Astro City Restoration (Store a cabinet outside for a year)

[pedroTFP]

Hi,
I'd get a cab but I've no space inside house at the moment. I've a yard (cement floor), with a shed that covers from rain and snow.
I would put the cab, still wrapped in pallet from delivery, near the wall under the shed. I would extra rap it with pluriball, blankets and plastic film to the best insulation.
It should be safe from external rain\snow and direct sunlight, but what worries me is the temperature variations.
It may stay out there for a year, with temp from -10° to +35°.
Even if I still plan for a recap before usage, would this kind of storage be safe for the electronics and the CRT tube?

 

[Derick2k]

Dont do it!!!!!! The temperature swing is bad enough, but your biggest problem will be moisture control, it will rust everything a the very least. It will be even worse if you live near the sea.

 

[pedroTFP]

Even if I wrap in in rockwool and than blankets and plastic? Sea is 300kmh away.

 

[Derick2k]

What cabinet is it? Wood / Metal?

At least you don't have to worry about salt air near the shore

Depending on materials, insulation, moisture control, etc. its a gamble really to store it outside for that long. If you had a shed with some type of temperature/moisture control it would be better.

 

[pedroTFP]

It’s an Astro City.
I guess I’ll have to disassemble…

 

[pedroTFP]

Ok, I managed to tear down everything safely; now I'd take the fiberglass parts to the car shop for sanding and painting with proper fiberglass boat-paint.
Is there any way to safely remove and reapply the original decals or if I repaint I must accept to trash those and go for repros?

 

[Derick2k]

You cant save those, unfortunately. Just get repros. @hursit has quality repro sidearts.

 

[pedroTFP]

Thanks, I'll contact him when I'm done.
Meanwhile, I found a TC-L292 29" monitor (tube+board).
Could I swap it into the AC? If yes I'd buy it as a spare.

 

[Derick2k]

Thanks, I'll contact him when I'm done.
Meanwhile, I found a TC-L292 29" monitor (tube+board).
Could I swap it into the AC? If yes I'd buy it as a spare.

Might be able to somehow mount it, I would keep it as a spare.

 

[pedroTFP]

Ok, I'm ready to star with the restoration; I'll check the various threads in the forum.
Do you suggest I buy some spare yokes for the monitor? Is it something you can damage?

 

[Derick2k]

You can damage anything so…
But yeah, with crt i would say ita always good to have spares of stuff, even if you think you will never need it.

 

[kazuo]

I wouldn't store it outside due to the temp swings and moisture. If you can somehow get some type of dehumidifier (desiccant probably works too, but will get expensive) that might be better, but would still avoid.

Good luck with the project!

 

[Haydouken]

hmm why not pay for a storage container at a facility? They are pretty affordable.

 

[pedroTFP]

The cabinet is inside, I ended up disassembling just after delivery.
Still looking for some spares for CRT (MS8-9, Sanwa 1745) at reasonable prices.

And maybe a second Astro. '

 

[pedroTFP]

Ok,
finally I made time to disassemble everything!
Here are a few of pics:

I still have have to remove the coin box (one screw is stuck), then I'll bring to my car shop all metal parts for derust\sanding\repainting.
I read all similar threads here and around the web, but it's my first restoration, so I'll still ask for some tips if you indulge me.

-Body: the glass fiber body parts are not in bad shape overall, would you still go the car shop? It sure would be better looking in the end, but wouldn't a proper restoration save the most it can? Original stickers and side art are quite good.

-Spare parts: where can I buy those cable-handler to route the cables inside the cab? The plastic of the original ones is brittle. Same thing for those rubber-ish cable handler for speaker on the top panel. Where do I find those? I'll wash everything thoroughly and I fear they soap will detach them from cabinet.

-Grounding: I'm not very fluent in electronic. Is this power outlet properly grounded?

Is there anything else that must be grounded (coin mech, monitor...)?

-Screws: What do I use to unscrew this?

-Recapping: everything seemed to work fine before disassembly; power supply and monitor chassis look clean with no caps bulging. I have a voltmeter: if everything checks ok, do you suggest to go with professional recapping for everything nonetheless?

-Conductive paint for the tube: should I do it? Where do I buy\how do I apply it?

Ok, that's all for now. (-:
Thanks in advance to anyone who'll find the time to contribute.

I modified the thread title; I'll keep you posted!