10 Nov
2004
10 Nov
'04
12:40 p.m.
I've bought a model 33 off eBay. The seller doesn't
really know how to ship one -- he's just got it in a
box with styrofoam peanuts. I'm trying to give him
some instructions on how to do it right. I recall
that
there is a shipping screw that must be locked, but
don't remember the details. Can anyone give me some
instructions I can pass on to him? If anyone has
shipped one of these, I'd like to know what worked and
what didn't. I remember a few stories of machines
damaged in transit showing up on the list.
Thanks,
--Bill
10 Nov
10 Nov
2:20 p.m.
I've bought a model 33 off eBay. The seller doesn't
really know how to ship one -- he's just got it in a
box with styrofoam peanuts. I'm trying to give him
some instructions on how to do it right. I recall
that
there is a shipping screw that must be locked, but
don't remember the details. Can anyone give me some
You _must_ bolt the typing unit -- the main chassis -- down. If you
don't, you'll do a lot of damage when you ship it. THere's a hole
underneath that takes a self-tapping screw to do this -- officially the
screw was supposed to be cliped to one of the carriage belt brackets
inside, but I've never seen one. If all else fails, 'borrow' a screw
from, say, the platten mounting for this.
-tony
2:29 p.m.
I've bought a model 33 off eBay. The seller
doesn't
really know how to ship one -- he's just got it in a
box with styrofoam peanuts. I'm trying to give him
some instructions on how to do it right. I recall
that
there is a shipping screw that must be locked, but
don't remember the details. Can anyone give me some
instructions I can pass on to him? If anyone has
shipped one of these, I'd like to know what worked and
what didn't. I remember a few stories of machines
damaged in transit showing up on the list.
Thanks,
--Bill
I recently bought a working ASR-33 from a company that
used to do maintenance on these things. They did put the
shpping bolt in it, and it was inserted underneath the
keyboard area from outside the bottom cover. It seems
that it was about 3 or 4 inches long with a big washer
on the end. Since I bought mine in working condition,
I went ahead and paid a little extra to have it strapped
to a pallet, wrapped with some bubble wrap and foam, and
covered with a cardboard box shaped to fit. I bought an
LA36 DecWriter at the same time and both were shipped on
the same palllet. I used FedEx Freight, which did a fine
job delivering it.
I don't know what else to tell you, but I do know that
mine survived the trip and worked perfectly when I tested
it out. I have heard of others who were not quite as
fortunate.
Ashley
3:59 p.m.
The typing unit in a Model 33 is just floating inside the case (it sits on 4
rubber feet). Without a lockdown bolt it will bounce all over the place and
probably destroy the unit (I know I have one that was destroyed in this
fashion Photos at www.dynamicconcepts.us/Teletype). Even with the locking
bolt in place, the typing unit is likely to shift and require alingment.
>
11 Nov
11 Nov
6:54 a.m.
Bill -
Peanuts weren't really enough when my ASR-33 was
shipped, and because of the way the weight is
distributed in the unit on its stand, it could wind up
travelling upside down for most of its journey. Try to
have the shipper pay special attention to the plastic
cover that fits on the top. This is made from a very
brittle material and will shatter easily (as happened
to mine in transit). The cover can be removed easily
enough for shipping, perhaps in a separate box.
Dave
--- Ashley Carder <wacarder(a)usit.net> wrote:
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Check out the new Yahoo! Front Page.
www.yahoo.com
I've
bought a model 33 off eBay. The seller
doesn't
really know how to ship one -- he's just got
it in
a
box with styrofoam peanuts. I'm trying to
give
him
some instructions on how to do it right. I
recall
that
there is a shipping screw that must be locked, but
don't remember the details. Can anyone give me
some
instructions I can pass on to him? If anyone
has
shipped one of these, I'd like to know what worked
and
what didn't. I remember a few stories of
machines
damaged in transit showing up on the list.
Thanks,
--Bill
I recently bought a working ASR-33 from a company
that
used to do maintenance on these things. They did
put the
shpping bolt in it, and it was inserted underneath
the
keyboard area from outside the bottom cover. It
seems
that it was about 3 or 4 inches long with a big
washer
on the end. Since I bought mine in working
condition,
I went ahead and paid a little extra to have it
strapped
to a pallet, wrapped with some bubble wrap and foam,
and
covered with a cardboard box shaped to fit. I bought
an
LA36 DecWriter at the same time and both were
shipped on
the same palllet. I used FedEx Freight, which did a
fine
job delivering it.
