storing old hardware

[Tim Hughes]

I have quite a collection of old hardware... Apple ][s, Amigas, IBM PS/2s,
and a huge collection of more modern systems and parts. I want to put some
of this little-used equipment in "deep freeze" in my basement, and am
wondering about the proper way to store them to keep them dust-free. Trash
bags create static, so they'd be a bad idea, right?

Bottom line, what is the best way to store parts/machines so that they
remain relatively clean and hopefully be in working order in another decade
or two?

Tim

 

[old jon]

I have quite a collection of old hardware... Apple ][s, Amigas, IBM PS/2s,
and a huge collection of more modern systems and parts. I want to put some
of this little-used equipment in "deep freeze" in my basement, and am
wondering about the proper way to store them to keep them dust-free. Trash
bags create static, so they'd be a bad idea, right?

Bottom line, what is the best way to store parts/machines so that they
remain relatively clean and hopefully be in working order in another
decade or two?

Tim

Hi Tim, not to sure how all those capacitors will survive over a long
period. They tend to dry out after years. Then when you plug in, they might
go pop. Apart from that, clean and dry is very important.
best wishes..OJ

 

[philo]

I have quite a collection of old hardware... Apple ][s, Amigas, IBM PS/2s,
and a huge collection of more modern systems and parts. I want to put some
of this little-used equipment in "deep freeze" in my basement, and am
wondering about the proper way to store them to keep them dust-free. Trash
bags create static, so they'd be a bad idea, right?

Bottom line, what is the best way to store parts/machines so that they
remain relatively clean and hopefully be in working order in another
decade or two?

the basement may not be the best place to store your equipment...
due to humidity. OTOH: the attic, though not as humid...can get a bit hot
in the summer.
at any rate i have a lot of very old equipment going all the way back to
Kaypro and it's all survived storage quite well
*however* be sure to remove any cmos batteries as they will not survive long
term storage!

 

[kony]

I have quite a collection of old hardware... Apple ][s, Amigas, IBM PS/2s,
and a huge collection of more modern systems and parts. I want to put some
of this little-used equipment in "deep freeze" in my basement, and am
wondering about the proper way to store them to keep them dust-free. Trash
bags create static, so they'd be a bad idea, right?

No, that will be fine. Static effects internal components
as it travels toward ground, not exteriors of cases that
can't find ground better through the bag producing that
static.

Bottom line, what is the best way to store parts/machines so that they
remain relatively clean and hopefully be in working order in another decade
or two?

As another poster mentioned, capacitors wear out. So do
batteries, including rechargable ones, and realtime clocks
with integral battery. Determination of how to ovecome
battery issues may be important now rather than later, as
time has a way of wiping out data on the internet or
personal records become harder to find if not lost.

Otherwise, low humidity is good but not as dry as possible-
it will only dry out capacitors even more. Any poorly
plated or non-gold contacts may foul over that period, the
machine may need maintenance before being used. It would be
good to lube fans ahead of time, or at least before reuse
after stored.

Otherwise there isn't a lot you can do but keep the temp
relatively well controlled and make sure the bags stay
sealed. UV light may degrade the paint and plastic so it
should be blocked as much as possible too.