Dean and I worked in the museum from about 10am to 5pm. A few of the microcomputer cart backdrops came down overnight. We addressed this by putting superglue between the adhesive side of the velcro and the backdrop material. Hopefully they'll still be up the next time we go there! If that still doesn't work then we will try a mechanical fix (maybe put hose clamps and/or hooks around the cart poles, or something along those lines.) You can see the wall side of the micro exhibit and its new backdrops here: http://vcfed.org/evan/backs_wall.jpg and the center aisle side here: http://vcfed.org/evan/backs_center.jpg. Remember, there are going to be signs on each unit where the rear poles extend beyond the top shelves. Per the recent discussion about terminals, we put the Televideo 750 with the Prime 6500 and a VT100 with the VAX-11/785. There wasn't room for separate tables in that area so we put the terminals on top of the computers. I'm leaning toward the idea of moving the Prime's tape drive rack and the VT100 back into storage to make room for a DECwriter next to the /785 (theory being we already have a few other tape drives and terminals in the exhibit, but nothing else like the teleprinter.) This would let us show more kinds of artifacts, which is a good thing. We reinstalled the bottom vent on another of the Prime racks. It was bent and the plastic part was badly separated from the metal frame. Tony fixed it for us a while ago. The plastic part is yellowed, but so is the one on other Prime rack next to it, so it looks like they match. :) Dean and I also did an unplanned project with the PDP-8. I was lamenting that the brown+blue table for that computer is hard to move because its legs are of questionable integrity and that it doesn't match any other furniture in the next space. Started thinking if we could replace it with a small stand made from our usual metal shelf parts. Problem was, the 8's wooden platform is way too deep for that. We called David G. to ask what's involved in separating the computer from the platform; he explained how easy it is, so we did that. We cut a piece of plywood to fit neatly between the chassis and the cart shelf because the usual shelf liner kept bubbling under the 8's adjustable feet. Now, anytime David (or whomever) needs to work on that computer, all we have to do is wheel over the cart. Of course, the 8's wooden platform is historic! We decided to mount it on the wall above the ASR-'33 next to the 8 itself. The platform is light, so we drilled a small hole in the center (it'll be covered) and hung it with a lag bolt and washer into a stud. We will put a sign explaining the RESISTORS in the center of the platform (covering the bolt head) and leaving all the RESISTORS alumni signatures visible around the edges. This was a fun project. See the picture here: http://vcfed.org/evan/kagan_close.jpg and see how it greets visitors in the transition from mainframes to minis here: http://vcfed.org/evan/kagan_far.jpg. At first we were reluctant to drill a hole in the platform; in retrospect we could have put a hook on the back and hung it like a picture. But this worked out fine, didn't hurt anything, and the platform is very secure. Another thing we did today, but there's a lot more of it to do, is clean computers using a variety of baby wipes, goo gone, and that sort of thing. Dean attended Corey C.'s computer cleaning lesson at the VCF East last year and put those skills to good use! I started zip-tying loose cords to the back of the micro carts but ran out of time.
Everyone,
Of course, the 8's wooden platform is historic! We decided to mount it on the wall above the ASR-'33 next to the 8 itself. The platform is light, so we drilled a small hole in the center (it'll be covered) and hung it with a lag bolt and washer into a stud.
I was wrong to hang the platform this way. That was a stupid thing to do. There are many other ways I could've hung it on the wall which would have been just as easy/effective and would not have made any permanent changes. Very regretful about this. Lesson learned.
On Mon, Apr 4, 2016 at 1:32 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Everyone,
Of course, the 8's wooden platform is historic! We decided to mount it
on the wall above the ASR-'33 next to the 8 itself. The platform is light, so we drilled a small hole in the center (it'll be covered) and hung it with a lag bolt and washer into a stud.