I don't know what else to tell you, but I do know
that
mine survived the trip and worked perfectly when I
tested
it out. I have heard of others who were not quite
as
fortunate.
Ashley
7:04 a.m.
I have shipped a couple of these over the years - I always had good luck
by removing the machine from it's pedestal entirely, and shipping them in
separate boxes. Also, fixing the locking bolt down on the typing unit
before shipping is critical.
Once the 33 is in it's 'tabletop' configuration, it's very easy to pack
it up nicely, and the pedestal, being just light-guage sheet metal, also
travels well, if you block it from being crushed.
In the case of the original post, however, all this depends on the
relative skill of the Seller - and often that is sadly lacking.
Cheers
John
7:16 a.m.
Hi
Removing the cover and motor to ship in different boxes still is a
good idea. The one I got was a mess. The box wax partially opened and
I had to search the packing to, luckily, find the H piece that
goes between the keboard and the printer.
Dwight
On Thu, 11 Nov 2004, John Lawson wrote:
I have shipped a couple of these over the years - I always had good luck by
removing the machine from it's pedestal entirely, and shipping them in
separate boxes. Also, fixing the locking bolt down on the typing unit before
shipping is critical.
Once the 33 is in it's 'tabletop' configuration, it's very easy to pack
it
up nicely, and the pedestal, being just light-guage sheet metal, also travels
well, if you block it from being crushed.
In the case of the original post, however, all this depends on the relative
skill of the Seller - and often that is sadly lacking.
Cheers
John
3:26 a.m.
Styrrofoam peanuts definitely won't do. Heavy items like theis will quickly sink
right to the bottom and then they'll bounce around like they had no padding at all. If
nothing else go to Home Depot and buy sheets of styrofoam or heavy insulating foam and cut
them to size and pad the box with those. In addition, the peanuts will get chewed into
small bits and will get into EVERYTHING. A friend of mine shipped me six large boxs of
heavy manuals in three ring binders packed in peanuts and the pieces of styrofoam got into
every nook and cranny and even betweenthe pages. It took a couple of days to get the
majority of it out but even today when I open one of those manuals bits of styrofoam fall
out from between the pages. If you have to pack stuff in styrofoam peanuts at least put
the stuff into a sealed plastic bag first to keep the styrofoam out of it.
Joe
At 03:40 PM 11/10/04 -0800, you wrote:
I've bought a model 33 off eBay. The seller
doesn't
really know how to ship one -- he's just got it in a
box with styrofoam peanuts. I'm trying to give him
some instructions on how to do it right. I recall
that
there is a shipping screw that must be locked, but
don't remember the details. Can anyone give me some
instructions I can pass on to him? If anyone has
shipped one of these, I'd like to know what worked and
what didn't. I remember a few stories of machines
damaged in transit showing up on the list.
Thanks,
--Bill
4:15 a.m.
Joe R. wrote:
Styrrofoam peanuts definitely won't do. Heavy
items like theis will quickly sink right to the bottom and then they'll bounce around
like they had no padding at all. If nothing else go to Home Depot and buy sheets of
styrofoam or heavy insulating foam and cut them to size and pad the box with those. In
addition, the peanuts will get chewed into small bits and will get into EVERYTHING. A
friend of mine shipped me six large boxs of heavy manuals in three ring binders packed in
peanuts and the pieces of styrofoam got into every nook and cranny and even betweenthe
pages. It took a couple of days to get the majority of it out but even today when I open
one of those manuals bits of styrofoam fall out from between the pages. If you have to
pack stuff in styrofoam peanuts at least put the stuff into a sealed plastic bag first to
keep the styrofoam out of it.
Joe
One "how-not-to-ship" that happened to a company I deal with.
They received a snow-machine engine that needed fixing.
The shipper placed it in a box, and then sprayed instant-foam
insulation material around it. It had not been wrapped in plastic
(or anything else) first. Took them much longer to clean it than
to repair it.
