paper shredder repair?

[Stephen]

Hello,

I think someone has posted a link here in the past for a supplier of
cogs for paper shredders. Can anyone tell me the link please?

I have a Fellowes paper shredder. It claims to shred eight pages at a
time but is only managing two. I looked inside and the cogs are
plastic and one has a split in it. I am hoping changing the cog might
fix the problem.

If not, I will replace the shredder. I must have had it six or seven
years and although it is only used for domestic use, it is beginning
to show its age: some bits of plastic have started falling off but
nothing that exposes the blades and endangers the user.

Has anyone ordered any of the cheap shredders (£20ish) from CPC? I
wondered how good they were as a replacement?

One grumble is that we ought to shred junk mail as we receive it but
we tend to let it accumulate and then shred the night before the bin
men are due. Although we are not shredding mountains of paper, the
overheat cutout always seems to stop us halfway through. I am
surprised how quickly this operates. Are all shredders so quick to do
this?

Thanks,
Stephen.

[Paul D Smith]

"Stephen" <ste...@nowhere.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:2mibl712beuf1fp87...@4ax.com...

> Hello,
>
> I think someone has posted a link here in the past for a supplier of
> cogs for paper shredders. Can anyone tell me the link please?
>
> I have a Fellowes paper shredder. It claims to shred eight pages at a
> time but is only managing two. I looked inside and the cogs are
> plastic and one has a split in it. I am hoping changing the cog might
> fix the problem.

I believe the max limit of most shredders is for paper the thickness of gold
leaf. Even my Swordfish shredder doesn't get close to the claimed number of
sheets.

>
> If not, I will replace the shredder. I must have had it six or seven
> years and although it is only used for domestic use, it is beginning
> to show its age: some bits of plastic have started falling off but
> nothing that exposes the blades and endangers the user.
>

Sounds like it's end-of-life.

> Has anyone ordered any of the cheap shredders (£20ish) from CPC? I
> wondered how good they were as a replacement?
>
> One grumble is that we ought to shred junk mail as we receive it but
> we tend to let it accumulate and then shred the night before the bin
> men are due. Although we are not shredding mountains of paper, the
> overheat cutout always seems to stop us halfway through. I am
> surprised how quickly this operates. Are all shredders so quick to do
> this?

My swordfish claims about 30 minutes usage but I tend to run for 10 minutes,
leave for 10 to recover and then start again. BTW< if you have a compost
bin, the shreddings can go in their and they rot down quite nicely. Avoids
the "big rush for bin day".

Paul DS.

[Brian Gaff]

I got a Bush from Argos, which seems not too bad, but the number of sheets
it will do is dependent on thickness not number of sheets. its main failing
is its sensor gets blocked and tends to leave it running or it won't run at
all. I have a little bit of bent paperclip to fix this now.. grin.
It also cuts cds into 3 parts. They all seem to have plastic gears though
but there is an over temp swich which seems to work quite well so you can't
abuse it too much.
Brian

--
Brian Gaff - bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!

"Stephen" <ste...@nowhere.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:2mibl712beuf1fp87...@4ax.com...

[Brian Gaff]

The Bush seems to go for about half an hour before it cuts out.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff - bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!

"Paul D Smith" <paul_d...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:jj4laf$hlh$1...@dont-email.me...

[Allan]

On 06/03/2012 08:37, Stephen wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I think someone has posted a link here in the past for a supplier of
> cogs for paper shredders. Can anyone tell me the link please?
>
> I have a Fellowes paper shredder. It claims to shred eight pages at a
> time but is only managing two. I looked inside and the cogs are
> plastic and one has a split in it. I am hoping changing the cog might
> fix the problem.
>
> If not, I will replace the shredder. I must have had it six or seven
> years and although it is only used for domestic use, it is beginning
> to show its age: some bits of plastic have started falling off but
> nothing that exposes the blades and endangers the user.
>
> Has anyone ordered any of the cheap shredders (£20ish) from CPC? I
> wondered how good they were as a replacement?
>

Try: http://www.which.co.uk/shredders/
or Which (May 2009)
http://www.which.co.uk/documents/pdf/p64-65_shredders-175514.pdf

Allan

[Lieutenant Scott]

I just put all junk mail straight in the recycling. If the binmen read things they shouldn't, their breaking the law and it's their problem not mine. If my bank puts too much information on my bank statements, they shouldn't have done and they can pay for the losses.

If you really want it disposed of, set fire to it. You can stock up for months then have one big go a few times a year. Far more fun, and you have the chore less often. A steel bin (like they used to use before wheelybins) with some air vents drilled in it lets the paper smoulder for a nice time without bits of burnt paper flying about the garden.

--
http://petersparrots.com
http://petersphotos.com

Why are there 5 syllables in the word "monosyllabic"?

[Lieutenant Scott]

On Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:35:41 -0000, Brian Gaff <Bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

> I got a Bush from Argos, which seems not too bad, but the number of sheets
> it will do is dependent on thickness not number of sheets. its main failing
> is its sensor gets blocked and tends to leave it running or it won't run at
> all. I have a little bit of bent paperclip to fix this now.. grin.
> It also cuts cds into 3 parts. They all seem to have plastic gears though
> but there is an over temp swich which seems to work quite well so you can't
> abuse it too much.
> Brian

Is it supposed to cut CDs or did you just try for a laugh?

--
http://petersparrots.com
http://petersphotos.com

If you want a stable relationship....buy a horse.

[Lieutenant Scott]

On Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:27:41 -0000, Paul D Smith <paul_d...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> "Stephen" <ste...@nowhere.com.invalid> wrote in message
> news:2mibl712beuf1fp87...@4ax.com...
>> Hello,
>>
>> I think someone has posted a link here in the past for a supplier of
>> cogs for paper shredders. Can anyone tell me the link please?
>>
>> I have a Fellowes paper shredder. It claims to shred eight pages at a
>> time but is only managing two. I looked inside and the cogs are
>> plastic and one has a split in it. I am hoping changing the cog might
>> fix the problem.
>
> I believe the max limit of most shredders is for paper the thickness of gold
> leaf.

Now that was funny!

>> If not, I will replace the shredder. I must have had it six or seven
>> years and although it is only used for domestic use, it is beginning
>> to show its age: some bits of plastic have started falling off but
>> nothing that exposes the blades and endangers the user.
>
> Sounds like it's end-of-life.

No such thing. Throw away society sux.

--
http://petersparrots.com
http://petersphotos.com

A DC-10 had come in a little hot and thus had an exceedingly long roll out after touching down.
San Jose Tower Noted: "American 751, make a hard right turn at the end of the runway, if you are able.
If you are not able, take the Guadalupe exit off Highway 101, make a right at the lights, and return to the airport."

