Robert F Schaefer wrote:

> Can you give me a little more detail about moving a VAX 6xxx?  I'm about
> to go pick one up, but I don't think I'll be able to have any help along.
> My plan was to lay it over into the back of a minivan, but I think I might
> need to partially disassemble the beast.  Will she come apart with a
> couple'a screwdrivers, or do I need something a little more persuasive?
> She's also gonna go into the basement, but I'll be able to draft a little
> brother or two for that part.

Brian and I proofed: you don't need 6 people, but you do need two. 
Most of the work can be done with one person, i.e., whenever the 
floor is smooth. But we would hardly have been able to move the 
thing onto the lifter of the truck with just one person. So, have
a friend help you, it's certainly twice the fun.

Do not even think about laying it over if you have less than 3
people. No guarrantee you can do it with three, but definitely
not with two or less. Having balanced this on a two-wheeler I
can tell you it is scary. Once this thing comes down on you
with its weight, there's no holding it. If you can't jump back,
it can hurt you seriously. But chances are you won't even be 
able to get it over the edge alone (a safety feature :-).

Also, having had the fun to disassemble one of these (picture 
documentation to come soon) I would not recommend taking it
apart. The thing is, you can take out all the guts in 3 hours
or so, but will you get it back together? Will it still work
afterwards? It is not impossible, but the risk would be too
great for me. BTW: I do not envy those who thought taking out
the cart cages and cables would be O.K., it's a lot of hassle
setting all of this back up without having a cabinet with
all its proper places, power supply, cooling fans, etc.

Also, removing the main parts doesn't help moving. Even without 
its guts, the cabinet with all that metal in it is still too heavy 
to move alone. And there is no way to detach just two or three 
blocks of the thing.

It will be much easier to ask a friend to help, rent a truck,
or even hire movers. Consider the time you will spend on 
screwing around and what you could have earned during that 
time to pay for proper moving equipment and help.

Good luck,
-Gunther

PS: where are you located?

-- 
Gunther Schadow, M.D., Ph.D.                    gschadow@regenstrief.org
Medical Information Scientist      Regenstrief Institute for Health Care
Adjunct Assistent Professor        Indiana University School of Medicine
tel:1(317)630-7960                         http://aurora.regenstrief.org