Computer Protection

[Retro_Soul]

So I have some older computers such as the Macintosh SE, IIGS, Commodore 64, Performa 600 etc. What would be the best way to protect these from various elements, as well as bugs, etc.?

[jhd]

Is indoor (preferably climate controlled) storage an option?

 

I have no old computers, but all of my video game consoles (other than what is currently being played) are neatly packed into standard-size cardboard file boxes, either in my apartment or in a rented (indoor) storage unit. If you wanted to be extra-careful, you could wrap them in some kind of packing material (e.g. bubble wrap) before putting them into the boxes. Old towels also make good packing material -- I often use those when transporting framed art.

 

If outdoor storage (such as a shed or barn) is the only available option, I would use some kind of moisture barrier around the hardware, and then wrap the outside box as well. Movers use this thick, industrial-grade plastic wrap to protect furniture; that may be adequate if you use multiple layers.

[Flojomojo]

Unless you live in a very arid place, you might want to wrap stuff even if it's stored indoors. Mildew is tenacious.

 

My "classic" stuff got really yellow from the sun. Keep them covered unless you want that "lived in" look.

 

All this protection begs the question, what are you saving this stuff for? Investment/speculation? Or to enjoy now? Seems like making the preservation choice limits what you can do with it now, and vice versa.

[spacecadet]

Keep them away from heat as well as light - of any kind. Basically, keep them in a cold, dark place. Treat them as you would a potato.

 

If any of them have hard drives you care about keeping, run them every once in a while (I'd go so far as to say once a month). Probably the worst thing for a hard drive is to sit unused for a really long time. They have a tendency to get stuck or dry out.

 

As for bugs, just buy some covers. But in my experience, bugs don't really like electronics that aren't in regular use. There's no food in there and it's not warm or anything. People who get bug infestations in their electronics, it's usually stuff they're actually using and they just have a buggy place. The bugs already there like the electronics because they're warm.

[BassGuitari]

Stuff can still turn yellow even while stored in dark areas. Ask me how I know.

 

Okay, I'll tell you. I have an Atari 600XL and several Apple systems looked like new when I got them; years of storage inside boxes in my basement later, and they look like they've been painted with Dusseldorf mustard. Likewise for one of my Super Nintendos.

 

Moral of the story is, unfortunately, I don't know if there really is a bullet-proof way to prevent yellowing. Seems like if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen, and UV light is only one of multiple possible culprits. (Going back to that condiment-colored Super Nintendo, I have another SNES that I also store in the basement, with no yellowing.)

 

I mean, yeah, obviously keep your stuff out of the sun anyway--that's good advice for anything (except growing plants, I guess). But also prepare for the eventuality that you might take that Mac SE out of its box or closet and find that it's a noticeably more sour color than you remember.

[+OLD CS1]

I use these. Previously in non-climate controlled storage, but now in climate-controlled and at home. Very happy with them for all purposes -- a little pricey but worth it.

 

Sterilite Airtight Storage

[spacecadet]

Stuff can still turn yellow even while stored in dark areas. Ask me how I know.

 

Okay, I'll tell you. I have an Atari 600XL and several Apple systems looked like new when I got them; years of storage inside boxes in my basement later, and they look like they've been painted with Dusseldorf mustard. Likewise for one of my Super Nintendos.

 

That's why I said a cold, dark place. There are two things that cause yellowing - light and heat. It doesn't need to be a lot of heat, either. Turn off the a/c when you go out of the house in summer and over a period of years, it'll cause yellowing.

 

My Apple IIc yellowed like a banana in the dark in my attic over a period of about 10 years. It was totally off-white before I put it up there, even though it was already about 20 years old. But 10 years up there without any a/c and it looks like a Hughes Airwest DC-9. (Google it.)

 

Some things are worse than others; some will yellow even at room temperature. So you have to keep them cold. It's not always practical to do that; I live in the northeast US and I can't keep an a/c on in summer just to keep my computers and game consoles from yellowing. But I have moved them all to my basement, which is underground and is naturally cooler than the outside air or the house otherwise. I haven't noticed any yellowing of anything in the few years since I've done that.

 

But further to that, if you live in a humid area and especially if you store things in a basement, you should also dehumidify. Moisture is another enemy of old computers. I run a dehumidifier 24/7 in summer in my basement.

[Keatah]

The key is to make it rather airtight, then any outgassings from new plastic tend to create equilibrium in the surrounding atmosphere. Once equilibrium is reached and maintained, no further outgassings occur. And no more bromine comes to the surface. And no more yellowing happens.

 

Bromine is the yellow/brown stuff, a fire retardant, that is mixed in with the plastics. And entropy rears its ugly head.. so.. yeh!

[BassGuitari]

 

That's why I said a cold, dark place. There are two things that cause yellowing - light and heat. It doesn't need to be a lot of heat, either. Turn off the a/c when you go out of the house in summer and over a period of years, it'll cause yellowing.

 

Since when are basements known for their warmth? My basement never gets warmer than about 68 degrees in the summer. It's great to hang out in while it's 90 degrees upstairs.

[mattsoft]

BassGuitari isn't alone -- other people have had discoloration even though their stuff is stored in dark, cool places. Probably just the inconsistency in the plastics.

[jhd]

Stuff can still turn yellow even while stored in dark areas.

 

I had this happen with the plastic case of an electric heater -- it was never exposed to sunlight, and it spent many years in a storage closet in the various apartments that I lived in during that time.

 

Over the course of a decade, it went from cream/beige to an ugly yellow. Obviously exposure to heat was a serious contributing factor.

[+OLD CS1]

BassGuitari isn't alone -- other people have had discoloration even though their stuff is stored in dark, cool places. Probably just the inconsistency in the plastics.

 

Correct. If you store your plastics in boxes, the acidity of the cardboard will also cause yellowing. I found out the hard way on that, as well. Where the plastic was in contact with the box was school bus yellow versus the rest which had minor discoloration due to age, oxygenation, etc.

[polyex]

Place them in a large bag, remove the oxygen from the bag (like it is food you are freezing for long term storage). Cover in a box with no sunlight exposure. Enjoy!