[Bob Eager]

On Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:29:13 +0000, Allan wrote:

> On 06/03/2012 08:37, Stephen wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I think someone has posted a link here in the past for a supplier of
>> cogs for paper shredders. Can anyone tell me the link please?
>>
>> I have a Fellowes paper shredder. It claims to shred eight pages at a
>> time but is only managing two. I looked inside and the cogs are plastic
>> and one has a split in it. I am hoping changing the cog might fix the
>> problem.
>>
>> If not, I will replace the shredder. I must have had it six or seven
>> years and although it is only used for domestic use, it is beginning to
>> show its age: some bits of plastic have started falling off but nothing
>> that exposes the blades and endangers the user.
>>
>> Has anyone ordered any of the cheap shredders (£20ish) from CPC? I
>> wondered how good they were as a replacement?

No, but I also had a Fellowes shredder that finally gave up (it had a
hard life, and owed me nothing). I replaced it with this for 40 quid:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0013T05AC/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details

Also Fellowes, much bigger bin, seems more solid than the old one.
Definitely more powerful, although quite noisy.




--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

[Roger Mills]

On 06/03/2012 08:37, Stephen wrote:

I tried to get some replacement gears for a Fellowes shredder which was
2 or 3 years old, and had no joy. Fellowes only provide spares for large
industrial-type shredders. For the domestic ones, if they fail within
the 12-month warranty period, they replace them - otherwise, hard luck!
There were some gears available on Ebay for some models - but *not* for
mine.

The thing that really buggers shredders is if you let the shreddings
build up without emptying it. Shreddings then get drawn in from the
bottom, as well as the new paper from the top - and the whole thing jams
and strips its gears.

We bought a replacement shredder from Lidl (branded "United Office")
when they were on offer at about £25 nine months ago, and that seems
quite good - as long as you empty it often enough!
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

[Toiler]

In article <2mibl712beuf1fp87...@4ax.com>,
ste...@nowhere.com.invalid says...

Don't forget that you are supposed to lubricate the cutters regularly.
You can buy the oil but the lubricating sachets are easier.
It should make your new/mended one last a lot longer.

[Dave W]

I have recently got a broken Fellowes shredder off Freecycle. There
was a 7-tooth plastic cogwheel that had shattered, but it was moulded
to an undamaged larger cogwheel. Firstly, I tried inserting sections
of steel knitting needle into the larger wheel at the positions where
the tips of the broken teeth were. This worked until I inserted a wad
of paper - the rods all bent and damaged one of the cogs of the final
wheel. (The 'steel' is in fact a hard aluminium alloy).

I hen found instructions on the web that said a maximum of 6 sheets.

I have now put steel screws instead of the knitting needles, and will
not shred more than 2 sheets at a time, because the speed is
noticeably slower for 2 sheets than for 1!

Cheap shredders are 'strip-cut' rather than 'cross-cut', so a
dedicated criminal could piece the strips together in far less time
than it would take to assemble the shreds.

Dave W

[Lobster]

On 06/03/2012 15:57, Lieutenant Scott wrote:

> I just put all junk mail straight in the recycling. If the binmen read
> things they shouldn't, their breaking the law and it's their problem not
> mine. If my bank puts too much information on my bank statements, they
> shouldn't have done and they can pay for the losses.

What, really? That's like saying "I don't bother locking my front door
because if some scrote comes in and helps themselves they're breaking
the law..."

> If you really want it disposed of, set fire to it. You can stock up for
> months then have one big go a few times a year. Far more fun, and you
> have the chore less often. A steel bin (like they used to use before
> wheelybins) with some air vents drilled in it lets the paper smoulder
> for a nice time without bits of burnt paper flying about the garden.

Yep, I've given up on the shredder - far too slow - and incineration is
what I now do myself


David

[Lieutenant Scott]

On Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:21:03 -0000, Lobster <davidlobs...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> On 06/03/2012 15:57, Lieutenant Scott wrote:
>
>> I just put all junk mail straight in the recycling. If the binmen read
>> things they shouldn't, their breaking the law and it's their problem not
>> mine. If my bank puts too much information on my bank statements, they
>> shouldn't have done and they can pay for the losses.
>
> What, really? That's like saying "I don't bother locking my front door
> because if some scrote comes in and helps themselves they're breaking
> the law..."

Things happening due to me discarding paperwork in the recycling are much less likely than someone breaking in. And it's easier to get banks to pay for money that's disappeared without my authorisation, than to claim money back for things gone from the house (which may have more than just monetary value).

(Actually I often forget to lock my door, and nobody has ever stolen anything. I picked a nice place to live, not some horrid town full of thieves).

>> If you really want it disposed of, set fire to it. You can stock up for
>> months then have one big go a few times a year. Far more fun, and you
>> have the chore less often. A steel bin (like they used to use before
>> wheelybins) with some air vents drilled in it lets the paper smoulder
>> for a nice time without bits of burnt paper flying about the garden.
>
> Yep, I've given up on the shredder - far too slow - and incineration is
> what I now do myself

For fun?

--
http://petersparrots.com
http://petersphotos.com

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's intolerance.

[Frank Erskine]

On Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:21:03 +0000, Lobster
<davidlobs...@hotmail.com> wrote:


>Yep, I've given up on the shredder - far too slow - and incineration is
>what I now do myself
>

Think of the carbon emissions.... ;-)

--
Frank Erskine

[Rod Speed]

Frank Erskine wrote

> Lobster <davidlobs...@hotmail.com> wrote

>> Yep, I've given up on the shredder - far too
>> slow - and incineration is what I now do myself

> Think of the carbon emissions.... ;-)

Bugger em. With a bit of luck some stupid greeny
will see the fire and burst a blood vessel or sumfin |-)

[Dave Liquorice]

On Wed, 7 Mar 2012 14:00:46 +1100, Rod Speed wrote:

>>> Yep, I've given up on the shredder - far too slow - and
incineration
>>> is what I now do myself

Shred for lighting the stove or adding fibre to the compost bin.

>> Think of the carbon emissions.... ;-)
>
> Bugger em. With a bit of luck some stupid greeny will see the fire and
> burst a blood vessel or sumfin |-)

Wouldn't be that lucky. Not that the carbon from burning paper that
came from wood that grew in the last 50 years taking carbon from the
atmosphere as it did so is a problem anyway.

--
Cheers
Dave.

[Adam Funk]

On 2012-03-06, Paul D Smith wrote:

> My swordfish claims about 30 minutes usage but I tend to run for 10 minutes,
> leave for 10 to recover and then start again. BTW< if you have a compost
> bin, the shreddings can go in their and they rot down quite nicely. Avoids
> the "big rush for bin day".

Shredded paper is especially good for worm bins because it's dry &
high in carbon & it goes in loosely (with air), whereas kitchen waste
is wet & high in nitrogen & tends to pack itself down.

[Adam Funk]

On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
The shredders I've come across with CD slots just scratch the surfaces
up a bit rather than break them into bits.

[Tim]

10 seconds (if that) in a microwave.

Tim

[Andrew Mawson]

"Adam Funk" wrote in message news:qd3k29x...@news.ducksburg.com...

>
>On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
>The shredders I've come across with CD slots just scratch the surfaces
>up a bit rather than break them into bits.

