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What is 'proper' restoration

falter

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I released a new video today where I did a cursory examination of my ADM-1, gave some history, etc. It's doing well, but one of the commenters took issue with my poking around the unit. Basically his synopsis was, I was doing it all wrong, and damaging precious historical equipment. He happened to have a channel of his own, I checked it out, and yeah, he *really* gets into it. He had a Wang terminal he totally took apart, replaced caps -- all kinds of stuff, much of it well above my pay grade or desire.

I'm not sure specifically what he took issue with in my video. I basically lifted off the grimy, cracked cover with flaking paint, I removed the keyboard, I gave it a all a good and careful cleaning, removed dirt and industrial grime from the chassis. I removed the CRT base to get a look at the motherboard, because I thought viewers would appreciate seeing that. I tested (off camera) the power supply with my scope (admittedly, still a newbie, but nothing went on fire afterward), and fired it up, did some cursory tests. It wasn't a 'restoration' video, it was more of a 'history of LSI + let's open up and look around inside an ADM-1' video. Restoration will come later. I really didn't think this machine had anywhere to go but up, really, given its condition. I certainly think it is better in my (climate controlled) hands than where it came from.

Anyway, back to my title. What is the 'correct' procedure for restoring things? I've kind of googled and read debates, and it seems to break down into two camps - one camp thinks you need to disassemble everything completely, replace every cap and diode, check every trace for cracks, etc. Others, like me, just try to get the thing running as best we can. For my part, I always treat my machines with respect, and I try to learn on each project. But I am *not* a concours restorer. I don't like completely replacing componentry if it isn't necessary - I think that takes away from the originality of the machine. If a machine has scuffs or etchings from its previous owners, I treat that as 'patina'.

What's your position, vcfedders?
 
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You do what makes you happy. Keeping this out of the trash is a good place to start as Plasma suggest. You are not here to please this other dude. There will always be someone that say you are doing it wrong. If you're making it work then you are not doing it wrong. If you destroy it in the process then hopefully it's a learning experience and you will do better next time. I think you are fine. Just ignore him.
 
Thanks! I'm just curious where everyone stands. I've always presented my channel as a guy learning things, not an expert. As an amateur historian I prefer to try and leave things as close to original as possible. Always hate going into, say, a historic building, and being told what I'm actually looking at is a restoration or recreation from 2013. I know sometimes that is unavoidable.. but where it is, I like to avoid.
 
Your baseline is somewhere between The 8-Bit Guy and people who buy things just to store them in a windowless garage. You're doing fine. ;)
 
The guy who conbplained about your video was a complete tosser. Keep doing what you are doing and ignor the freak. Unfortunately they are in every hobby computer related or other.
 
Your baseline is somewhere between The 8-Bit Guy and people who buy things just to store them in a windowless garage. You're doing fine. ;)

I wouldn't consider 8-Bit Guy the gold standard in restoration. Dude took a dremel to a rare IBM because he was too lazy to get a security bit.

 
What is the 'correct' procedure for restoring things?
Since it is your stuff, "correct" is whatever feels appropriate to you. I wouldn't care what other people say. So many think their way of doing something is the only correct one. It isn't.
 
8bitguy does great cosmetic restorations. He doesn't do things 100% concours but I like when he gets creative and recreates parts, labels and stuff. Although I'm personally leery of retrobrite, his stuff usually comes out looking better than it did before.

I guess I got a little sensitive on this one because I do have a fair number of rareish pieces that were not produced by the tens or hundreds of thousands, and I don't want to be seen miseducating people or wrecking history.
 
Listen Falter. If you put yourself out there on Youtube or any platform... your going to get these cowardly chair pirates telling you from the safety of thier lonliness how they are better than you....

And for the record restoring is fully dissasembling, extensive cleaning (of the outside, inside, AND COMPONENTS AND BOARDS as well as repair to get the machine to a USEABLE STATE.


Fully Restored should be self explanatory but its simply getting the machine as close as possible to a LIKE NEW state.


