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How do you setup and have room for all your Classic Computers?

I don't really do anything for earthquake prep and like some of you I am in California earthquake zone. Most of my desk surfaces are mounted right to the wall via brackets screwed into the studs. My shelving is also bracketed to the studs and heavy duty. Of course the stuff could come flying off but if it is that big I am going to have bigger problems.

Fortunately, I have been able to slim down the collection this week by 2 iMac G3s, 2 17" CRTs (Apple) a few Commodore things and a few Power Macs and Performas. Still a little ways to go before I find the sweet spot.
 
KC9UDX said:
I went once step further. My homebrew flood sensors turn off the water supply to my house.
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Not to digress, but I got one of those about 4 months ago, went outside to mount it, and it turns out the way my pipes are the device won't fit (where it goes would be blocked).. So it's now a project to figure out how/if I can cut the thing down and get creative.

Zippy Zapp said:
I don't really do anything for earthquake prep and like some of you I am in California earthquake zone. Most of my desk surfaces are mounted right to the wall via brackets screwed into the studs. My shelving is also bracketed to the studs and heavy duty. Of course the stuff could come flying off but if it is that big I am going to have bigger problems.

Fortunately, I have been able to slim down the collection this week by 2 iMac G3s, 2 17" CRTs (Apple) a few Commodore things and a few Power Macs and Performas. Still a little ways to go before I find the sweet spot.
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Also in So Cal... Funny how many socal folks are here, but yet there seem to be no Retro computer groups of any type (and retro computers themselves seem to be hard to track down).

Congrats on trimming down, I have to do so myself. I have a few items, including a huge ass Dot Matrix printer that I need to part with soon in order to clear up space. My shelving is also on studs and wall mounted, especially in the garage, but that won't stop it from flying off the shelves in the next earthquake which is likely coming soon given the time its been since the last one.
 
"How do you setup and have room for all your Classic Computers?"

I set up the stuff that looks nice and that I like to use and I pack the rest in a big closet.

Here's a shot of my desk this morning:

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(The room's not smoky, it's the sun on the lens. But it looks a bit Blade Runner-like. Maybe I'll emboss "TYRELL CORP." on my chair. :D)

Guess all the computers and win! I'll pay the winner $1000! (...but you have to guess the ones in the room that are not visible in the photo.:p)
 
great thread. storage is something i have struggled with.

I mostly limit myself to my office/gameroom desk for the two or three i'm playing with. Currently a C64 and a TRS-80 model 1.

in the same room, the closet is filled with computers. shut the closet doors, and all is good. I also have a garage compartment with some monitors and computers. My rule is that I don't acquire more than i can keep in these spaces.

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Oh, except for the old Macs tucked under my desk.

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Bought some new tables recently. With a small collection almost everything I have can be on display in my living room where they can be appreciated. Keyboards, spares and 4:3 LCD monitors stored in a spare room for testing, or reminiscing as required.

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Mr.Amiga500 said:
"How do you setup and have room for all your Classic Computers?"

I set up the stuff that looks nice and that I like to use and I pack the rest in a big closet.

Here's a shot of my desk this morning:

(The room's not smoky, it's the sun on the lens. But it looks a bit Blade Runner-like. Maybe I'll emboss "TYRELL CORP." on my chair. :D)

Guess all the computers and win! I'll pay the winner $1000! (...but you have to guess the ones in the room that are not visible in the photo.:p)
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I won't guess the computers, but that is a super impressive display you have there... and not even the normal 'retro' stuff that most of us have, super unique.
 
ngtwolf said:
I won't guess the computers, but that is a super impressive display you have there... and not even the normal 'retro' stuff that most of us have, super unique.
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Thanks! I do have the "normal 'retro' stuff" - including basically everything in your signature (except the ST), but half of those are in the closet.

Here's another wider shot, showing that it's not as claustrophobic as it looks in the first photo.

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I'm also facing a large mirrored double-door closet (containing the rest of the collection) so it feels even more spacious. I decided to have no computers anywhere else in the house - just in the "Computer Room".
 
ngtwolf said:
This is my setup. Mind you, like everyone else here, i also have stuff stored elsewhere (in my case the garage).. that stuff is either accessories i'll never use and don't care to 'display' (plotter/cassette/modem for Atari 800, for instance... oh, and an Atari 2600.. haha) or it's some accessories (like CRT monitors which are nice to have but kind of a pain to deal with) or spare parts/donor equipment. Much of the important accessories like power supplies, joysticks, and floppies are in the various forms of storage on and to the side of the display. I still have space here, and i'm still going through deciding what to put out and what to keep boxed (or sell). While it's usable where it's at, it isn't really.. I plan to set up a small computer desk in the nearby office where i can use these as needed. If I could come up with some way to have a 'keyboard tray' shelf on here, it would be more usable.. not really a keyboard tray though, but a 'shelf' that would sit on top and pull out. Anyway, work in progress...

The Atari ST, Atari 800 and the aforementioned 2600 are all originals from my childhood. The Amiga belonged to my dad (yeah, Amiga and Atari ST house at one point.. lots of conflict there... Hah!) which he pawned off on me after I told him he should open it up and fix the battery and he decided it was easier just to give everything to me instead. Everything else are recent acquisitions (while I did have an Apple Clone (ace 1000) and C64 growing up, those were lost/sold/who knows since then, along with other PC's we owned... Vic-20, C128, Dragon 32, Sinclair 1000, and obviously PC clones).

View attachment 45324
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I can see why you're worried about earthquakes! That kind of setup would scare the hell out of me - and I'm nowhere near earthquake country. Decades ago, I had shelves like that and the top shelf fell on the second shelf, which then crashed into the third shelf and crushed everything below it. I think I might have set a record for "loudest profanity ever heard".
 
