STs from Brewing Academy

[mattsoft]

This is just a heads-up if anyone is considering picking up an Atari 1040ST from Brewing Academy.

 

First off, I love Brewing Academy. Have bought a few things from them and everything has been great. I've recommended them and will continue doing so.

 

I've been looking for a 1040ST a project and Brewing Academy has them in 3 grades: tested, untested, and "only a parent could love". The untested ones are $100 + shipping. Good deal! Like the description says "They are generally in good physical shape and come in two varieties:  Tested and Untested" and the picture shown is a good looking 1040ST (obviously not the one you're buying, but it looks in good physical shape).

 

So I bought an untested one. Either my definition of good physical shape is different than theirs, or maybe I got one that fell off the "generally in good physical shape" truck, but mine is more of a "only a parent could love" model. Dirt and yellow aside (that can be cleaned up), the big issue is that the front case is engraved. I'm not sure I would classify good physical shape to include a very large engraving on the front of the case. Anyway, just a heads-up that you might want to ask before buying, or expect that at least the untested and lower grades will have physical damage to them even though the description does not say this, considering these are as-is, no returns.

 

Edited January 18, 2021 by mattsoft

[+Stephen]

Man - that's a bit rough.  WD-40 will remove the sticker using a toothbrush or your fingernail.  Then use some hot soapy water to remove the WD-40 so it won't leech into the plastic.  The etched ion text - sorry, I can't help with a fix for that.

[oakcitycomics]

Sorry to hear about your experience. I was debating on picking one up a few months back and seen they posted them on ebay form time to time. If I remember correctly the listing said they were old school stock. So i'm guessing thats what was engraved on yours the school lot number. 

 

Does the ST work by chance?

[mattsoft]

54 minutes ago, oakcitycomics said:

Sorry to hear about your experience. I was debating on picking one up a few months back and seen they posted them on ebay form time to time. If I remember correctly the listing said they were old school stock. So i'm guessing thats what was engraved on yours the school lot number. 

 

Does the ST work by chance?

Don't know yet. My workbench currently has 2 SC1224 and 1 Commodore 1080 monitors torn apart for recap and repair. I'll get it cleaned off in a couple of days and test out the ST. It does power on (LED comes on), but I need to get an SC1224 put together to properly test.

[mellis]

On 1/18/2021 at 3:30 PM, mattsoft said:

This is just a heads-up if anyone is considering picking up an Atari 1040ST from Brewing Academy.

 

First off, I love Brewing Academy. Have bought a few things from them and everything has been great. I've recommended them and will continue doing so.

 

I've been looking for a 1040ST a project and Brewing Academy has them in 3 grades: tested, untested, and "only a parent could love". The untested ones are $100 + shipping. Good deal! Like the description says "They are generally in good physical shape and come in two varieties:  Tested and Untested" and the picture shown is a good looking 1040ST (obviously not the one you're buying, but it looks in good physical shape).

 

So I bought an untested one. Either my definition of good physical shape is different than theirs, or maybe I got one that fell off the "generally in good physical shape" truck, but mine is more of a "only a parent could love" model. Dirt and yellow aside (that can be cleaned up), the big issue is that the front case is engraved. I'm not sure I would classify good physical shape to include a very large engraving on the front of the case. Anyway, just a heads-up that you might want to ask before buying, or expect that at least the untested and lower grades will have physical damage to them even though the description does not say this, considering these are as-is, no returns.

 

That's definitely an "only a parent could love" model. Not cool for it to be offered otherwise.

[Android8675]

How much? I mean, how are the internals? clean? Does it work? How does the PSU fair? I mean sometimes I look around ebay and I just get exhausted. If I just want an ST that's been tested and works and I could return or exchange if it doesn't work, then being able to buy from someone directly is appealling.

Retro computing (for better or worse) just just going nuts these days... I don't know how to finish this message.

