According to Emmo :
The problem with long term media storage is not deterioration but lack of
playback hardware. I have lots of media from a mere 25 years ago that
cannot be read, not because of deterioration but because no hardware is
available. Try to find

a punch card reader, Got it
a paper tape reader, Got it
a Sony PortaPak reel-to-reel video player, Never had
a Beta video player, Got it
a video disk player, Never had
a Polaroid film projector, Never had (unless you mean
a 35mm slide projector
for their 35mm slide
film)
an 8-track tape player, Never had
an 8 inch drive, Several
a single-sided 5 1/4" Apple II drive, Had one -- gave it away to
an Apple II user
a CP/M single density Osborne drive, You mean the Shugart 5-1/4
single side single
density -- Got em.
any number of tape drives 9-track up to 1600 BPI
2-track and 4-track audio
QIC-150
8mm
DAT (both digital backup
and audio)

, and so on.

Unless you are packing the hardware away with the media, deterioration is
not going to be your problem...

Well ... a cheat sheet can be packed with the punch cards, so
they can be read visually. :-)

Is this an art project? Or does someone actually expect to retrieve this
data?

"James" wrote in message
oups.com...
The chamber is going to be around 6" in diameter and 12" in length,
wall thickness is going to be 5mm. Its purpose is to hold data disks
for long term storage. The chambers are going to be placed into fire
safes and the safes will be placed into underground bunkers.

Would plating the Stainless with gold help prevent corrosion?

For a while -- maybe -- but probably not necessary.

The chambers will be filled with nitrogen gas to help preserve the
disks. What would you recommend for a seal?

Teflon O-ring, perhaps?

It cannot be any substance
such as rubber due to outgassing. I need something that makes a good
seal and does not deteroriate rapidly. The chambers will be opened
periodically, around every 50 years to refresh the disk media.

Which means that you will need a standard fitting for backfiling
with the inert gas each time.

Can you also recommend a good machine shop in the Phoenix, AZ area? I
need a place that can weld all the pieces together.

Nope. That, I can't from Virginia.

Good Luck,
DoN.

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