The problem with baking techniques is you don't really know if it makes any difference or not because you don't really want to risk having a control group and you don't really know how variable the media manufactuer was.
Do you lubricate them before you try reading them? I KNOW that makes a difference.
@bitsavers In at least the case shown I do have at least a very local control group in two additional disks in the same set. (As mentioned, these disks are already on Bitsavers, so I feel comfortable experimenting with them.) The baking here appears to offer a modest improvement over the disk I left unbaked.
What I'd like to establish for myself is some determination of whether baking "can't hurt". So my experiments now find me baking disks I've read before to see if it causes trouble. It's a slow process given how long the baking sessions go, but I am not in a hurry.
In any case, yes, I am generous with cyclomethicone before I read, and I find this to be the biggest factor so far in whether and how much oxide I find collecting on the heads.
The past few months working with 1/2" tape has convinced me that tribology is a MUCH bigger issue with media recovery than people realize. I just shake my head when I read that someone just bought some random tape drive thinking they can successfully recover a rare tape without all of the equipment you need to prep that tape before it ever comes in contact with a read head.
@bitsavers @stepleton is that documented somewhere on a searchable place?
Either your website or a forum like tinkerdifferent…
I've seen sticky shed treated by @jelora and others but first time I see disks getting baked 🙂
Tom Stepleton
bitsavers.org
mmu_man