[+orpheuswaking]

Have you contacted Marlin about it? 

[bfollowell]

Yeah, I wouldn't have considered anything that had major case blemishes, and I would feel that engraving into the top of the case would qualify as that, as a "good" condition case. To me at least, major top case engraving would definitely qualify as BAD condition. If it had been on the bottom, or maybe even the back, where you wouldn't normally see it, that would have been one thing, but right on the top above the keyboard. That's pretty bad.

 

[mattsoft]

The good news is that the untested 1040ST does indeed work quite well! Even the floppy drive reads/writes (but doesn't eject, should be an easy fix). I was able to boot up and play a few games without issue. I haven't put it through its paces, but so far so good.

 

As for contacting Marlin, I have not. The note in the shipping container was quite clear: all sales final, no returns, as-is, buyer beware, watch for falling rocks, etc...

 

Anywho, anyone have a nice 1040ST top case they'd like to sell?

 

 

[monzamess]

I (re)discovered this thread right after I ordered an UNtested ATari ST from Marlin / The Brewing Academy so I was a bit concerned about what would show up. 

My order arrived a few days ago and what I actually got was a pleasant surprise. The 1040ST has some yellowing on the keyboard and the spacebar key post is broken so I'll have to fix that. Otherwise, it looks good; it works with my ST->VGA adapter; it goes into TOS after giving up on the floppy drive (I haven't tested the drive yet) and basic desktop operations work; it works with my ST mouse; and all the keys make a key click "beep" when pressed except the numpad Enter key. 

 

Certainly compared to eBay prices (and those purchases are also their own crapshoot) I am happy with this purchase.

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by monzamess

[monzamess]

And here it is after a bath and "sunbrighting" the keyboard for 3 days. Not perfect but good enough. 

 

 

[oky2000]

Problem here is consistency, if two people walk into a fried chicken shop and one gets a very acceptable meal for the price and the other one gets some stale chicken 30 mins away from giving you stomach problems.....you get the idea. You are paying for the minimum quality not the lucky dip best possible quality. Hope they changed their ways and grade them respectfully now.

 

IF a machine's case needs some filler, a bit of sanding and a paint job to ever look like the original it is NOT 'generally in good condition'. There should also be no cracks, a few dents in the fins on the back where idiots put the front of their monitor on the ST's case is OK and expected for AIO designs.

 

I could understand if the engraving is on the underside and you wouldn't see it but right above the function keys...erm 'Foxtrot Oscar' as the Police in the UK would say

[MasterMotorola]

On 1/18/2021 at 1:30 PM, mattsoft said:

 

If you removed the exterior top case and gave it a good cleaning, you could fill the engraved numbers with putty or resin.  Then sand it down with a course sandpaper to match the surrounding rough texture.  Remove/coverup the badge and give the whole thing a coat of Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Stone Grey in satin finish, it's so close to the original colour you can't tell it from an untouched ST/XE machine.

 

[mattsoft]

Well, this story had a happy ending for me at least in that I found a virtual brand new in box STfm on OfferUp for $100 a couple months later, and ended up moving the engraved ST along. 

[leech]

On 2/26/2022 at 10:10 AM, MasterMotorola said:

If you removed the exterior top case and gave it a good cleaning, you could fill the engraved numbers with putty or resin.  Then sand it down with a course sandpaper to match the surrounding rough texture.  Remove/coverup the badge and give the whole thing a coat of Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Stone Grey in satin finish, it's so close to the original colour you can't tell it from an untouched ST/XE machine.

 

This is exactly what I was going to suggest (at least the putty/resin filling).  I've seen some incredible restorations, so it's quite possible to fix that.

On 2/26/2022 at 10:29 AM, mattsoft said:

Well, this story had a happy ending for me at least in that I found a virtual brand new in box STfm on OfferUp for $100 a couple months later, and ended up moving the engraved ST along. 

Awesome, hopefully it got the proper amount of love.