Even if you aren't into repairing Selectrics, a shipping-how-to is probably an important thing for you to know:
Buying a machine or sending it for service requires packing, and their are numerous stories about shipping going bad.
However, detailed information on this had been astonishingly rare ( = non existing, as far as I had checked), so here are my two cent
comments.
The mechanics of a Selectric II consists of an inner core, to which all parts are attached, and an outer shell. While in use, 4 elastic connections between the inside mechanics and the outer shell decouple noise from the mechanics to the outside. However, these connections are relatively loose and do not take upward forces and only very limited lateral forces. Therefor, during shipping, even with perfect foam cushions around the outer shell, the core will most likely become loose during transport and bounce around un-damped in the Selectric outer shell. This will damage the mechanics and is a bad idea.
IBM engineering apparently designed 4 or 5 points at which the inner core and the outer shell can be joined and fixated for transport (transport lock, German "Transportsicherung"). Here's the geometry, with the core in maintenance position (unlock level beneath bell, pull core up and forward, let core slide on rails at rear, tilt upward). Green are UNC 1/4-20 threads , pink are the circular holes in shell. Threads take 3/4" screw length, measured from underside of core (except one). Yellow triangles in my image mark rubber joints between core and shell during normal operation. Click on image to get full resolution. Foam between core and shell has been removed.
| |
| |
If I would ship a Selectric (model III or II) again, I would definitely install four of these transport locks. However, this requires reverse engineering them. In case you have more details on the adapters/bolts (dimensions, preferably with tolerances), please contact author. If you like to get the drawings of the metal sheets that were used in the crate shown below, feel free to contact me as well.
Even with transport locks, there have been reported damages, e.g. breakage of the shell, which got overloaded due to accelerations during
transport ( = rough handling).
A serious alternative would be to mount the core at the mount-points (with rubber cylindrical bobbin mounts) to a custom frame and not of
the original shell at all. Remember the 10' drop test.
Under any circumstance, the Selectric should be packed inside a sturdy box or crate with suitable, durable, fixed foam cushioning. Keep in mind that even trustworthy shippers (e.g. UPS by my experience) require a package to withstand a 10-feet drop onto concrete. A Selectric is heavy and fragile, a notoriously difficult combination. Suitable packaging takes time, but is essential. Already being familiar with crating and shipping delicate instruments is helpful, and this text tries to fill in the bits specific to an IBM Selectric.
NB: In case you wondered: Running an US Selectric II on a stepped-down 110V 50Hz (instead of 60Hz) supply seems to work just fine.
Example packing using a box by Ameripack ,
the preferred EU alternative are the extremely sturdy Explorer Cases.
Both are a off-the-shelf, sturdy, rigid, water-right transport cases. Cardboard boxes would be insufficient.
This Selectric did survive international shipping, without transport locks, with only minor damage, but closer examination revealed that
this was mostly due to good luck. Hence I recommend installing those transport locks before packing a Selectric.
The foam thickness in this packing constitutes very much the lower limit. For best results, triple the space between machine and case (to at
least 3" or 10cm), and built a frame with the foam.
Get special foam, available from specialists for packing and custom crates. Stickers "fragile" and "this way up" may help. Better, add
shock- and tilt-indicators. Try to get C-of-G roughly to the centre of the box.
|
Building a wooden crate and sending it by freight, rather than by courier, offers multiple advantages:
Handling of freight is mostly done by forklift, so the crate doesn't get tilted or thrown around. The mass of the crate adds significant
stability and lowers overall acceleration of the content.
If in doubt, contact a local specialist for crating and shipping delicate objects, and let those experts to the packaging. Expect more costs
than for the Selectrics themselves.
The home-made crate in the image below worked perfectly for shipping from San Francisco to Frankfurt. Each machine had transport locks
installed: the metal sheets and wooden plates are bolted to the inner cores of each Selectric.
|
Without any endorsement or warranty - concerning Selectrics, these were found to be valuable:
covingtoninnovations.com Selectric page,
Tschudi IBM repairs, Switzerland
No warranty for any information on these pages. I'm not a Selectric expert, and I don't have insight what IBM engineers thought
when designing this machine. When shipping, rely on your own judgements, get an opinion of local shipping experts.
A Selectric may need additional transport locks inside the machine.
If you have more concrete information, please share on publicly available web pages. And no, Face**** is not publicly available. thank you.
text and images are under the GNU_Free_Documentation_License.
