Covid19 shutdown causing loss of lab/tool assets

[nevetslab]

Being among the millions of financial victims from the Covid19 Virus shutdown of jobs & financial flow from servicing the entertainment industry’s gear, my two storage lockers are now about to be lost, no longer having the funds to keep them. With that loss, I face losing nearly everything I have packed away within, and would sure love to find homes for as much of this gear as possible. Shame all of you that aren’t in the LA/Orange County area aren’t nearby for a great score.

While I have many of my lab assets at my shop at CenterStaging, the rest of the lab assets I had acquired over the years at BGW Systems and other shorter-term engineering positions, tomorrow I’m making a dash down the freeway from my home in Glendale to Torrance, where my two storage lockers are located. One is 14’ x 12’, the other is 12’ x 10’. Packed full of my technical library, all my lab instrument owners/service manuals, scopes (Analogic 6000, 6100B, LeCroy 7200, 7200A, Nicolette 3091, Tektronix 7834, R7623A, R5031, R5030), Spectrum & Network Analyzers (HP 3570A/3571A/3330B, 3575A, Bafco 916AxH, Wandall & Goltermann SPM19/PS19/SG4, HP3591A, HP 3581A, Rockland FFT512/S, Kay DSP5500), Arbitrary Generators (Analogic 2020-25, LeCroy 9112, 9101, Wavetek 75), Oscillators (HP 204D, 3330B, Krohn-Hite 4300A,Optimation Decade Osc), Function Generators (Exact 202, Wavetek 132, 185, 186, 98), Filters (Krohn-Hite 3750, Rockland 1000F, 452, 752A, 2582), Bridges (GR1650A, ESI 296), DMM’s (Racal-Dana 6002, Simpson 460’s, Data Precision 1450’s, Tek DM501A’s, DM502’s, HP3467A’s), Power Supplies (HP 6823A, Preston-Scientific 101’s), Plotters & Recorders (B & K 2305, 2307, HP 7041A, 7046A, 7090A, 7132A’s, 7475A, 7550B, Teac XR-510’s), Tektronix TM500 Series mainframes & instruments, Tek 7000 series plug-ins, cables, adapters, Tek scope probes, B & K Filters, numerous other instruments.

I’ve placed a number of photos I had taken (using the low-resolution Sony Mavica Digital Camera) when I repacked the lockers after moving from Gardena, CA to Glendale, CA in 2015.



Then all my camera assets (three 4 x 5 cameras, lenses), 35mm Nikon F2’s & loads of lenses, Gitzo & Bilora tripods, tripod dollies, Matthews light stands, hot lights, flash equipment, etc. Darkroom assets (Beslar and Durst enlargers, great assortment of lenses, 6-ft sink, tray ladders & trays, archival print washer, Saunders 4-bladed easels, MacBeth Transmission/Reflection Densitometers, Setra Digital scale (chemical bench use), film development tanks & reels (35mm, 120mm, 4 x 5, 8 x 10), chemical lab glassware…beakers, stirrer/hotplates. Thomas Duplex Safelight, Graylab Digital Darkroom timers, chemicals for mixing developer, bleach, fixers. Seal Commercial Dry Mount Press, Print dryer, light tables, print mounting tools, etc.

Roland TD-10 V-Sessions electronic drum kit. JBL 2385 Horn/Lens (2) with 2380 Drivers, mtd in cases.

Wood & Metal working tools, 6” Atlas Jointer, 18” Dewalt Planer, Disc/Belt sander. Paper Shears, Drafting Table (Stacor 42” x 30” footpedal height/tilt), Gerstner tool boxes, Kennedy Machinist Chest, lab bench & shelving/pedestal/shelving. Shelving/bunkbed assembly (allocated to storage locker use with loft).



The reality of now having to salvage what I can keep, and find a home for everything else, or the storage locker facility ends up with it all due to no funds to keep the lockers, and no place to move it all to………that’s my sudden reality of what the Covid19 Virus Pandemic has placed on me. I'd hate to have the Storage Locker facility end up with it all. Hoping I can track down a couple of the Photography Dept instructors I had classes with at both El Camino College in Torrance, and see what I can donate to the school.

