Side-invariant 3.5inch Floppy Disk Cleaning Tool

This is a tool designed to aid in cleaning the surface of 3.5 inch floppy disks.

It is a modified version of Lemaru's 3.5 inch floppy disk cleaning tool, released under Creative Commons. Developed for use at the Czechoslovak Game Archive.

Print requirements:
No special print requirements. 30% infill or more will make the tool feel heavy and sturdy.

Assembly Instructions:
In addition to the 3D printed parts, you will need 4x M2 nuts, 2x M3 nuts, 4x M2 screws (minimum thread length: 6mm, maximum thread length: 13mm), 1x M3 screw (minimum thread length: 13mm, maximum thread length: 20mm)

• Insert 4x M2 nuts into the slots in the sides of the "3in_cleaner_bottom" part.

• Place the gear parts on the corresponding bumps in the "3in_cleaner_bottom" part. Don't be alarmed by the rather loose interface between the gears, this is intentional. 

• Place the "3in_cleaner_disk_holder" part appropriately and secure with 4x M2 screws. Make sure that the heads of the screws are fully sunken into their corresponding slots, otherwise the floppy disk won't seat properly in the holder!

• Insert the M3 screw through the corresponding hole on the "3in_cleaner_lockpin" part, followed by an M3 nut. Do not tighten the lockpin using the nut, leave up to a millimeter of "wiggle" room for the lockpin - it should be able to rotate freely around the M3 screw. 

*Insert the lockpin assembly through the corresponding hole on the cleaning tool and screw on a second M3 nut onto the screw threads. Use this bottom nut to fix the lockpin assembly in place by tightening it. Temporary thread-lock compound can be used to guarantee that the lockpin does not come loose over time, but is not strictly necessary. 

Usage Instructions:
First, determine side of the floppy disk you are going to clean. One side is going to have a metal insert in the middle of the disk, the other side is not.

• Metal insert facing upwards
Simply insert the disk into the tool while gently pulling the metal protective cover open. The lockpin should fix the cover in place such that you do not need to keep it open manually. Take the "3in_cleaner_tool" part and match up the pattern on the tool to the metal insert on the disk. By rotating the tool, the disk rotates and you can clean the disk surface through the open window. 

• Metal insert facing downwards
Place the "3in_cleaner_bottom_tool" into the star-shaped receptacle in the middle of the cleaning tool. Next, insert the floppy disk as you would if the metal insert is facing upwards. You will most likely notice that the disk does not seat properly - keep gentle pressure on the disk while slowly rotating the "drivegear" part on the side of the cleaning tool, until the disk seats properly into the cleaning tool. At this point, rotating the drivegear will rotate the floppy disk and you can clean the disk surface through the open window. 
Don't forget to remove the "3in_cleaner_bottom_tool" once you wish to start cleaning the other side of the floppy!

Happy cleaning!

📷 Photos: Tomáš "Čápa" Čapek

Made the design work such that the cleaning can be done on the top side, regardless of the orientation of the floppy disc.