Put them in a microwave for a few seconds. The metallisation crinkles up and
is no longer readable

AWEM

[Tim Downie]

I think someone has already said that. ;-)

Tim

[Dave Liquorice]

On Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:11:54 +0000, Adam Funk wrote:

> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
> The shredders I've come across with CD slots just scratch the surfaces
> up a bit

That'll stop all but the most determined from reading a CD. Some
coarse (40 or 60 grit) sand paper will do the same or an angle
grinder.

> rather than break them into bits.

They are tough but brittle buggers. Flex one enough so that it breaks
and you get a fair few high speed and sharp bits of sharpnel...

--
Cheers
Dave.

[The Natural Philosopher]

IIRC they burn well but the best is to use a microwave oven.


--
To people who know nothing, anything is possible.
To people who know too much, it is a sad fact
that they know how little is really possible -
and how hard it is to achieve it.

[NT]

On Mar 7, 5:30 pm, The Natural Philosopher <t...@invalid.invalid>
wrote:

> Dave Liquorice wrote:
> > On Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:11:54 +0000, Adam Funk wrote:
>
> >> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
> >> The shredders I've come across with CD slots just scratch the surfaces
> >> up a bit
>
> > That'll stop all but the most determined from reading a CD. Some
> > coarse (40 or 60 grit) sand paper will do the same or an angle
> > grinder.
>
> >> rather than break them into bits.
>
> > They are tough but brittle buggers. Flex one enough so that it breaks
> > and you get a fair few high speed and sharp bits of sharpnel...
>
> IIRC they burn well but the best is to use a microwave oven.

As said, nuke them or break them up


NT

[ARWadsworth]

How many do you want to destroy?

A plumbers blow torch or a bonfire (for lots of them) would be the easy
answer.

You could just snap then in half. If you want to pay someone to snap them in
half then just post them to yourself and let the postman do the work.

--
Adam

[Andrew Gabriel]

In article <qd3k29x...@news.ducksburg.com>,

I had a large pile, and didn't like the idea of feeding them
all through the microwave, in case it damaged it.

I did for them on the gas hob - A few seconds over the
burner for each one (held by pliers), and they're wrecked.
The smell is pretty bad though - need to open the window.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

[Jules Richardson]

On Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:11:54 +0000, Adam Funk wrote:

> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?

Try a microwave oven. I'm amazed that nobody's suggested that yet ;-)

[Adam Funk]

On 2012-03-07, Andrew Gabriel wrote:

> In article <qd3k29x...@news.ducksburg.com>,
> Adam Funk <a24...@ducksburg.com> writes:
>> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
>> The shredders I've come across with CD slots just scratch the surfaces
>> up a bit rather than break them into bits.
>
> I had a large pile, and didn't like the idea of feeding them
> all through the microwave, in case it damaged it.
>
> I did for them on the gas hob - A few seconds over the
> burner for each one (held by pliers), and they're wrecked.
> The smell is pretty bad though - need to open the window.

The smell (along with whatever else is in the fumes) is one reason I
don't like the microwave idea. (I keep my microwave oven in the
house.)

How much would burning a pile of these (let's say an A4 copy paper box
full) outdoors stink up & irritate the neighbourhood?

[The Natural Philosopher]

Adam Funk wrote:
> On 2012-03-07, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
>
>> In article <qd3k29x...@news.ducksburg.com>,
>> Adam Funk <a24...@ducksburg.com> writes:
>>> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
>>> The shredders I've come across with CD slots just scratch the surfaces
>>> up a bit rather than break them into bits.
>> I had a large pile, and didn't like the idea of feeding them
>> all through the microwave, in case it damaged it.
>>
>> I did for them on the gas hob - A few seconds over the
>> burner for each one (held by pliers), and they're wrecked.
>> The smell is pretty bad though - need to open the window.
>
> The smell (along with whatever else is in the fumes) is one reason I
> don't like the microwave idea. (I keep my microwave oven in the
> house.)
>

microwaving doesn't make a smel. It simply destroys the metallized layer
beyond all home of reading.

> How much would burning a pile of these (let's say an A4 copy paper box
> full) outdoors stink up & irritate the neighbourhood?

don't burn them MICROWAVE them

Full power 10 seconds and then stick it back in the CD drive and try and
read it

Maybe NCIS can read it, but no one in the real world

[Steve Firth]

Andrew Gabriel <and...@cucumber.demon.co.uk> wrote:
[Burning CDs]

> The smell is pretty bad though - need to open the window.

The dye used is pthalocyanine some of it will be released as cyanide by
burning. Not advised in a confined space such as a kitchen.

[Adam Funk]

I thought I'd heard something like that, hence my question. However,
I guess this isn't a problem with the quick blast in the microwave?

[neil]

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
news:jj85vj$n2c$2...@news.albasani.net...

Dave Liquorice wrote:
> On Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:11:54 +0000, Adam Funk wrote:
>
>> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
>> The shredders I've come across with CD slots just scratch the surfaces
>> up a bit
>
> That'll stop all but the most determined from reading a CD. Some
> coarse (40 or 60 grit) sand paper will do the same or an angle
> grinder.
>
>> rather than break them into bits.
>
> They are tough but brittle buggers. Flex one enough so that it breaks
> and you get a fair few high speed and sharp bits of sharpnel...
>
>IIRC they burn well but the best is to use a microwave oven.

I use a paper knife to scratch the data surface - it normally flakes off
like confetti.

[ARWadsworth]

Not if you get the MiL to do it for you:-)

--
Adam

[gri...@gmail.com]

On Wed, 7 Mar 2012 23:18:31 +0000 (UTC), Jules Richardson
<jules.richa...@gmail.com> wrote:

>> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
>
>Try a microwave oven.

Custom kitchen, delivery?

[Steve Firth]

I wouldn't think the microwave would be a problem. I use a cross-cutting
shredder for cds, it's less of problem than any other disposal method.
However I think the shredder cost around £700 so it's not a home use
option.

In the past the technique used was a propane torch and a firebrick
hearth to melt down CDs and Hard Disk platters.

[Frank Erskine]

On Fri, 9 Mar 2012 00:14:54 +0000, %steve%@malloc.co.uk (Steve Firth)
wrote:

>Adam Funk <a24...@ducksburg.com> wrote:
>
>> On 2012-03-08, Steve Firth wrote:
>>
>> > Andrew Gabriel <and...@cucumber.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>> > [Burning CDs]
>> >
>> >> The smell is pretty bad though - need to open the window.
>> >
>> > The dye used is pthalocyanine some of it will be released as cyanide by
>> > burning. Not advised in a confined space such as a kitchen.
>>
>> I thought I'd heard something like that, hence my question. However,
>> I guess this isn't a problem with the quick blast in the microwave?
>
>I wouldn't think the microwave would be a problem. I use a cross-cutting
>shredder for cds, it's less of problem than any other disposal method.
>However I think the shredder cost around £700 so it's not a home use
>option.

