HELP! CD fragments in slot loading drive!

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I was about to rip a CD just now, on my iBook G4 with a slot loading combo drive. Upon inserting the CD it started spinning as normal, but after a few seconds it started making extreme noise. I immediately pressed the eject button and crossed my fingers. After a few seconds the CD came out, and I was releived. Then I noticed the cause of the noise: a small piece of the edge of the CD (about 1 cm x .5 cm) was missing. I turned of the iBook and shook it carefully and, just as I feared, something was ratteling in the combo drive. When carefully probing with an appropriate tool, I even could even feel it, but because of the brushes in the slot loading tray I can't get a hold of the piece. (I really hope there's only one.)

Any ideas, short of delivering it to an expencive service station, as to how to retreive small piece of plastic from a slot loading drive? Here in Norway that kind of service is not cheap, so all non-destructive suggestion are appreciated.

 

[emw]

The biggest danger here, I think, is damaging the laser "eye" on the CD drive. Have you tried a vacuum to get it out? When you say "an appropriate tool" is that a tweezer or something?

You could also try a piece of double-sided tape on a thin stick, like a coffee stirrer or something, and hope it grabs onto the plastic.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

The biggest danger here, I think, is damaging the laser "eye" on the CD drive. Have you tried a vacuum to get it out? When you say "an appropriate tool" is that a tweezer or something?

You could also try a piece of double-sided tape on a thin stick, like a coffee stirrer or something, and hope it grabs onto the plastic.

The "tool" I used for probing is actually a can-opener. Blunt edges, not to scratch anything, and flat enough to fit... and I was holding the book with the slot down just poking a cm or so inside, very carefully, to feel for the piece...

A tweezer will fit, but I can't see how to open it when it's inserted...

I was also thinking about double-sided tape, but can't find any (I know I have a roll somewhere...)

The vacuum was actally a good tip, and I may try that, fitting something on the egde to make it fit... Anybody know if there's any loose bits inside a combo drive ... except for CD fragments, off course

 

[Makosuke]

No, everything is strapped down in there, so you can vaccum away without sucking anything important out.

The one piece of good luck for you is that, so far as I know, the laser is generally on the far side of the drive (could be different in the slot loaders, so don't take this as a certainty), so you're not at too much risk of scratching it if you're staying close to the slot.

Work over toward the corner, and you'll definitely be ok, since the disc isn't even over there, so the laser won't be, either.

And good luck.