Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!portal!cup.portal.com!thad
From: thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Seagate \
Message-ID: <20533@cup.portal.com>
Date: 17 Jul 89 06:29:22 GMT
References: <4636@crash.cts.com>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 116

Sigh.  Why do I get the impression our "anonymous" poster

	 "news@crash.cts.com (Usenet News)"

is ignoring the gist of the recent discussion concerning "stiction" and the
problems people ARE experiencing with their hard disk drives?

In light of the Apple service bulletin reprint by Computer Plus in CONNECTION
stating problems with Apple HDs in "the serial number range 335507 to 1023016,
inclusive" implying 687,509 stiction-plagued HDs (which I posted several days
ago), it's clear the problem IS widespread.

"Dr. Ken"'s stated area of expertise is that of a "being a Biologist with a
VERY HEAVY chemistry background".  I fail to see what relevance this has on
the current discussion.  MANY of the chemicals used in the computer and the
electronics industry are inorganic, NOT organic-based (ref: "Biologist").

Though it's been nearly 22 years, my work experience assisting the building of
a GaAs (Gallium Arsenide) Microwave Integrated Circuit Lab facility (at the GTE
Electronics Defense Labs) attests I'm not a dilettante in these matters. 

As stated independently by the three (local) HD repair companies, the problem
of stiction is "common and widespread" and is known in the trade as "white
worms" because that's how the problem reveals itself when examined under a
microscope.  The excess lubricant is "wiped" by the HD heads into the outer and
inner zones of a HD's platter; it's the excess material in the inner zones (the
"PARK" area) that causes the stiction problem when a drive is powered down.  My
explanation of the circumstances causing the problem was paraphrased (and NOT
embellished!) from the information given me by the HD repair companies.

With reference to "Dr. Ken"'s statement:

	"And I find it equally difficult to believe that a 5-6 molecule layer
	of lubricant can "glue" anything to anything, especially a head which,
	in molecular measurements, flies well over the surface at quite a
	distance."

Either he's not being presented the COMPLETE text of my earlier postings (by our
"anonymous" poster), or he's not aware the problem manifests itself when the
heads are at REST and "in contact" with the platter surface.

A simple experiment that ANYONE can do to see the effects of "stiction" requires
but two small flat glass squares and a drop of water:

1.	Press the two flat glass plates together.  Slide them around, and
	separate them by prying them apart.  Easy.

2.	With the two glass plates still separated, apply the water drop to the
	"inner" surface of one of the plates.
	
3.	Again press the two flat glass plates together.  Just TRY to separate
	the two plates.  This is the efficacy of "stiction", and what I loosely
	termed "GLUED" together (with respect to the HD heads and the platters).

Simply EXAMINE the surfaces of a modern HD's platters and the "contact" surfaces
of the HD's head sleds.  The surfaces of both the platter and the head, combined
with the excess lubricant, mimic precisely the condition and the effects of the
simple experiment I described above.  Again, "stiction."

And now, to bring everyone up to date with modern chemistry and its marvels, and
though I'm fully aware this is NOT the chemical lubricant used on HD platters, I
would like to cite just ONE lubricant (of many I use) whose mono-molecular
layering (and recommended application with a "rag") is integral and fundamental
to its efficient use: Cramolin (tm).

Cramolin is produced by Caig Laboratories, Inc.; 1175-O Industrial Avenue;
Escondido, CA 92025-0051; ph: 619/743-7143.  The Cramolin product is popularly
known as an "anti-oxidant lubricant" and is used on precision IC sockets, gold
plated connectors, switch contact points, coin-silver collector rings in space
gyroscopes, avionics, test labs, marine electronics, high-end audio equipment,
etc. by companies such as:

American Airlines, American Broadcasting Co., Ampex Co., AT&T, Audio Research
Corp., Bell & Howell, Bell Telephone Labs, Bendix Corp., Boing Co., Capitol
Records, Cherry Electrical Products, Continental Telephone, Cutler Hammer Inc.,
Dolby Labs, Dow Chemical, E.I. DuPont de Nemours, Exxon Co., General Dynamics,
General Electric Co., General Motors Corp., Grumman Aerospace Corp., GTE Corp.,
Hazeltine Corp., Hewlett-Packard, Hughes Aircraft Co., IBM Corp., ITT Corp.,
Jet Propulsion Labs, Litton Industries, McDonnell Douglas Corp., McIntosh Labs,
3M, Magnavox Co., Motorola Inc., Nakamichi Corp., Pratt & Whitney Aircraft,
RCA Corp., Rockwell International, Singer, Sperry Gyroscope Div., Sylvania,
Texas Instruments, TRW, Inc., US Defense Department, Western Electric Co., Inc.,
Yamaha Corp., and others.

From Caig Laboratories' Service Bulletin SB-4, reprinted without permission:

"Suggested methods of application for Cramolin Red/Blue fluid

1. take a clean linen cloth -- soak approximately a 4"x4" square cloth -- and
   spray until it gets a light pink color (R) or light blue (B).

   First test to see if cloth has been saturated with enough Cramolin Fluid by
   pressing a corner of the cloth against a clean dry glass specimen slide.
   Look at the spot on the glass under reflected light.  You should be able to
   see a small oily looking spot.  If the spot is too difficult to see, then
   saturate the cloth slightly more.  If the spot appears heavy or runny, then
   the cloth is oversaturated.

2. ...  continues for two pages ....
"

The REASON one has to look at the material on the specimen slide by reflected
light is BECAUSE the stuff migrates and forms a MONO-molecular layer that you
will NOT see by direct observation.  The cautions regarding too little and too
MUCH depend on human discretion and "experience."

These instructions for Cramolin are exactly the same as the scenario for the
application of lubricant on the HD platters as related to me by all three of
the local HD repair companies.

I respectfully suggest to our "anonymous" poster and to "Dr. Ken" that they
get their facts straight.  If you want the name of the chemical used as the
HD platter lubricant, call the companies I cited in a prior posting.


Thad Floryan [ thad@cup.portal.com (OR) ..!sun!portal!cup.portal.com!thad ]