I have a much cheaper (crosscut) shredder - around 20 quid from
Rymans, and it seems quite capable of destroying the odd CD/DVD.

--
Frank Erskine
Sunderland

[The Natural Philosopher]

..and the chicks for free.

[Andy Champ]

On 09/03/2012 01:32, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> gri...@gmail.com wrote:
>> On Wed, 7 Mar 2012 23:18:31 +0000 (UTC), Jules Richardson
>> <jules.richa...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
>>> Try a microwave oven.
>>
>> Custom kitchen, delivery?
> ..and the chicks for free.
>

That's a bit dire. :p

We're lucky to have a data shredder at work. It'll even eat tape
cartridges with metal backplates.

Andy

[Adam Funk]

On 2012-03-08, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

> Adam Funk wrote:
>> On 2012-03-07, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
>>
>>> In article <qd3k29x...@news.ducksburg.com>,
>>> Adam Funk <a24...@ducksburg.com> writes:
>>>> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
>>>> The shredders I've come across with CD slots just scratch the surfaces
>>>> up a bit rather than break them into bits.
>>> I had a large pile, and didn't like the idea of feeding them
>>> all through the microwave, in case it damaged it.
>>>
>>> I did for them on the gas hob - A few seconds over the
>>> burner for each one (held by pliers), and they're wrecked.
>>> The smell is pretty bad though - need to open the window.
>>
>> The smell (along with whatever else is in the fumes) is one reason I
>> don't like the microwave idea. (I keep my microwave oven in the
>> house.)
>>
>
> microwaving doesn't make a smel. It simply destroys the metallized layer
> beyond all home of reading.
>
>> How much would burning a pile of these (let's say an A4 copy paper box
>> full) outdoors stink up & irritate the neighbourhood?
>
> don't burn them MICROWAVE them
>
> Full power 10 seconds and then stick it back in the CD drive and try and
> read it
>
> Maybe NCIS can read it, but no one in the real world

OK, I haven't tried it yet, so I wondered if it might heat the plastic
up.

[Adam Funk]

On 2012-03-09, Steve Firth wrote:

> Adam Funk <a24...@ducksburg.com> wrote:
>
>> On 2012-03-08, Steve Firth wrote:
>>
>> > Andrew Gabriel <and...@cucumber.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>> > [Burning CDs]
>> >
>> >> The smell is pretty bad though - need to open the window.
>> >
>> > The dye used is pthalocyanine some of it will be released as cyanide by
>> > burning. Not advised in a confined space such as a kitchen.
>>
>> I thought I'd heard something like that, hence my question. However,
>> I guess this isn't a problem with the quick blast in the microwave?
>
> I wouldn't think the microwave would be a problem. I use a cross-cutting
> shredder for cds, it's less of problem than any other disposal method.
> However I think the shredder cost around £700 so it's not a home use
> option.

Yes, way out of my budget.

> In the past the technique used was a propane torch and a firebrick
> hearth to melt down CDs and Hard Disk platters.

With a good way to clear the cyanide & other fumes, I hope.

I'll test the microwave idea sometime soon.

[The Natural Philosopher]

plastic is an insulator.

It's the metal that gets got and vaporises or any conductive layer.

The great thing about microwaves is that they heat conductors, not
insulators

I know this technique works with metallised stamped CDs - I have tried
it with writeable media tho.

But I would imagine they are as good.

It's also a great light show

[The Natural Philosopher]

10 seconds only for a music CD.

Unless you enjoy watching the sparks..

[Steve Firth]

Frank Erskine <frank....@btinternet.com> wrote:

>
> I have a much cheaper (crosscut) shredder - around 20 quid from
> Rymans, and it seems quite capable of destroying the odd CD/DVD.

"Seems" and "odd" being the appropriate terms. The cross-cutting
security shredders I refer to destroy a CD to a standard that I will
accept as destroyed. Many of the cheaper versions will split a disk in
half and assume that's good enough. Also all of the cheap versions will
choke on continuous operation.

It all depends what you want to achieve, and since I don't pay for the
shredders that I suse, cost is not something I consider. Compliance to
accepted standards and robustness are.

[fred]

In article <rqbp29x...@news.ducksburg.com>, Adam Funk
<a24...@ducksburg.com> writes

It takes only a second in the microwave but in my experience it does
stink in the worst possible way, it may depend on whether the metalised
surface is bare, printable or commercially printed.

These days I snip across the data area with a pair of tinsnips, the
finely serrated edge types. One snip should make a disk unreadable as it
will distort the disk and break every track, and trying to read the disk
would tear the optics of the drive to pieces. Two snips, one opposite
the other, makes it more secure and easy to fold over and break if
desired. Half the time the disk delaminates too making it totally
un-un-unreadable.
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

[Steve Firth]

Adam Funk <a24...@ducksburg.com> wrote:

> > I wouldn't think the microwave would be a problem. I use a cross-cutting
> > shredder for cds, it's less of problem than any other disposal method.
> > However I think the shredder cost around £700 so it's not a home use
> > option.
>
> Yes, way out of my budget.

And mine, fortunately my clients are keen on destroying media thoroughly
once they have finished with them.

> > In the past the technique used was a propane torch and a firebrick
> > hearth to melt down CDs and Hard Disk platters.
>
> With a good way to clear the cyanide & other fumes, I hope.

Done in the open air, so plenty of ventilation.

[Tim]

The Natural Philosopher <t...@invalid.invalid>

>
> don't burn them MICROWAVE them
>

> Full power 10 seconds and then stick it back in the CD drive and try and read it.

Actually, having tried it tonight I can say that it takes a *lot* less than
10 seconds. The moment you see a flash, stop the microwave. It only takes
a fraction of a second and there's no burning smell. The metallic layer is
completely "crazed" the moment you see sparks.

Tim

[The Natural Philosopher]

yebbut its really far out man, if you leave them in a bit longer, with
the lights out after a couple if good bongs.

[Adam Funk]

On 2012-03-11, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

> yebbut its really far out man, if you leave them in a bit longer, with
> the lights out after a couple if good bongs.

Oh, *that* kind of "natural philosophy"!

[The Natural Philosopher]

Thank fuck someone has some humour left this morning.

[Adam Funk]

On 2012-03-09, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

> Adam Funk wrote:

>> OK, I haven't tried it yet, so I wondered if it might heat the plastic
>> up.
>
> plastic is an insulator.
>
> It's the metal that gets got and vaporises or any conductive layer.
>
> The great thing about microwaves is that they heat conductors, not
> insulators
>
> I know this technique works with metallised stamped CDs - I have tried
> it with writeable media tho.
>
> But I would imagine they are as good.
>
> It's also a great light show

Yes, it looks impressive, even without dope, although it stinks a
little bit. I found about 6 seconds sufficed for doing 2 at a time,
but (in my microwave, at least) it seemed to work if the CDs were
nearly vertical (leaning against a mug) but not horizontally.

