3D printed floppy protector?

[iantm]

I found this model and some evidence that it's probably fine, but wondered if anyone here had opinions about it — as is, or what modifications you may have made to improve it (e.g. adding caption tape, sanding the head surface area, adjusting the model?) I don't need a ton of these but I've got at least one restored drive that I'd like to protect.

(also please advise if there's a better forum to place this in)

 

[adespoton]

It's funny; back in the day, I dispensed with protectors altogether, and just popped the shutters on a few sacrificial floppies and used those floppies instead. In some cases, I used head cleaner floppies instead. Never had an issue.

Probably more useful today, when real floppies are more of a rare commodity.

 

[iantm]

I never used them because floppy drives were always being used. Now using them is more of the exception. There's probably still little real need to protect them, unless I was shipping the drive in the mail, but now with 3D printing I figure… why not.

 

[Unknown_K]

Are they even needed? Protectors are important for 5.25" floppy drives that have a top and bottom head (read both sides at the same time) to keep the heads aligned during shipping and to keep them from bouncing off each other. 3.5" floppy drives only have one head.

Any kind of shock that would mess up a 3.5" drive would trash the machine it is in anyway.