I’ve rented a pickup truck and driving down to the lockers tomorrow to extract what I can during the day, and take new photos with the Apple iPhone 5 that ‘xtian’ sent me (I owe you big time for this, Aaron!). I’m sure there are some treasures in the lockers that I can find for you.

More details to follow. I'll have the lockers for another month at least....thru the end of April. What happens then, I hate to think about. My apartment is going to get a bit crowded tomorrow, I suspect.

[drewl]

Aren't rents/debts like this suspended for the time being?

[nevetslab]

Well, within Glendale, if any of us were unable to pay the rent, we wouldn't be evicted, but, we would have a 6 month grace period for each month rent isn't paid, and would have to pay it back. I haven't yet spoken with Storage, Etc regarding their locker rental fees. At best, it would be similar to that, or, at worst, you don't pay, you loose. As that rent now cost me $460 a month to keep the lockers, I'm so close to bankruptcy, I have to do something. For all I know, Covid19 will take care of that and I become a statistic. Hope not, but, I am 70 yrs old. California hasn't yet become like NY, but only time will tell, and the good LORD's grace.

[The Dude]

This makes me sad. Believe me. I'll be stewing on anybody I know in the area that could store your gear for a while. I don't have a lot of contacts in your area, so don't hold your breath, but my brain will be working. Best of luck to you nevets!

[Leo_Gnardo]

Nevets you should copy those photos & list of items to MEF's Flea Market.

Also - permit me to commiserate. I've always been awestruck by your collection of test gear. Not only the items, but that you know how to use them! And now all this other stuff besides. It has got to be a major drag to have to liquidate the collection, or even some major part of it. I know, someday it's gonna be my turn, way too soon (I hope not!) and I should give some thanks as well to those techs who retired, moved or whatever, and sold me their old stuff cheap, & even gave me a lot. Gotta right-size the collection, think of it that way.

Best of luck nevs, hauling & stacking, listing & selling. And I hope Center Staging gets back into gear real soon.

[xtian]

Ah, man, this is tough news. I hope you can look on the bright side--throwing shit out is liberating! But this is good shit, and hopefully you can find it loving homes. I'll send a note to my engineer friend in the area.

[nevetslab]

Ah, man, this is tough news. I hope you can look on the bright side--throwing shit out is liberating! But this is good shit, and hopefully you can find it loving homes. I'll send a note to my engineer friend in the area.

I don't know when I'll gain access to my shop at CenterStaging, as that's where all my shipping supplies and industrial tape shooter is. But, having an abundance of gear that's not getting used, I'm sure there might be something you're on the lookout for that I might just have as a thank-you gift for your generosity with the Apple iPhone and the deal on those EF-86 tubes. I only got as far as having the Matchless DC30 brought down from the shelves above (our rental gear is stored in three and four tiers tall shelves.....frightening when you look up from the floor and see high up the amp you need to have brought down to service. I ran out of time the last day we were open, so on the rebound, I'll get a chance to try those tubes out.

I know my sister in Las Vegas will be thankful the day I don't have the monthly payments of buying all that gear in storage over and over again. She doesn't understand the concepts of being fully tooled in all disciplines involved in. Most tools and equipment resides inactive....until you need it. It gets crazy when one gets involved in MANY areas of interest. First class in Black & White Photography taught by a gifted artist who knew the full process and had an 'eye', I was hooked immediately once exposed to the dark room. 3 hours in a class of 15 students in a large darkroom just wasn't enough time. The school (El Camino Community College in Torrance, CA) has a wonderful well-equipped woodshop, so I spent seven semesters in there building my dark room furniture, using........free lumber from all the sheet metal pallets that the sheet metal for BGW Systems came strapped on. I'm also going to loose that milled lumber I processed while there, with materials for two nice wood-working benches still waiting completion...though no place to set them up.