My new home has a basement space I can convert into an office. It has a large storage area with shelves as well. The challenge right now is that there is a high radon presence (I had it tested). Plus it had a serious mold infestation so the walls were opened up and drywall ceiling removed to allow a dehumidifier to treat the entire basement including the dirt floor (plastic sheet covered for insulation) crawl space. In case I want to turn it into an office I will need to have ventilation and HVAC installed in the space. Plus insulation, walls, flooring and a dropped ceiling. I would also need a bathroom obviously. Quite a project. Maybe in 2019.

ISado45poo7xcv1000000000.jpg
 
Mr.Amiga500 said:
Thanks! I do have the "normal 'retro' stuff" - including basically everything in your signature (except the ST), but half of those are in the closet.

I'm also facing a large mirrored double-door closet (containing the rest of the collection) so it feels even more spacious. I decided to have no computers anywhere else in the house - just in the "Computer Room".
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Funny, that setup along with the middle of the room desk reminds me of a private eye's office in the movies.. (especially if you use that smokey looking picture previously) hahaha

Mr.Amiga500 said:
I can see why you're worried about earthquakes! That kind of setup would scare the hell out of me - and I'm nowhere near earthquake country. Decades ago, I had shelves like that and the top shelf fell on the second shelf, which then crashed into the third shelf and crushed everything below it. I think I might have set a record for "loudest profanity ever heard".
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yeah, i did some work with my garage wall storage using bungee cords to keep boxes from moving as much.. not the best (might only help with little quakes) and i have a better idea that i'll eventually work on. However, the house setup there isn't much I can do with if I still want to be able to view and access the stuff (it's okay if the garage looks ugly, but the house setup kinda needs to look presentable). I guess I have an idea that might work but it'll involve some construction that I doubt i have the fortitude to get around to doing (likely a front piece of wood to keep the stuff from sliding forward). i have 3d printed some spacers to keep the shelves from moving.. well, i printed one as a mock test before my printer decided to have issues, but i'll resolve that soon). Hopefully I'll do this before the next 'big one'. I am pretty paranoid and used a lot of brackets with lots of screws into wall studs and thick shelves, plus limit the weight i stack on shelves, so i'm not worried about it falling on it's own... but i do know the damage that quakes can do and even the best laid plans might not help.

Sadly my computer setup in the house is not in an optimal place, it's using one wall of the master bedroom because that was the only place in the house that wasn't being used (and it's pretty huge). My office is also the guest room and it's pretty small so no space left there really. The only place left involves me kicking my son out of the house. :)
 
PeterNC said:
My new home has a basement space I can convert into an office. It has a large storage area with shelves as well. The challenge right now is that there is a high radon presence (I had it tested). Plus it had a serious mold infestation so the walls were opened up and drywall ceiling removed to allow a dehumidifier to treat the entire basement including the dirt floor (plastic sheet covered for insulation) crawl space. In case I want to turn it into an office I will need to have ventilation and HVAC installed in the space. Plus insulation, walls, flooring and a dropped ceiling. I would also need a bathroom obviously. Quite a project. Maybe in 2019.
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You can turn that into quite the computer museum/office/game room.. Though, after all that work there probably won't be any money left. Hah! I am a bit envious as I wish I had more space.
 
I will do a lot DIY. That is the main reason we decided to move to the countryside in a different state. Real estate has become unaffordable in most larger metro areas. In 2015 I went on a job interview in Thousand Oaks, CA. Never had the intention to actually accept an offer but it was a fun free trip. Hypothetically I could have more of the crawl space dug out and concrete poured to create an even lager basement but that would really break the bank.
 
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PeterNC said:
I will do a lot DIY. That is the main reason we decided to move to the countryside in a different state. Real estate has become unaffordable in most larger metro areas. In 2015 I went on a job interview in Thousand Oaks, CA. Never had the intention to actually accept an offer but it was a fun free trip. Hypothetically I could have more of the crawl space dug out and concrete poured to create an even lager basement but that would really break the bank.
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Thousand Oaks? How was that interview at Amgen. :) Honestly, don't know what other companies there are there.. haha. Yeah, when I retire, I'm definitely leaving Los Angeles (and California in general)... maybe sooner, who knows.
 
Amgen was fine. Great food in their cafe. The funny thing is that I was terribly hungover from a job interview in Las Vegas, NV the day before.
 
I haven't bought shelves at Menard's, but I have bought tables.

A 3' x 6' utility table is a useful thing. I can get 3 units side by side on one table with room at front for a keyboard. I have considered, but not yet implemented, building a shelf on each table that's also 3' x 6', high enough to allow a desktop unit with monitor on top to sit comfortably on the original desktop.

Right now my "portables" (AKA luggables) sit closed up near a wall or under a table, so I don't trip over them.

For anyone considering this: don't get the ones that fold in the middle!! I had one collapse with only 1 system and some spare parts on it. The one I bought has a polyethylene top and supports up to 300 pounds. I've had one in my bedroom that holds a 5150, 5160, QX-10, and QX-16. Nary a creak.

EDIT: I said 3' x 6' above. It's actually 6' x 30". I was close. :) Either way, room for a desktop unit & keyboard.
 
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Trixter said:
Thanks so much for the testimonial and link -- you've solved a niggling problem for me. (going to pick one up today)
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Not a problem. I think you'll be happy. They're pretty sturdy and fairly attractive to boot. Not to mention inexpensive. Try looking at tables on Craiglist. Yoicks!
 
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