Thread

Parting out a badly yellowed 512k to save a 128

Parting out a badly yellowed 512k to save a 128 Networking 15 posts Mar 20, 2011 — Mar 22, 2011

#1 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 - 23:22

Well I got kind of a dilemma here, I snagged a 512k with apple case and modem and whatnot, and the 512k is very badly yellowed. I have a 128k thats early 1984 that needs a drive. Should i take the parts I need from the 512k and put them into the 128. I already got a really nice 512k. The one I was going to use for parts came with an external 400k drive as well. So right now I have 2 nice complete systems. A 128k and a 512k.

What would you guys do in this situation

#2 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 - 23:52

Sounds like a good idea to use the 512k's floppy drive to get the 128 fully working. If it's just transferring a drive over, there wouldn't be any irreversible changes. If you changed your mind at some point, you could always put the drive back..

#3 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 - 00:32

Deyellow the 512k and patiently search EBAY for the parts you need for the 128k. There are a fixed number of vintage Macs out there. Let's strive to preserve them where possible.

viewtopic.php?p=134518#p134518

#4 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 - 02:19

I already got 2, dont need that many of them around here, I had to part out an SE to fix the one I had as a child. I collect old snowmobiles, sometimes ya have to part out one to make the nicer one work.

#5 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 - 02:45

I guess the point is, if there is no other damage to the case, then it can easily be de-yellowed to near new condition. Then it can be sold. I've got nothing against borrowing parts from one to the other, but then it comes to dismantling irreplaceable parts on a 128K and 512K, like fly-backs, custom ICs and such, I much prefer to buy a cheap, preferably damaged Mac Plus, which were so popular that it will be years before they become endangered. Not only are the parts more robust, but there's an ample supply, and 100% interchangeable. And a nicely restored 512K will probably fetch enough on eBay to pay for the Plus with a nice profit left over. Obviously when it comes to restoring a 128K and 512K to original condition using original parts, then some 128K and 512K will have to be sacrificed - but hopefully it will be one with an unrestorable case, with cracks. Yellowing can be fixed now, or at least it's worth a shot before designating it for the landfill.

#6 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 - 02:51

Oh I wouldnt trash it, It would just be tucked away until I found proper time to get her back together. or id sell it to another person who needed one. Right now I run my 128k off an external drive. Id like to have the functioning internal. Ill probably try the deyellowing on the yellowed 512k case this summer. I got my 128k which isnt yellowed at all it looks darn good, same with my nice 512k. I never throw anything out especially if someone else needs it. Same goes with the old sleds I restore. I had 52 of them in the back yard this summer, Always had parts for anyone who could never need one.

#7 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 - 03:13

You could put the drive mechanism from the external inside your Mac 128k. Or do the same to the 400k external advertised here (currently $10 + shipping):

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-Vintage-Apple-M0130-400k-floppy-drives-/120700862902?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1a5501b6#ht_500wt_1043

The other benefit to that auction is, if you deyellow the cases and clean up the drive mechanisms to get them working again (even WD-40 would do it), you could sell them and get your money back plus a bit more for your deyellowing/cleaning expense, time and effort.

#8 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 - 03:26

Yeah I guess I can pop one of the internals out of the external cases I have. Im planning on displaying them so I thought it would be cool to have them in succession from the 128k up to the Color Classic. I have an external drive for my Original SE and SE/30, thought it would be cool to have one each for the 512k and 128k to display next to them

#9 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 - 03:31

Either way I gotta get cracking on getting these things back in order theyve all been in storage for 10 years.. Lots of cleanup to do. Got some drives to free up and the like.

Sitting underneath my workbench I got the following

128k- needs floppy replaced

512kx2- One needs deyellowed other needs general cleaning

Plus- Needs deyellowed

SEx2 One needs drive freed

SE/30- Has simasi pattern, needs new logic board

Classic II works

Performa 200- Chimes but no video

#10 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 - 04:56

Is the 128 completely missing a drive, or is the drive not working? Just wondering..

#11 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 - 14:12

Im planning on displaying them so I thought it would be cool to have them in succession from the 128k up to the Color Classic. I have an external drive for my Original SE and SE/30, thought it would be cool to have one each for the 512k and 128k to display next to them

Yeah OK. I always thought it was too bad they discontinued the DB-19 port on the Color Classic, for this exact reason, since it was the last of the compacts anyway. It's the only one that can't use an external floppy drive.

I presume you have the Apple 3.5" external (800K) on the SE (two internal floppys?), and the 1.44MB Superdrive external on the SE/30? Another idea for display would be to put an HD 20 under the 512K. Since a 512K looks exactly like a 128K from the front (actually everywhere except the rear case badge), the HD 20 would be a better way to set them apart as it was a quite common accessory, as well as for the early Mac Plus. Is your Plus Platinum, or beige? If Platinum, you might consider the HD SC 20 to put under it (the SC 20 also came in beige – the only new Apple product I am aware was sold simultaneously in both Platinum & beige). If beige, the Macintosh 800K external drive is the logical pairing, since that's what it was designed for, and or the 512K (especially if your Plus is Platinum and/or you have an HD 20, or if your SE has 2 floppy drives already).

#12 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 - 14:34

Nope my systems are as this

And the 128k drive just wont read a thing, Ive had it apart multiple times, cleaned it over and over, cant get the darn thing to work,

128k w/external floppy

512k w/external floppy

Plus 1MB no external hard drive- its a beige one that needs some loving- has the words CMU cut into the back case with a wood burning iron

SE 2/20MB with external drive

SE SuperDrive 4/40MB & External Drive

SE 30 8MB 40MB- Needs a logic board

Classic II 10/40MB

Performa 200 4/40MB

The only things im missing are an original classic and a color classic, but i got a lead on one, Finding an HD 20 sounds hard to do and expensive from what ive seen on evilbay, same with the Apple 20SC SCSI Drive, and the Apple CD SC. I am trying to build kind of a souped up SE just finding things as I go, because the configuration as kids we always saw at the apple computer shop was a Mac SE, with that CD SC, external floppy drive, an additional external Hard drive and an Ethernet card. Ive had a couple nice machines over the last year, but sold them when I had to pay lovely tuition, so im trying to get everything back in order the way it was, I got everything here to network them as well. Only thing im missing are the DB 9 Phone net connectors if they even made such a thing. Because id love to put the 512k and 128k on the AppleTalk network

#13 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 - 19:28

A 128k on Appletalk is imposible .... Sorry

But if you would manage to get It running... you would be a hero!

I also had a drive like yours... Cleaned the head with alcohol and à dust cleaner for the front and it worked!

#14 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 - 20:15

Ive cleaned the head multiple times, not one darn thing works. 10 years of messing with it

I know its possible to do AppleTalk on a 512k, But I just need that wonderful connector to do so

#15 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 - 05:21

A 128k on Appletalk is imposible .... Sorry!

Not exactly. You can put a 128K on an Appletalk network, but about the most it can do is print.