[js.b1]

I do not get this thread... You want to make the data non-recoverable?

Create a vice.
- B&D workbench, vice bolted to bench, plywood squares separated by a
gap & central bolt to slide CD down over and even another "template"
over the top to shield most of the CD from flying about.
Whack the CD.
- Wear goggles, club hammer, club hammer & brick bolster.

It is non recoverable to anyone without very specialist custom
tracking equipment.

Colleague modified a press to shear a stack at a time with a simple
jig assembled out of flat bars. Do not burn them, the chemicals
released are noxious.

If this is to destroy financial data - any company, employer, business
development manager or gov't agency can get bank details and full bank
statements either under the table or legitimately. Bank staff have
absolutely no integrity.

I should add, it is very advisable to keep at least one copy of all
data. You never know what you may need a decade or two down the line,
or how valuable that data may be.

[MM]

On Tue, 20 Mar 2012 06:43:27 -0700 (PDT), "js.b1" <js...@ntlworld.com>
wrote:

I bought one of these about three years ago:
http://www.shreddingmachines.co.uk/shredders.asp?id=1091&cat=HSM-ShredStar-MultiShred-Shredder
or: http://tinyurl.com/6opzuay

It turns a CD or DVD into 6mm x 3mm pieces in about 8 seconds.

MM

[js.b1]

On Mar 20, 5:33 pm, MM <kylix...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> I bought one of these about three years ago:

> or:http://tinyurl.com/6opzuay
> It turns a CD or DVD into 6mm x 3mm pieces in about 8 seconds.

2 year warranty, but it is £100.
If you have a lot of general shredding the machines are useful.

[MM]

On Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:36:09 -0700 (PDT), "js.b1" <js...@ntlworld.com>
wrote:

Any *decent* shredder, i.e. not the kind one buys in Tesco's, is going
to cost a few bob.

MM

[js.b1]

On Mar 20, 7:48 pm, MM <kylix...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> Any *decent* shredder, i.e. not the kind one buys in Tesco's, is going
> to cost a few bob.

Indeed, but why buy one for what may be just a few hundred CDs?

- Paper can be simply burnt in an old metal can.
- CDs can be fractured in a few minutes. Get a stack, put one on a
piece of plywood, whack a brick bolster with a club hammer twice
radially, place it in bin, get the next one, repeat.

Shredders are sort of like electric bread knifes.

[The Natural Philosopher]

CDS can be utterly destroyed in packs of twenty at a time, inside 10
seconds, in a microwave.

so why bother being arty farty?

[js.b1]

On Mar 20, 8:32 pm, The Natural Philosopher <t...@invalid.invalid>
wrote:

> CDS can be utterly destroyed in packs of twenty at a time, inside 10
> seconds, in a microwave. so why bother being arty farty?

Indeed, although I prefer not using food appliances for such
applications.
Yes I did use a spare oven with a powder coating kit once :-)

I just see no point spending £100 on a product to shred CDs unless you
need to do 100+ a day.

My experience of CD is dreadful, early laser-calibration & dye, where
some self destructed in 3 months.

[Rod Speed]

js.b1 wrote

> The Natural Philosopher <t...@invalid.invalid> wrote

>> CDS can be utterly destroyed in packs of twenty at a time, inside
>> 10 seconds, in a microwave. so why bother being arty farty?

> Indeed, although I prefer not using food appliances for such applications.

You can get them at garage/yard sales for peanuts if you are that fussy.

[geoff]

In message <rkfhm7pnqo9uc2seo...@4ax.com>, MM
<kyli...@yahoo.co.uk> writes

How much deviant porn do you actually have then ?

--
geoff

[brass monkey]

"geoff" <tr...@uk-diy.org> wrote in message
news:4wRLXRS7...@virginmedia.com...

:D
I have a fair bit too *ahem*.
What do you guys do with old hard drives? 40/100 gig etc. Do you actually
wipe them, smash the electronics or show'em a sledge to smash the platters?

[js.b1]

On Mar 20, 11:02 pm, "brass monkey" <a...@b.com> wrote:
> What do you guys do with old hard drives?

DBAN.

Does take a long time to run on old or very large hard drives.
Available for a few £ as a linux bootup disk, runs like a DOS 6.0
screen, gives time to complete, various levels of security.

Then you can sell the hard drive on Ebay either for storage or parts.
Plenty of people buy to maintain a large inventory of hard drives to
repair client's units. Data recovery is very expensive, there are
often a lot of iterations of a particular hard drive model and a
replacement PCB has to match.

So destroying a working or commercially re-usable hard drive is
unnecessary.

[geoff]

In message <4f690c91$0$24097$c3e8da3$e3f2...@news.astraweb.com>, brass
monkey <a...@b.com> writes

MOD send them away for incineration

I wonder where they get all their porn from?
(Remembers a case a few years ago where someone compromised their net by
d/loading tits and bums)

A centre punch and a hammer should do the trick

--
geoff

[Cash]

If the drive is working (and I want to sell or reuse it) I let the computer
run for a few hours using Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN") - and I've *NEVER*
been able to recover data after a session using that.

If the drive isn't working, I just destroy it with a bloody great sledge
hammer.

Cash

[Andy Dingley]

On Mar 7, 1:11 pm, Adam Funk <a240...@ducksburg.com> wrote:
> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?

CDs or CD-ROMs?

If they're CD-ROMs, you can microwave them. You need to space them
apart if you're doing a batch (plastic toastrack, or else a $500
silicon wafer processing boat). You also need to do them for just long
enough to nuke the data layer, but without cooking the plastic or
there's a fume problem. For regular industrial use I was able to use a
cheap domestic microwave from Currys, but had to mod it with a fixed
timer and a single big push button.

CDs can't be nuked to reliably kill the data without getting them hot
enough to cause a fume problem. Shredding is easier, although you do
need a hefty shredder.

[brass monkey]

"js.b1" <js...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:279f3a10-2f56-4b40...@do4g2000vbb.googlegroups.com...

In the past i've used wipedrive pro, takes quite a while though.

[brass monkey]

"geoff" <tr...@uk-diy.org> wrote in message

news:vBje7BVw...@virginmedia.com...

*hangs head in shame*

> I wonder where they get all their porn from?

It's for the missus, honest guv.

Actually, it's a bit hard (sorry) to come (sorry) by these days, but
yesteryear, woohoo.

[Rod Speed]

brass monkey wrote
> geoff <tr...@uk-diy.org> wrote

>> MM <kyli...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote

>>> js.b1 <js...@ntlworld.com> wrote

>>>> I do not get this thread... You want to make the data non-recoverable?

>>>> Create a vice.
>>>> - B&D workbench, vice bolted to bench, plywood squares separated
>>>> by a gap & central bolt to slide CD down over and even another
>>>> "template" over the top to shield most of the CD from flying about.
>>>> Whack the CD.
>>>> - Wear goggles, club hammer, club hammer & brick bolster.

>>>> It is non recoverable to anyone without very specialist custom tracking equipment.

