Gold HDD Voice Coil?

Hey, all-

I've been continuing to learn the fine art (and science) of e-scrapping but wanted to show you all something I've never seen before. While I've only taken apart a dozen or so desktops and a couple laptops, I'm starting to learn my way around computer innards fairly well. Anyway, I popped open an old Seagate HDD last night (I can probably still find the model if anyone is interested) and found something neat:

Is this what I think it is? A gold wire Voice Coil? I stuck it under my hand-dandy microscope (I'm a bugguy, after all) and that's sure what it looks like, though I haven't found much about gold voice coils on the googles- am I wrong? If I'm right, does anyone know "one weird old trick" to remove the coil from the plastic it is encased in? If it really is gold I'm afraid it'll be pretty soft and just fall apart if I start yanking on it... Assuming I get it out, how would I sell it (or at least value it)?

Any opinions?



cheers,
thebugguy

I pop'm out an toss the copper colored in with my copper, (every little bit adds up!) an I keep the gold ones, just cause I think their cool..lol. I also sell the arms separate, believe my yard takes them as motors.

Good luck to ya TBG.

Sirscrapalot - This space for rent till my strike is over.

I broke down some old seagates recently BugGuy, titled it "fun with some hard drives". Was yours an SCSI or an IDE? There were some good posts on it, but I never did get a good answer on the tip of those drive heads, looked to me like there was a bit of gold on them

Bear weren't you talking about the wire on the end there? As in the pic above? If so, you got the same answer given here. Just copper. elsewhere on those drives is gold. The dot I showed you, an several other pieces in the motor/arms/etc. I'll try an get you a shot of the gold dots I popped out of the center. Either way it was a good thread. Thanks for making it. An TBG you should check it out if you haven't yet. Bear did a good job on it, an folks gave some good replies.

I'm saving all my gold/plated stuff for refining to be honest. Not by me but another. An also, we have a buyer for the Arms in TBG's pic. If you guys are tired of just getting yard motor price for them.

As always...YMMV

Sirscrapalot - My strike ends soon, your welcome.

Bear-
I believe this came from a Seagate Barracuda ATA IV 40-pin connector drive (20404 MB) which, if I understand correctly, is a type of IDE, not SCSI. If I mixed up the covers (unlikely, but possible) it was from another Seagate- Barracuda Ultra ATA (13578 MB), also IDE. I skimmed through your recent post earlier today. My initial reaction is that these Seagates came apart *much* easier than some of the other drives I've played with- right down to the motor. First of all, they were held together by all the same size Torx screws (size 8 I believe) and none of them were glued down or otherwise stuck. I have other drives that will require smaller bits and one that I can't figure out how to remove the platter from the screw-less spindle (busted one of two platters trying).

I poked at the voice coil wiring some more and, sure enough, it's pretty darn soft. After snapping a length off and looking at it under the microscope, it appears to be gold-coated aluminum- nothing about it looks like (or has the tensile strength of) copper.

I've unwound the copper coils from my other ones (why not?) but I imagine my local place would take them as motors (~$0.15 lb) if I brought them in whole. They accept floppy/CD drive motors, cooling fans and whole power supplies at the same 15 cent price). And while I do see some gold contacts at the actuator heads, I can't for the life of me find the darn "gold dots" that keep getting brought up!

cheers,
tbg

Look at bear's thread again, an the post of mine with the pic. It'll be under the platters, an a sticker will likely hide it from you on the other side. I'll post another pic later. Bout to have a late dinner with the wife, as she just got home from work. So look for it tomorrow if your one of those people that sleep's at night.

Seagate ones have the sticker if I recall. An were all ide or the other older style. Will post pics tho at some point later this evening.

Sirscrapalot - Hi!

Originally Posted by Sirscrapalot

Bear weren't you talking about the wire on the end there? As in the pic above?



Sirscrapalot - My strike ends soon, your welcome.

I was asking about on the tip, not on the but ; ) there were 7 gold laced tips on each of the older SCSI drives but nobody ever answered my questions on it

Originally Posted by thebugguy

Bear-
I can't for the life of me find the darn "gold dots" that keep getting brought up!

cheers,
tbg

SSA posted a photo of that recently somewhere bugs(haha ; )

Ah ha! I'll be down looking at the arms later, an will check the gold.

Sirscrapalot - No more strike. I got bored, not looking for quotes.

This is the part I was referring to Bugsy
I really think some of these parts may be worth better than 85 cents a pound ; )