Re-affixing diskette labels

Entry posted by OLD CS1 in General April 28

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drawer_floppies.png.fc6a97cb0a9fc21b900338858e711c2f.png It is common with our aged disks for the adhesive backing to have dried out or deteriorated to the point the label is no longer affixed to the diskette.

I have pondered on this situation for a while, considering various different types of adhesives. My go-to for cartridge labels (laser-printed on 28 bond paper) has been a tacky glue used for scrap booking and crafts. It works good for static surfaces, but not so well on surfaces which tend to flex offer no absorption points in both materials.

I settled on trying a gel glue which should offer a high level of adhesion and longevity, as recommended by a friend who works with such things.

I picked up a postal envelope moistener and glue at the local WalMart. I have at this time done four disks and all are doing well. The simple "trick" is to use a delicate layer and to make sure the glue is evenly spread out to all edges and a little beyond. Any overage is easy to clean but, in my experience, not necessary as it dries clear and "disappears."

After application, I laid a rolled up rubberized (neoprene) cleaning mat on top to provide pressure to hold the label in place for the glue to set, but not so much as to compress the inner jacket into the media. I let it sit for a couple of hours (probably more than long enough,) and found the label nicely affixed and able to withstand flexing.