>>>> Colleague modified a press to shear a stack at a time with a simple
>>>> jig assembled out of flat bars. Do not burn them, the chemicals
>>>> released are noxious.

>>>> If this is to destroy financial data - any company, employer,
>>>> business development manager or gov't agency can get bank details
>>>> and full bank statements either under the table or legitimately.
>>>> Bank staff have absolutely no integrity.

>>>> I should add, it is very advisable to keep at least one copy of all
>>>> data. You never know what you may need a decade or two down the line, or how valuable that data may be.

>>> I bought one of these about three years ago:
>>> http://www.shreddingmachines.co.uk/shredders.asp?id=1091&cat=HSM-ShredSt
>>> ar-MultiShred-Shredder
>>> or: http://tinyurl.com/6opzuay

>>> It turns a CD or DVD into 6mm x 3mm pieces in about 8 seconds.

>> How much deviant porn do you actually have then ?

> I have a fair bit too *ahem*.
> What do you guys do with old hard drives? 40/100 gig etc. Do you actually wipe them, smash the electronics or show'em
> a sledge to smash the platters?

Just use a decent secure wipe.

I like dban because its so trivial to use.
http://www.dban.org/

Corse that wont work with the oldest that wont spin up or
are MFM RLL etc where you dont even have a controller etc.

[geoff]

In message <4f6916cb$0$26165$c3e8da3$e3f2...@news.astraweb.com>, brass

Personally, I get a feeling of satisfaction from pulling them apart to
remove the magnets (takes all sorts)


--
geoff

[brass monkey]

"Rod Speed" <rod.sp...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:9ssj9k...@mid.individual.net...

Ah yes, MFM RLL, struth cobber, you must be older than you look. I trust
that you also wrote disk primitives for 8" drives.

[Rod Speed]

brass monkey wrote
> Rod Speed <rod.sp...@gmail.com> wrote

Yep.

> I trust that you also wrote disk primitives for 8" drives.

Much older than that in fact. a 14" RS09 for a DEC PDP9 that you likely havent even heard of.

That thing had one head per track and to format it you had to
get the formatter send to you by airfreight. Came in a large
suitcase sized frame full of discrete transistor Flip Chip modules.

We wrote our own OS for that, Same concept
as TSX for the PDP11 but much earlier than that.

[brass monkey]

"Rod Speed" <rod.sp...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:9ssolg...@mid.individual.net...

I remember core stores, Teletype 33 gatling guns, PDP's running startrek (on
the gatling guns), oc71's, geez, 1968.
You're my hero (and i'm taking the piss).
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage/browse_thread/thread/c4ea774e304aef58/ad32331015efb66a

[Brian Gaff]

Seems a bit overkil when surely cutting the disc into pieces weither with a
cheap shredder from Argos or a large pair of shears is just as good. Who in
the world would bother to attempt to retrive data from broken cds.
Brian

--
Brian Gaff - bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Andy Dingley" <din...@codesmiths.com> wrote in message
news:abf9599c-507c-4e0b...@k14g2000vbe.googlegroups.com...

[dennis@home]

"Brian Gaff" <Bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:jkc1j8$ebi$1...@dont-email.me...

> Seems a bit overkil when surely cutting the disc into pieces weither with
> a cheap shredder from Argos or a large pair of shears is just as good. Who
> in the world would bother to attempt to retrive data from broken cds.
> Brian

If the data is worth it you can use a microscope and read the pits by eye.
It probably wont happen for a password to a bike lock but it might for a
name and address of a spy.
I dare say someone will have done software to read scanned images to make it
quicker.

You could even remove the protective lacquer and redeposit aluminium back on
the disk to make it machine readable if you wanted to spend the effort.

[MM]

I do not understand this penchant for microwaving CDs! Toxic,
extremely obnoxious fumes will be released. Do people just put up with
the stench permeating their houses? Crazy, when there are shredders
available for the price of a decent meal for two or a tankful of fuel.
You actually BOUGHT a new microwave, then modded it?!! Risible, when
you could have simply bought a shredder. Since I bought mine, there
are new models on the market that are considerably cheaper (under 40
quid). It's a no-brainer.

MM

[Rod Speed]

MM wrote
> Andy Dingley <din...@codesmiths.com> wrote

>> Adam Funk <a240...@ducksburg.com> wrote

>>> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?

>> CDs or CD-ROMs?

>> If they're CD-ROMs, you can microwave them. You need to space
>> them apart if you're doing a batch (plastic toastrack, or else a $500
>> silicon wafer processing boat). You also need to do them for just
>> long enough to nuke the data layer, but without cooking the plastic
>> or there's a fume problem. For regular industrial use I was able to
>> use a cheap domestic microwave from Currys, but had to mod it with a
>> fixed timer and a single big push button.

>> CDs can't be nuked to reliably kill the data without getting
>> them hot enough to cause a fume problem. Shredding is
>>> easier, although you do need a hefty shredder.

> I do not understand this penchant for microwaving CDs!

Its the quickest and easiest way to make them unreadable.

> Toxic, extremely obnoxious fumes will be released.

Nope, not if you only give them 10 secs at most.

> Do people just put up with the stench permeating their houses?

Doesnt happen if you only give them 10 secs at most.

> Crazy, when there are shredders available for the
> price of a decent meal for two or a tankful of fuel.

Using the microwave doesnt cost anything like that.

> You actually BOUGHT a new microwave, then modded it?!!
> Risible, when you could have simply bought a shredder.

Nope.

> Since I bought mine, there are new models on the market that
> are considerably cheaper (under 40 quid). It's a no-brainer.

Its a no brainer to use the microwave for free.

[Dave Liquorice]

On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 07:56:24 -0000, Brian Gaff wrote:

> Who in the world would bother to attempt to retrive data from broken
> cds.

Depends entirely on the percieved value of the data. You might be
quite tempted to put quite a lot of effort into recovering the
winning numbers for the next >100 million Euro Millions draw for
example.

--
Cheers
Dave.

[Martin Brown]

On 21/03/2012 07:56, Brian Gaff wrote:
> Seems a bit overkil when surely cutting the disc into pieces weither with a
> cheap shredder from Argos or a large pair of shears is just as good. Who in
> the world would bother to attempt to retrive data from broken cds.
> Brian

Forensic data recovery specialists.
But there would have to be a very good reason to do it.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

[Gordon Henderson]

In article <jkc1j8$ebi$1...@dont-email.me>,

Brian Gaff <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

>CDs can't be nuked to reliably kill the data without getting them hot
>enough to cause a fume problem. Shredding is easier, although you do
>need a hefty shredder.

We bought a cross-cut shredder from Tescos (I think) for some silly
low price (like a tenner) and it has a CD slot. Only tried it once as
a curiosity and it worked well!

Gordon

[Gordon Henderson]

In article <4f690c91$0$24097$c3e8da3$e3f2...@news.astraweb.com>,

brass monkey <a...@b.com> wrote:

>What do you guys do with old hard drives? 40/100 gig etc. Do you actually
>wipe them, smash the electronics or show'em a sledge to smash the platters?

