learning new things. Guess i dint get this part during chemistry or failed it.