9:24 a.m.
On Thu, 11 Nov 2004, Joe R. wrote:
Styrrofoam peanuts definitely won't do.
You're being awfully nice :-)
Styrofoam "peanuts" are like a cosmic conspiracy or
something. Except for a few wimpy, trivial packing jobs where
any number of alternative materials/methods would work, they're
useless. Plus, it's expanded plastic for sh*t's sake, and gets
all over the place, makes for terrible landfill, toxic when
burned, aesthetically irritating at best, and they crumble
into everything.
I used to save them, along with bubble wrap, expanded paper,
boxes etc, for re-use but no longer, directly into recycling
they go. I know about the idea of re-use but they degrade the
objects they pack as they get "re used".
The cornstarch based ones appear to be less horrid, but are
equally useless.
4:20 p.m.
At 02:24 PM 11/11/2004, Tom Jennings wrote:
Styrofoam "peanuts" are like a cosmic
conspiracy or something.
Indeed! And they're not produced on-site at the shipper, right,
so they must've been shipped full-size in giant hoppers? It makes
so little sense.
A few vendors I know are using an inflated plastic tube alternative.
At least these are easily popped afterwards and become just plastic
film. They do the job of filling space to keep one box from rattling
around within another - which is a task peanuts do, too.
Still, I wish for one of those expanded-foam packing systems.
My shipping volume does not justify it, but it's such a nice way
to pack anything fragile.
- John
12 Nov
12 Nov
4:52 a.m.
John Foust wrote:
...
Still, I wish for one of those expanded-foam packing systems.
My shipping volume does not justify it, but it's such a nice way
to pack anything fragile.
- John
What about using that spray foam insulation stuff, "Great Stuff"?
Probably not cost effective for really large items, though...
--
--- Dave Woyciesjes
--- ICQ# 905818
5:01 a.m.
At 09:52 AM 11/12/2004, you wrote:
What about using that spray foam insulation
stuff, "Great Stuff"? Probably not cost effective for really large items,
though...
I'm sure better chemical mixtures are easy and probably cheap
in bulk (like the commercial systems), but the formulations they
sell for crack-filling aren't expansive enough or cheap enough.
I seem to remember Mr. Wizard doing it and getting 10x or 100x.
- John
5:18 a.m.
>>>> "David" == David Woyciesjes
<woyciesjes(a)sbcglobal.net> writes:
David> John Foust wrote: ...
> Still, I wish for one of those expanded-foam
packing systems. My
> shipping volume does not justify it, but it's such a nice way to
> pack anything fragile.
>
> - John
David> What about using that spray foam insulation stuff, "Great
David> Stuff"? Probably not cost effective for really large items,
David> though...
Exactly. I did that once. A can is good for about a cubic foot, if
that.
paul
13 Nov
13 Nov
4:35 a.m.
At 10:52 AM 11/12/04 -0500, you wrote:
John Foust wrote:
...
It's not even cost effective for SMALL items! The amount of foam that in one of
those cans is pathetic! I tried to use that when I first shipped stuff that I'd sold
on Ebay and a full can won't fill even the left over space in a a 6" ^3 box. The
other problem with that stuff is that it keeps expanding for hours (at least!). I packed
one box full of small items (sealed in plastic) then filled the box with foam (no, not the
liquid). The buyer told me later that the foam didn't get into anything but that it
had kept expanding till it got into evgr{ crcck and crgvkcg and that hg had to chip thg
stwff ouv of"of it :-) He did sakd"that evgr{thing"was absolwtgl{
intact"thowgh sincg it was one big monolkthic block!
Joe
Still, I wish for one of those expanded-foam packing systems.
My shipping volume does not justify it, but it's such a nice way
to pack anything fragile.
- John
What about using that spray foam insulation stuff, "Great Stuff"?
Probably not cost effective for really large items, though... 
6:09 a.m.
At 10:35 AM 11/13/2004, you wrote:
Plus when you use that stuff the fumes can make your typing go to hell,
right Joe ... Joe?
Just pickin :-)
Ed K.
What
about using that spray foam insulation stuff, "Great Stuff"?
Probably not cost effective for really large items, though...