Big splitting axe. One chop and in the bin. Nothing - seriously - nothing
is going to recover the data from physically mangled platters (or the
shattered shards of really old ones with glass platters)

Gordon

[The Natural Philosopher]

Brian Gaff wrote:

>CDs can't be nuked to reliably kill the data without getting them hot
>enough to cause a fume problem. Shredding is easier, although you do
>need a hefty shredder.

IME CDs can be nuked easier than writable CD media

[The Natural Philosopher]

MM wrote:
> On Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:31:06 -0700 (PDT), Andy Dingley
> <din...@codesmiths.com> wrote:
>
>> On Mar 7, 1:11 pm, Adam Funk <a240...@ducksburg.com> wrote:
>>> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
>> CDs or CD-ROMs?
>>
>> If they're CD-ROMs, you can microwave them. You need to space them
>> apart if you're doing a batch (plastic toastrack, or else a $500
>> silicon wafer processing boat). You also need to do them for just long
>> enough to nuke the data layer, but without cooking the plastic or
>> there's a fume problem. For regular industrial use I was able to use a
>> cheap domestic microwave from Currys, but had to mod it with a fixed
>> timer and a single big push button.
>>
>> CDs can't be nuked to reliably kill the data without getting them hot
>> enough to cause a fume problem. Shredding is easier, although you do
>> need a hefty shredder.
>
> I do not understand this penchant for microwaving CDs! Toxic,
> extremely obnoxious fumes will be released.

Absolute bullshit.

You simply dont understand: you are rapidly heating the conductive
metallisation which arcs and splits apart without even getting the
plastic hot.

It uses the properties of the microwave to put heat into conductors, not
into plastics. A couple of seconds is all it takes and there is no
plastic melting or fumes.

> Do people just put up with
> the stench permeating their houses?

No,. they do it the way descrued

Crazy, when there are shredders
> available for the price of a decent meal for two or a tankful of fuel.
> You actually BOUGHT a new microwave, then modded it?!! Risible, when
> you could have simply bought a shredder. Since I bought mine, there
> are new models on the market that are considerably cheaper (under 40
> quid). It's a no-brainer.
>

No, using a microwave you already have on full power for a few seconds
is far cheaper, faster, uses less energy, creates no fumes and leaves
you with neat disposable platters totally undamaged except inside in the
data later itself

> MM

[The Natural Philosopher]

And it destroys the data utterly - you aren't left with even a few mm of
potentially readable track.

[The Other Mike]

On Tue, 20 Mar 2012 06:43:27 -0700 (PDT), "js.b1" <js...@ntlworld.com>

wrote:

>I do not get this thread... You want to make the data non-recoverable?
>
>Create a vice.
>- B&D workbench, vice bolted to bench, plywood squares separated by a
>gap & central bolt to slide CD down over and even another "template"
>over the top to shield most of the CD from flying about.
>Whack the CD.
>- Wear goggles, club hammer, club hammer & brick bolster.
>
>It is non recoverable to anyone without very specialist custom
>tracking equipment.

So it is recoverable then, a waste of time and effort.

>Colleague modified a press to shear a stack at a time with a simple
>jig assembled out of flat bars.

Still recoverable

>Do not burn them, the chemicals released are noxious.

But done right, the data is non recoverable.

Even with a well equipped workshop (or two) I wouldn't piss about
cutting or bashing them to bits, I'd stick them in the microwave for a
few seconds.
--

[MM]

And then heat up your evening meal in the same microwave?

Someone pick me up off the floor, please, as I appear to be rolling
around laughing my arse off!

MM

[The Natural Philosopher]

MM wrote:
> On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:52:13 +1100, "Rod Speed"

>> Its a no brainer to use the microwave for free.
>
> And then heat up your evening meal in the same microwave?
>
> Someone pick me up off the floor, please, as I appear to be rolling
> around laughing my arse off!
>

what, about 'the plastic never even gets hot' did you NOT understand and
the 'it doesn't create any fumes or smell'

Dickhead.

Cant admio you are plain wrong can you?

> MM

[Adam Funk]

On 2012-03-20, js.b1 wrote:

> On Mar 20, 11:02 pm, "brass monkey" <a...@b.com> wrote:
>> What do you guys do with old hard drives?
>
> DBAN.
>
> Does take a long time to run on old or very large hard drives.
> Available for a few £ as a linux bootup disk, runs like a DOS 6.0
> screen, gives time to complete, various levels of security.

DBAN is free (in both senses of the word).

http://www.dban.org/download

(Obviously you have to buy your own blank CD.)

[whisky-dave]

On Mar 21, 8:44 am, MM <kylix...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> On Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:31:06 -0700 (PDT), Andy Dingley
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> <ding...@codesmiths.com> wrote:
> >On Mar 7, 1:11 pm, Adam Funk <a240...@ducksburg.com> wrote:
> >> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
>
> >CDs or CD-ROMs?
>
> >If they're CD-ROMs, you can microwave them. You need to space them
> >apart if you're doing a batch (plastic toastrack, or else a $500
> >silicon wafer processing boat). You also need to do them for just long
> >enough to nuke the data layer, but without cooking the plastic or
> >there's a fume problem. For regular industrial use I was able to use a
> >cheap domestic microwave from Currys, but had to mod it with a fixed
> >timer and a single big push button.
>
> >CDs can't be nuked to reliably kill the data without getting them hot
> >enough to cause a fume problem. Shredding is easier, although you do
> >need a hefty shredder.
>
> I do not understand this penchant for microwaving CDs! Toxic,
> extremely obnoxious fumes will be released. Do people just put up with
> the stench permeating their houses?

I always thought that doing such things in a microwave could damage
the oven.
As your'e not mean to put matalic objects in them, well I guess
tehre's not much metal on 1 CD.

> Crazy, when there are shredders
> available for the price of a decent meal for two or a tankful of fuel.

or a good night in the pub.

> You actually BOUGHT a new microwave, then modded it?!! Risible, when
> you could have simply bought a shredder. Since I bought mine, there
> are new models on the market that are considerably cheaper (under 40
> quid). It's a no-brainer.

Maybe it's just fun to nuke CD's

>
> MM

[Tim]

Go on, do tell us the joke.

Tim

[Rod Speed]

Gordon Henderson wrote

> brass monkey <a...@b.com> wrote

>> What do you guys do with old hard drives? 40/100
>> gig etc. Do you actually wipe them, smash the
>> electronics or show'em a sledge to smash the platters?

> Big splitting axe. One chop and in the bin. Nothing - seriously -
> nothing is going to recover the data from physically mangled platters

I dont buy that anymore after seeing what could be recovered
from a floppy that had been aggressively cut up with a pair of
scissors in one of those crime docos.

Its much easier with a CD you can do it optically.

Corse its only the authoritys who would bother,
its unlikely anyone would bother just to get your
financial info etc unless you were a drug baron etc.