I was wrong to hang the platform this way. That was a stupid thing to do. There are many other ways I could've hung it on the wall which would have been just as easy/effective and would not have made any permanent changes. Very regretful about this. Lesson learned.
while some of us might fret over this Look at it this way, you may have prevented several things, Some visitor getting hit on the head with this if you used a substandard hook that ripped off the wall This might result in a liability lawsuit with damages for medical and/or work loss from injury, Maybe even a bad reputation from the community and/or Infoage management in exhibiting poor responsibility. And possibly having the Liability insurance increase upon the next renewal because of accidents/lawsuits. Those are the alternatives
while some of us might fret over this Look at it this way, you may have prevented several things, Some visitor getting hit on the head with this if you used a substandard hook that ripped off the wall This might result in a liability lawsuit with damages for medical and/or work loss from injury, Maybe even a bad reputation from the community and/or Infoage management in exhibiting poor responsibility. And possibly having the Liability insurance increase upon the next renewal because of accidents/lawsuits. Those are the alternatives
Errr thanks for your support, I guess. :)
I know I was an accessory to this, but I can't help but agree with Dan. It doesn't hurt the historic value, there will be an informational poster covering most of it, which in my opinion would be a permanent addition to it, and to Dan's point, an earthquake wouldn't take it down, limiting liability as well potential damage to anything underneath it. On Mon, Apr 4, 2016 at 2:39 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
while some of us might fret over this
Look at it this way, you may have prevented several things, Some visitor getting hit on the head with this if you used a substandard hook that ripped off the wall This might result in a liability lawsuit with damages for medical and/or work loss from injury, Maybe even a bad reputation from the community and/or Infoage management in exhibiting poor responsibility. And possibly having the Liability insurance increase upon the next renewal because of accidents/lawsuits. Those are the alternatives
Errr thanks for your support, I guess. :)
I think the miss here is not the act but the haste. I can think of 2 or 3 alternatives that would also satisfy the liability concerns and would not have jeopardized the piece. (For the record, I am not the person who complained, and I am somewhat ambivalent on the specifics). It may be that the chosen approach was best but a bit more time to weigh the options would not have hurt. (Obviously, one can also over analyze and/or engage in groupthink, but I am not suggesting either) So, if the outcome is to pause anytime modification is considered, I think the best has occurred. On Mon, Apr 4, 2016 at 2:57 PM, Dean Notarnicola via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: I know I was an accessory to this, but I can't help but agree with Dan. It doesn't hurt the historic value, there will be an informational poster covering most of it, which in my opinion would be a permanent addition to it, and to Dan's point, an earthquake wouldn't take it down, limiting liability as well potential damage to anything underneath it. On Mon, Apr 4, 2016 at 2:39 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
while some of us might fret over this
Look at it this way, you may have prevented several things, Some visitor getting hit on the head with this if you used a substandard hook that ripped off the wall This might result in a liability lawsuit with damages for medical and/or work loss from injury, Maybe even a bad reputation from the community and/or Infoage management in exhibiting poor responsibility. And possibly having the Liability insurance increase upon the next renewal because of accidents/lawsuits. Those are the alternatives
Errr thanks for your support, I guess. :)
I think the miss here is not the act but the haste. I can think of 2 or 3 alternatives that would also satisfy the liability concerns and would not have jeopardized the piece. (For the record, I am not the person who complained, and I am somewhat ambivalent on the specifics). It may be that the chosen approach was best but a bit more time to weigh the options would not have hurt. (Obviously, one can also over analyze and/or engage in groupthink, but I am not suggesting either) So, if the outcome is to pause anytime modification is considered, I think the best has occurred.
Liability really wasn't a concern at all. The platform is surprisingly light. No different than hanging a framed picture on the wall, except that this is more important than a picture. I used a lag bolt into a stud simply because I have a habit of being nervous about anchors and molly bolts and stuff. As I now realize and as you/others said, there are many ways I could've hung the platform that would not have involved making a hole. So you are correct about rushing it. We rushed because, well, we're in a rush to get the new museum "done" as much as possible in the next week and a half before VCF East. Lesson(s) learned all around.
participants (4)
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Dan Roganti -
Dean Notarnicola -
Evan Koblentz -
RETRO Innovations