How to secure your expensive computer equipment in quake zones.
This is a past episode of TOW. Go to current
episode to see the newest installment or any other past TOW's.
The material presented on this page is intended to
you start thinking about what you can do today that might save your life
someday in the future. If nothing else, our "Tip o' da Week" might
just make your life a bit easier when a disaster strikes. We do not
present ideas cost a lot of money. These are "do it yourself" projects
and are relatively inexpensive.
How to secure your expensive computer equipment.
We've looked at several ways to secure our own computers
and monitors. We thought that there must be a way to take advantage
of the screw holes on the bottom and back side of our PCs and monitors.
We looked at using braided ground straps with crimped and soldered eye
hole lugs, and attaching them to the equipment with the existing screws.
We gave up on the idea for several reasons:
-
In the case of the monitor, the screws hold the plastic case together,
and any attachment would only be as solid as the strength of the plastic
at the attaching point.
-
Our PCs are in desk type cases and don't have screw locations in the front
of them. The only screws near the front are located underneath the
case. This poses a problem in making the attachment point accessible
when the top of the case is installed. It would be quite a pain if
we need to remove the case cover just to move the PC, or to clean the desk
top!
We recently discovered a few new products we found so
cool, we wanted to pass the info along. Although our "Tip o' da Week" is
not a product showcase, this week we can't help sharing a few products
produced by a company in California that solved our problems; they might
solve yours as well. We will start carrying these items in the near
future. In the meantime, we have several sets that we will make available
to visitors to the Tip o' da Week.
You might be able to find these kits at emergency
suppliers in your area. If you can't, contact Epicenter to obtain kits.
Either kit shown below sells for $9.95.
Lots of colors, lots of bucks.
We all know how expensive computer monitors are.
If you live in a quake zone, that expensive monitor might end up a pile
of broken glass and plastic if it shimmies off your desk. Even worse,
your monitor is typically at eye level and is near the edge of your desk.
It could end up in your lap, or impede your pathway to safe cover
(under your desk) if a quake hits. (Safety is number one in our minds.
Remember to duck and cover!)
We found a product that will help prevent catastrophic
damage to your monitor. Better yet, this product can also be used
for securing your CPU box (desk type) as shown below. It can also
be used on your printer, scanner, fax machine, and even your stereo!
Monitor and computer secured.
The product is called "VersaBUCKLE". (The diagram
above shows two kits installed.) A VersaBUCKLE kit consists of four
buckles and two nylon straps. The buckles are high strength plastic
and have 3M VHB (very high bond) adhesive on the back side. These
buckles use a 1.0"x 1.25" piece of VHB adhesive tape, resulting in a strength
of 100 pounds per buckle!
How do I get them off to get inside the equipment?
This was a major concern of ours, since we mess around
with the guts of our equipment regularly. With this securing system,
all you need to do is release the buckle locking lever, and pull the strap
through as shown below.
Release lever, and lift computer up.
Now for the down side:
The problem comes when you want to remove the buckles
from your desk or computer equipment. The VHB adhesive that is used
is so strong, you will need a small pry bar tool to remove it. A
screwdriver will work, but you run the risk of marring the desk top or
scratching the paint on your computer equipment.
Once the buckle is removed, it is not difficult to
remove the adhesive in small pieces, starting from a corner. When
all the adhesive is removed, a new adhesive pad can be installed on the
buckle, and the buckle can then be reinstalled at another location, or
on another piece of equipment.
What about tower cases?
Many CPU boxes are of the tower type and are located
under a desk. There is another product that is ideal for this application.
It is called a GrommetGRIP. This uses a buckle like the above product,
but the strap is longer and has Grommets installed at one end to allow
screws to be installed through the nylon.
A tower case instillation.
To install this kit, you first install the buckles
on opposite sides of the tower. Then you install the straps to the
underside of the desk with screws and tension the straps via the buckle
release levers.
That's it for this week's "Tip o' da Week." If
you have an idea of your own for Tip o 'da Week, you can now submit
a tip! We love input and feedback! We'll format
the page and scan any images you would like to include. We 'll do
the page layout, and give you full credit!
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No matter where you live, you're at the Epicenter.
TheEpicenter.com
Epicenter Supplies, LLC
384 Wallis St. #2
Eugene, OR 97402
(541) 684-0717 Voice
(541) 338-9050 Fax
E-mail: bjnelson@TheEpicenter.com