[Rod Speed]

The Natural Philosopher wrote

> MM wrote
>> Andy Dingley <din...@codesmiths.com> wrote

>>> Adam Funk <a240...@ducksburg.com> wrote

>>>> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?
>>>> CDs or CD-ROMs?

>>> If they're CD-ROMs, you can microwave them. You need to space them
>>> apart if you're doing a batch (plastic toastrack, or else a $500
>>> silicon wafer processing boat). You also need to do them for just
>>> long enough to nuke the data layer, but without cooking the plastic
>>> or there's a fume problem. For regular industrial use I was able to
>>> use a cheap domestic microwave from Currys, but had to mod it with
>>> a fixed timer and a single big push button.

>>> CDs can't be nuked to reliably kill the data without getting them
>>> hot enough to cause a fume problem. Shredding is easier, although
>>> you do need a hefty shredder.

>> I do not understand this penchant for microwaving CDs! Toxic, extremely obnoxious fumes will be released.

> Absolute bullshit.

Yes.

> You simply dont understand: you are rapidly heating the conductive
> metallisation which arcs and splits apart without even getting the plastic hot.

> It uses the properties of the microwave to put heat into conductors,

No, in fact they just bounce off those. Thats why alfoil on the
ends of say chicken chicken drumsticks stops the ends burning.

> not into plastics. A couple of seconds is all it takes and there is no plastic melting or fumes.

Yes.

>> Do people just put up with the stench permeating their houses?

> No,. they do it the way descrued

>> Crazy, when there are shredders
>> available for the price of a decent meal for two or a tankful of
>> fuel. You actually BOUGHT a new microwave, then modded it?!!
>> Risible, when you could have simply bought a shredder. Since I
>> bought mine, there are new models on the market that are
>> considerably cheaper (under 40 quid). It's a no-brainer.

> No, using a microwave you already have on full power for a few seconds
> is far cheaper, faster, uses less energy, creates no fumes and leaves
> you with neat disposable platters totally undamaged except inside in
> the data later itself

Yep.

[Rod Speed]

The Natural Philosopher wrote

Thats very arguable indeed. Even if the metal is removed from the plastic,
its possible that the pits are still there in the plastic and can be used optically.

If I was Bradley Manning or Julian Assange, I wouldnt rely on it.

Corse I'm not and no one can even get my passwords that way because
I dont write them on CDs, and I dont care if they get the serial numbers
of the hardware and software I have bought after that sort of massive
effort. That Obama bugger will just order a missile strike on my house
when he finds out I setup the internet for my neighbout Kurds etc.

[MM]

On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:59:18 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
<t...@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>MM wrote:
>> On Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:52:13 +1100, "Rod Speed"
>
>>> Its a no brainer to use the microwave for free.
>>
>> And then heat up your evening meal in the same microwave?
>>
>> Someone pick me up off the floor, please, as I appear to be rolling
>> around laughing my arse off!
>>
>
>
>what, about 'the plastic never even gets hot' did you NOT understand and
>the 'it doesn't create any fumes or smell'
>
>Dickhead.
>
>Cant admio you are plain wrong can you?

I use the right tool for the job, and microwave ovens ain't that!

MM

[MM]

'Cooking' CDs in a microwave is like using a dishwasher to cook fish.
Risible. Maybe these folks just bang screws in with a hammer if they
don't own a screwdriver.

MM

[Fredxx]

But do they do the job? Even quickly and efficiently?

[Rod Speed]

MM wrote

Yep, no problem at all.

> Someone pick me up off the floor, please, as I
> appear to be rolling around laughing my arse off!

Your problem, no one is going to pick you up, you watch.

They have in fact ALL pissed on you down there on the floor instead.

[Rod Speed]

whisky-dave wrote
> MM <kylix...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote
>> Andy Dingley <ding...@codesmiths.com> wrote

>>> Adam Funk <a240...@ducksburg.com> wrote

>>>> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?

>>> CDs or CD-ROMs?

>>> If they're CD-ROMs, you can microwave them. You need to space
>>> them apart if you're doing a batch (plastic toastrack, or else a $500
>>> silicon wafer processing boat). You also need to do them for just
>>> long enough to nuke the data layer, but without cooking the plastic
>>> or there's a fume problem. For regular industrial use I was able to
>>> use a cheap domestic microwave from Currys, but had to mod it with
>>> a fixed timer and a single big push button.

>>> CDs can't be nuked to reliably kill the data without getting them
>>> hot enough to cause a fume problem. Shredding is easier, although
>>> you do need a hefty shredder.

>> I do not understand this penchant for microwaving CDs! Toxic,
>> extremely obnoxious fumes will be released. Do people just put up
>> with the stench permeating their houses?

> I always thought that doing such things in a microwave could damage the oven.

Nope.

> As your'e not mean to put matalic objects in them,

That hasnt been true for a long time now. Plenty of them
tell you to put some alfoil on the ends of stuff like chicken
drumsticks to stop them getting burnt etc.

And some even include wire racks too.

> well I guess tehre's not much metal on 1 CD.

Metal isnt necessarily a problem.

>> Crazy, when there are shredders available for the
>> price of a decent meal for two or a tankful of fuel.

> or a good night in the pub.

Using the microwave doesnt cost anything like any of those.

>> You actually BOUGHT a new microwave, then modded it?!! Risible, when
>> you could have simply bought a shredder. Since I bought mine, there
>> are new models on the market that are considerably cheaper (under 40
>> quid). It's a no-brainer.

> Maybe it's just fun to nuke CD's

Or maybe its just the easiest way to make the unreadable.

[Frank Erskine]

It's still a bit cruel to the chicken, isn't it?

--
Frank Erskine

[Rod Speed]

Frank Erskine wrote

Fuck the chicken.

Thats even crueler.

[Lieutenant Scott]

On Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:41:42 -0000, neil <neil...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>
>
> "The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
> news:jj85vj$n2c$2...@news.albasani.net...
>
> Dave Liquorice wrote:

>> On Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:11:54 +0000, Adam Funk wrote:
>>
>>> On a related note, is there a good & easy way to destroy data CDs?

>>> The shredders I've come across with CD slots just scratch the surfaces
>>> up a bit
>>
>> That'll stop all but the most determined from reading a CD. Some
>> coarse (40 or 60 grit) sand paper will do the same or an angle
>> grinder.
>>
>>> rather than break them into bits.
>>
>> They are tough but brittle buggers. Flex one enough so that it breaks
>> and you get a fair few high speed and sharp bits of sharpnel...
>>
>> IIRC they burn well but the best is to use a microwave oven.
>
> I use a paper knife to scratch the data surface - it normally flakes off
> like confetti.

I've heard of someone making a paper kettle, but a paper knife?!

--
http://petersparrots.com
http://petersphotos.com

I told my wife the truth. I told her I was seeing a psychiatrist.
Then she told me the truth: that she was seeing a psychiatrist, two plumbers, and a bartender.