You dont do full restoration but your videos are top notch.. Keep it up, disable comments, and go about your life. People suck...


Edit: And as far as the 8 bit guy. Quite honestly watching his videos years ago got me into retrobright as well as collecting certain things. Hes a great STARTER platform for early collecting. Hes not the end all be all of restorations but he has his place. Hes not perfect and he has done some bone head things.. But I have seen much much worse content on youtube. So even though he has an ego it seems, I still like the guy and what he brings to the table.

FALTER: Post a link to this guys channel. Id like to see his content..
 
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That is why I said baseline. You can't get much lower than that. :p
IDK, there was that one guy who took a pressure washer to a 5150 and hosed it down outside on his driveway...

I think most of his stuff is ok but sometimes he gets careless. Probably because he is rushing to post a video to get paid.
 
I'm okay with criticism generally. I get that all the time. Mostly about my struggles with good audio. :) But being accused of destroying history kind of sucks. I only started my channel because I wanted to provide people with a look at how each piece of hardware operates. I found those sorts of videos really useful when I was trying to decide what to collect.
 
Listen Falter. If you put yourself out there on Youtube or any platform... your going to get these cowardly chair pirates telling you from the safety of thier lonliness how they are better than you....

And for the record restoring is fully dissasembling, extensive cleaning (of the outside, inside, AND COMPONENTS AND BOARDS as well as repair to get the machine to a USEABLE STATE.


Fully Restored should be self explanatory but its simply getting the machine as close as possible to a LIKE NEW state.


You dont do full restoration but your videos are top notch.. Keep it up, disable comments, and go about your life. People suck...


Edit: And as far as the 8 bit guy. Quite honestly watching his videos years ago got me into retrobright as well as collecting certain things. Hes a great STARTER platform for early collecting. Hes not the end all be all of restorations but he has his place. Hes not perfect and he has done some bone head things.. But I have seen much much worse content on youtube. So even though he has an ego it seems, I still like the guy and what he brings to the table.

FALTER: Post a link to this guys channel. Id like to see his content..

This is his channel here.


There's no question he goes much further and is much more thorough than I am. I tried to get him to explain exactly where I went 'wrong' in my particular video but so far he's declined to answer that.
 
And thats why hes a Douche.......

If you have criticism and are UNWILLING to teach something.. That immediately makes you part of the problem.

Considering he has a whole line of videos called "PERFECT RESTORATION" of a PET 2001 I think you can surmise hes full of himself. I know the type. They are constant 1-uppers. "You found a 5 dollar bill on the road HAH! I found a 20!" Every method you show is wrong but thiers. They are unwilling to admit error or learn better ways.

Ive been guilty of a few of those things in the past unfortunately.. I learned to correct that bad habbit.. Reason being.. They are very very off putting.

Edit: Christ.. hes one of those guys who wont talk in any of his videos and just throws up text?! Damn thats so annoying. So he has very low self esteem and is afraid to show himself or be heard but he is ok tearing other people down...

Like I said "cowardly chair pirate".
 
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I'm okay with criticism generally. I get that all the time. Mostly about my struggles with good audio. :) But being accused of destroying history kind of sucks. I only started my channel because I wanted to provide people with a look at how each piece of hardware operates. I found those sorts of videos really useful when I was trying to decide what to collect.
Falter: I been on this board for quite some time and I haven't seen anyone more passionate about collecting than you. You keep on doing what you do and don't be swayed by some of these armchair jackasses. 👍:giggle:
 
Think about it this way:
You aren't per-say restoring it to a like-new condition, but you are cleaning and servicing it to a point where existing age-related breakdowns are less likely.
I have many projects where I can only dream of finishing them completely but I've still stripped down, cleaned, washed and serviced it to a point where it will survive another 20 years in storage, at which point it may be in the hands of someone more capable and they wouldn't have to mumble how the previous guy had it for so long and left it like they found it on the side of the road.
 
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