About

One shop, two jobs, the same skill.

The community side is the heart: open hours, classes, restoration nights, school groups, and the chance to stand in front of a working SEL 810A instead of a photo of one. The restoration service is the engine: recovering data from dead media, converting legacy formats, and keeping systems alive that businesses and labs still depend on.

What ties them together is credibility. The machines on our floor prove we can do the paid work, and the paid work keeps the floor open, lit and free to walk into. That’s the whole plan — we keep old computing alive, for people and for businesses.

Core Memory Works exhibit at VCF Midwest: micros running side by side
Our exhibit at VCF Midwest — everything on the table powered up and in use, which is how we run the floor too.

The people — names, roles and photos go in here

PHOTO

Name here

FOUNDER · RESTORATION

One or two lines: what they fix, what they collect, how long they have been at it.

PHOTO

Name here

DATA RECOVERY

The person clients hand the unreadable tape to.

PHOTO

Name here

CLASSES & VOLUNTEERS

Runs restoration night and keeps the class benches stocked.

Support the floor

Free to visit isn’t free to run.

Power for a room of 1960s cabinets, capacitors by the hundred, tape heads, shelving, and rent in Roselle. Donations, memberships and shop purchases cover the difference so admission can stay free.

One-time donation

Any amount. Goes straight to parts and power.

Donate

Membership

Monthly support, bench access on restoration nights, and first word on new arrivals.

Ask about joining