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How long have you let projects collect dust and then finished them?

U

Unknown_K

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Many years ago when I used to visit a local computer recycler (long since defunct) and purchased an IBM PS/2 Model 30 286 system. The system would boot up maybe once in 100 tries (HD issues). Anyway I took the controller board off the hard drive (proprietary connector) and noticed the aluminum caps were all leaking. The capacitors were funky values so I set the drive on the shelf for a few years until recently. I couldn't find aluminum capacitors that matched so I went with a more common type. SO after 3+ years the system boots every time now. Of course the drive has bad sectors but the system is 100% stock and running.
 
I've had a baby-AT 1st gen pentium since the 90s that's survived several moves around the country. At one point I listed the case with all components on the marketplace here but it didn't go. It's not terribly vintage, but it still took until 2015 for me to reacquire a small capacity IDE HDD, non-PNP ISA soundblaster card, and an AT keyboard. Machine is up and running now, last playing Betrayal At Krondor in real DOS mode. Somehow DOSBox just doesn't compare.
 
All of my projects -- computer and otherwise -- seem to go like that. We drove around with a broken window regulator (window stuck UP) for several years, til I decided to take it apart and weld it up one afternoon.

Computer wise, I have a Cromemco Z2-D, which was one of my first 70's era vintage computers. Found it in college, probably around 2007-2008, and only got the board set fully working (mostly the 4FDC) in 2014. It made several moves through college, up to NY, and is now back in VA with us.

I've had my IBM XT since elementary school, it's one of those, "never quite finished" projects. Currently it's down again, waiting on some replacement caps -- tantalum exploded on the motherboard.
 
I set about using an Amiga 3000 for MIDI work in 1999, I think. I got it working a few months ago.
 
wrm said:
I have a car I parked in '94. Still an ongoing project...
Click to expand...

You got me beat. I'm only "still working on" the one I bought in '1. I still drive one I bought in '97 though, once in a while.
 
I had an HP 7906 14-inch disc drive sitting on the floor of my computer room wrapped in plastic since I've moved into my current house 11 years ago. Just last weekend I finally tackled the project of mounting it back into the HP 1000 rack were it belongs. This was a bit of a challenge by myself as the drive must weigh around 200 pounds. I have never spun up this drive as long as I have had it. It was supposed to be in working condition when I acquired it. Some day I need to get around to actually getting it running again, along with the 7970B 9-track tape drive. So still not even close to finished yet.
 
Had a 2003 JVC camcorder I've had for months. Got it dead, and it's still dead. My '04 Compaq has been a restoration project since 2004, though. Piece of junk...
 
Nothing ever is completely done. Sometimes I declare "victory" or put aside a project. However, even when I declare "victory", I always know or find that there is something that can be improved upon. At some point I may decide the war really wasn't over and go back to work on those things that were "finished".

A perfect example is the Apple II restoration that got me started in this hobby circa 2005. I've got plans to undo some of the things that I undid during that restoration.

regards,
Mike Willegal
 
My Compaq Portable II sat for 3 or 4 years before I opened it back up and decided to get it running. I was looking through a box of old floppies, and found a Seagate utility disk (that I didn't re-format and re-use) and that helped me use a larger hard drive than what was listed in it's bios.
 
I have had an IBM Thinkpad 235 in pieces in a box for 4 years. I finally just purchased a complete working model a few months ago. I find that this is how most of my projects find their way to completion.
 
wavemux said:
I have had an IBM Thinkpad 235 in pieces in a box for 4 years. I finally just purchased a complete working model a few months ago. I find that this is how most of my projects find their way to completion.
Click to expand...
You mean that you never fix any of them?
 
I think most of my projects are like this.

I bought some PDP-11/23 boards and a backplane several years ago, but only got around to rigging up an ATX supply to it two years ago. I think it had memory issues and I ended up using the PSU in something else, so it's still gathering dust. I doubt I'll be able to work on it for at least another 6 months, when I'll be getting a new workspace.

I've also got a pile of macs with bad caps, still need to get some decent surface mount sodlering gear...
 
My oldest project has to be my Amiga CDTV, bought from a friend in '93, used occasionally, and still a work in progress. CDRom drive needs TLC and some caps need to be replaced, but it'll get done eventually.

Second would be my Sony SMC-70G-based retro video studio, a work in progress since '96. Hoping to get the computer working again in the new year...
 
I have a kit from 1977 (IIRC) that I never completed, missed some crucial parts. Well, I have the components I need now (thanks *bay..), except for one which is in the mail as we speak. So I expect to get this thing running after about 39 years of collecting dust. But who knows.. could be sitting there a bit longer.
 
I will get the urge to work on my projects, then wont feel like it for months. Some have waited.. close to a decade for me to get around to them. Heck, theres a radio in the bedroom that ive been meaning to restore for the last 20 years now. I did the electrical at 13, then just never got off my buns to finish it. Maybe some day..
 
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