A two-story industrial building....say 20,000 sq feet would be about right for a full wood shop, machine shop, photo lab, electronics lab, graphic arts, library, office and, of course, recording room/control room. Living quarters above. Dream on, though that was the pursuit.

[nevetslab]

Nevets you should copy those photos & list of items to MEF's Flea Market.

Also - permit me to commiserate. I've always been awestruck by your collection of test gear. Not only the items, but that you know how to use them! And now all this other stuff besides. It has got to be a major drag to have to liquidate the collection, or even some major part of it. I know, someday it's gonna be my turn, way too soon (I hope not!) and I should give some thanks as well to those techs who retired, moved or whatever, and sold me their old stuff cheap, & even gave me a lot. Gotta right-size the collection, think of it that way.

Best of luck nevs, hauling & stacking, listing & selling. And I hope Center Staging gets back into gear real soon.

I WILL be posting images and a list of items on MEF's Flea Market. I figured I'd start here first. One thing the years of collecting premium grade instrumentation was learning how each worked, seeing how they were built, sparing no expense in doing it right (General Radio, Hewlett-Packard, Tektronix, Bruel & Kjaer, etc). Being able to obtain 5-7 year old & and older gear at pennies on the dollar from what they originally cost, which industry and the millitary funded with our tax dollars, it's just always been a pleasure to be able to work with such cool gear. Today's technology is so much more powerful with so much capability, though the discrete boxes of the era I've been buying teaches you the basics. And, had to restore many of them to operational status, so there was always a learning curve. Most, though not all is supported with the manufacturer's Operators/Service manuals, which I was always tracking down. When I had access to a Xerox color copier, I was also generating high end reproductions and selling those on ebay for a couple years or so, back in the day when you could email a buyer in an auction on a piece of gear, not having the manuals, and offer affordable documents for their purchase.

Well, the adventure of depletion and downsizing begins tomorrow.

[nickb]

So very sad to hear about your situation. That's a truly amazing collection of gear and I can only imagine how hard it must be to part from it. I hope you can find good homes for it all. The very best of luck in these tough times.

[Chuck H]

Just going to put this out there...

Any members in the area that can house some of this stuff on nevetslab's behalf so it can be reclaimed if/when he works out a better option?

EDIT: Redundant pieces could be sold through the well known on line auction site, but only if there's time to do it. As in, a place for the stuff to be in the interim. That $$$ could compensate anyone willing to house the pieces he needs to keep for the future.?. Just trying to be creative here. I don't think nevetslab would ever come out and ask for this. But I can do it on his behalf.

[The Dude]

The shi+ of it is that nobody's buying anything right now (except apparently toilet paper). It's a bad time to unload gear. If we could help find a place to store it, the eventual outcome would be much better, whether the gear is sold or kept.

[nickb]

Isn't the US sending out checks to all taxpayers? Could that be a lifeline for you?

[Chuck H]

The shi+ of it is that nobody's buying anything right now (except apparently toilet paper). It's a bad time to unload gear. If we could help find a place to store it, the eventual outcome would be much better, whether the gear is sold or kept.

+1 on the fetching price for used bench gear. But really... Used scopes, etc. are kind of stupid affordable compared to their original purchase price. How much could they go down? So instead of $150 for one of those scopes it's $120? But yes. I'm sitting on some things I was hoping to sell right now too. They can bury it with me if I starve because I'm not giving it away while I live.

[The Dude]

Isn't the US sending out checks to all taxpayers? Could that be a lifeline for you?

I just looked into that and started a thread in the Lobby. Thanks for the incentive to dig!

[The Dude]

+1 on the fetching price for used bench gear. But really... Used scopes, etc. are kind of stupid affordable compared to their original purchase price. How much could they go down? So instead of $150 for one of those scopes it's $120? But yes. I'm sitting on some things I was hoping to sell right now too. They can bury it with me if I starve because I'm not giving it away while I live.

So thirty bucks less per piece of "The Nevets Collection"? That could be thousands of dollars.