It's not even cost effective for SMALL items! The amount of foam that
in one of those cans is pathetic! I tried to use that when I first
shipped stuff that I'd sold on Ebay and a full can won't fill even the
left over space in a a 6" ^3 box. The other problem with that stuff is
that it keeps expanding for hours (at least!). I packed one box full of
small items (sealed in plastic) then filled the box with foam (no, not
the liquid). The buyer told me later that the foam didn't get into
anything but that it had kept expanding till it got into evgr{ crcck and
crgvkcg and that hg had to chip thg stwff ouv of"of it :-) He did
sakd"that evgr{thing"was absolwtgl{ intact"thowgh sincg it was one big
monolkthic block!
3:49 p.m.
At 12:09 PM 11/13/04 -0500, you wrote:
At 10:35 AM 11/13/2004, you wrote:
Plus when you use that stuff the fumes can make your typing go to hell,
right Joe ... Joe?
Just pickin :-)
Ed K.
I saw that too AFTER I sent the message something is realy going beserk with my
computer. Eudora lost ALL of it's settings last week but I checked the INI file and
everything was still there! I started to manually reenter the settings but after entering
the first two it picked ALL of them up again. Then this message got thoroughly scrambled
earlier today. It's the only one that got scrambled). This just now all the addresses
in the Eudora Address book disappeared EXCEPT Rich Beaudry's and the B was gone out of
it!!!! I haven't had any trouble with anything else except Eudora. All the spy-ware
and virus checkers come up clean.
Joe
What about using that spray foam insulation stuff, "Great Stuff"?
Probably not cost effective for really large items, though...
It's not even cost effective for SMALL items! The amount of foam that
in one of those cans is pathetic! I tried to use that when I first
shipped stuff that I'd sold on Ebay and a full can won't fill even the
left over space in a a 6" ^3 box. The other problem with that stuff is
that it keeps expanding for hours (at least!). I packed one box full of
small items (sealed in plastic) then filled the box with foam (no, not
the liquid). The buyer told me later that the foam didn't get into
anything but that it had kept expanding till it got into evgr{ crcck and
crgvkcg and that hg had to chip thg stwff ouv of"of it :-) He did
sakd"that evgr{thing"was absolwtgl{ intact"thowgh sincg it was one big
monolkthic block!
2 p.m.
At 09:35 AM 11/13/2004, Joe R. wrote:
It's not even cost effective for SMALL items! The
amount of foam that in one of those cans is pathetic! I tried to use that when I first
shipped stuff that I'd sold on Ebay and a full can won't fill even the left over
space in a a 6" ^3 box. The other problem with that stuff is that it keeps expanding
for hours (at least!).
If you look closely on the cans at your average home repair store,
they'll often have a selection of varying expansion rates. If you're
filling the gaps on the side of a window frame when you're building a
house, for example, you don't want it to keep expanding for hours.
You want something that'll expand quickly, not too much, then stop.
Otherwise it will expand with such pressure as to prevent the window
from opening, believe it or not. Other cans advertise
that they'll
fill large gaps, meaning the foam expands more, longer. There are
some foams that are latex-based as opposed to the aldehyde (?) form.
One of my clients is a pottery. They have a big foaming machine,
I think it's connected to one or two large vats perhaps a cubic 5x5x5 ft.
They lay down a thin plastic sheet, foam into the bottom of the box,
lay down another sheet, drop in the pot with a covering sheet, then
foam again with another sheet on top so it doesn't stick to the box.
You can see how you'd want it to expand quickly, to a certain volume,
then not expand any more.
(Us rural geeks must often have a wide range of talents, from construction
to woodworking to tractor driving to sheep wrangling, etc. For computer
consulting, I've been paid in pork, fish, vegetables, poultry, baked
goods, etc.)
- John
11 Nov
11 Nov
3:59 a.m.
Hi
You should also remove the motor and ship in a different
box. This is the most massive part of the machine and causes it
to float unevenly in peanuts.There is a site for pdp's that
has the manuals on line that will show how to lock down the
printer. I don't have the URL handy right now but a search
should find it. It is in the classiccmp archives someplace.
Dwight
On Wed, 10 Nov 2004, William Maddox wrote:
I've bought a model 33 off eBay. The seller
doesn't
really know how to ship one -- he's just got it in a
box with styrofoam peanuts. I'm trying to give him
some instructions on how to do it right. I recall
that
there is a shipping screw that must be locked, but
don't remember the details. Can anyone give me some
instructions I can pass on to him? If anyone has
shipped one of these, I'd like to know what worked and
what didn't. I remember a few stories of machines
damaged in transit showing up on the list.
Thanks,
--Bill
9:17 a.m.
On Wed, 10 Nov 2004, William Maddox wrote:
It WILL be damaged if shipped without the locking screw.
This comes up often enough that someone with an ASR 33 should
mock up the operation with photos and post in on the web with
good metas for google to find. I don't have a 33 or I would offer
to do it. ID the threads and all, "borrow" one from elsewher
in the machine, and maybe a photo of a RUINED one for constrast!
I've bought a model 33 off eBay. The seller
doesn't
really know how to ship one -- he's just got it in a
box with styrofoam peanuts. I'm trying to give him
some instructions on how to do it right. I recall
that
there is a shipping screw that must be locked, but
don't remember the details. Can anyone give me some
instructions I can pass on to him? If anyone has
shipped one of these, I'd like to know what worked and
what didn't. I remember a few stories of machines
damaged in transit showing up on the list.
Thanks,
--Bill
12 Nov
12 Nov
3:33 p.m.
On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 15:40:19 -0800 (PST), you wrote:
I've bought a model 33 off eBay. The seller
doesn't
really know how to ship one -- he's just got it in a
box with styrofoam peanuts. I'm trying to give him
some instructions on how to do it right. I recall
that
there is a shipping screw that must be locked, but
don't remember the details. Can anyone give me some
instructions I can pass on to him? If anyone has
shipped one of these, I'd like to know what worked and
what didn't. I remember a few stories of machines
damaged in transit showing up on the list.
Thanks,
--Bill
I will just delurk here and make the comment that I am the person
shipping this teletype to him.
I've taken the carriage/printing mechanism out of the case. It is
amazing how loose it just sits in there, and I'm certainly glad Bill
raised the issue with me before it was shipped.
I have packed the carriage/printing mechanism in it's own smaller box,
with rigid foam around it. This will go into a bigger box that is
filled with peanuts (yes, there is a place for 'peanuts' in the
shipping universe), so it's a box-inside-box arrangement, with the
peanuts acting as padding. The bottom base plate of the case is cast
metal, and can 'ride' in a larger shipping carton. The more fragile
case top and misc loose parts (this is a printing only TTY, which
simplifies the design some) can go into the box with the case bottom
and lots of padding, fill, and some foam blocks to keep things
separated.
It's still up in the air wether the case parts and the box with the
teletype mechanism in it should go together in a single big box. I am
now confident that I can get the case and parts shipped without damage
in a big box with proper packing, but the mechanism may go in a
separate box (for the added cost of a two parcel shipment).
----------
In defense of 'peanuts' as shipping fill- I have shipped dozens of
Dell Optiplexes in boxes surrounded with peanuts, using small rigid
boxes around the CPU box to hold it in place, and prevent it from
'floating down to the bottom of a mass of crushed styrofoam peanuts.
None of the systems have been damaged in shipping. Granted, modern
'PC' hardware is built (not as heavy, while at the same time designed
'cheap but strong') for the kind of shipping that is done everyday.
Old Classic Hardware, much of which was designed to sit in Glass Rooms
where mere mortals would never even have the opportunity to breathe
the same air, is big, and heavy, and meant to be shipped on the skids
that companies like IBM and DEC paid structural engineers to design
for that purpose. The Teletype in question comes from that era.
--------
Is anybody out there putting any effort into historically documenting
how the old hardware was crated and shipped? I would imagine some day
there will be people collecting DEC/IBM/Sperry/ControlData Skids and
shipping crates (if not already) and studying what historical record
is left of how it was done.
3:39 p.m.
It was written...
Is anybody out there putting any effort into
historically documenting
how the old hardware was crated and shipped? I would imagine some day
there will be people collecting DEC/IBM/Sperry/ControlData Skids and
shipping crates (if not already) and studying what historical record
is left of how it was done.
No, but I bet a few are thinking about it now :)
Jay
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