OptOut | 8,892 Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 For the vast majority of carts, I use the very simple 99% alcohol plus Q-tips method. Nothing more abrasive than that is necessary in the majority of cases. Also, people need to realise that cart contacts do not need to shine like a newly minted penny to make good electrical contact, and some amount of light brown or greyish corrosion is essentially harmless. However, if the corrosion becomes a problem, to the point that games rarely boot, yes a more abrasive approach is necessary. For me, I also use a fibreglass pen, light rubbing only on the corrosion effected area itself very quickly removes even stubborn corrosion. Yes, this technique can easily remove the thin layer of gold plating, which is why it should only be used where necessary, but the pins remain corrosion resistant even with just the nickle layer, so its not actually a big problem in terms of functionality. The worst corrosion that absolutely should be removed is that green and/or white corrosion, which spreads far worse than the brown/grey corrosion and can actually eat all the way through pins. Just a small spot of green can turn into a much larger problem over time, from what I've seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astor Reinhardt | 199 Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Alcohol and q-tips. Doesn't get the game working every time though...I've even boiled the pin connector after getting fed up with the NES not working...but it's still iffy. Damn thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austin532 | 467 Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 The problem is there are two rows of pins on the NES connector. One on the bottom and one on the top. Every video on youtube shows you how to fix the bottom pins but I have yet to see one were they fix the top ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulpa | 3,544 Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Alcohol (91%) for most. If it has a lot of crud after the first alcohol swab, I break out the Weiman. That usually gets everything. Then another alcohol swab and reassemble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhyNotZoidberg | 586 Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 20 hours ago, skinnygrinny said: Next time I find one like this I’m gonna try you This can only be cleansed in fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincoln | 230 Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Alcohol is first and last pass for cleaning surfaces, not carbon deposits. It's for getting all the gunk hiding the carbon and residue of actual cleaning materials. Ceramic stovetop cleaner is my goto for being effective and safe. It's designed specifically for carbon (burrnt food) without doing damage. I used an off brand I really liked (stovetop magic I think?) but I can't find it anymore. Be aware the last bottle of weiman's I bought had some kid of solid pieces in it. I still use it because I don't have an alternative but I am very careful about pressure applied. One I haven't seen suggested is electronic contact cleaner. It's generally used on car electronics. It's a spray liquid that evaporates very fast so you have to be quick with the qtip. It's good for a first pass before weiman's and maintenance cleaning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNESNESCUBE64 | 555 Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 (edited) For really stubborn contacts, I use TarnX. It is a fantastic cleaning solution, although I advise that you do not get it on your skin and I also advise following up with rubbing alcohol. I use it for standard gold plating to even HASL plated arcade board contacts and it works just fine. I've also heard of people using Deoxit. I have never tried it myself... Edited January 12, 2020 by SNESNESCUBE64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MachineCode | 159 Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 I've always been an IPA guy, 91% or higher. I heard somewhere that Silvo did as good a job as Brasso but didn't damage the pins, but IDK if that's true and it was a long time ago. I don't like Deoxit for most things as it leaves an oily residue. Maybe I have the wrong kind. Good for cleaning potentiometers though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbapauls | 251 Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 I use my eraser on the contacts and IPA to clean the cart 99% of the time. Then I use a tooth brush to clean grime out of the corners and hard to reach places. When I use my eraser to clean the contacts I make sure that I get everything really clean with the IPA so that I don’t end up with eraser shavings in my console. I rarely get carts that are really bad but the few times I have I used electronic cleaner because it was what I had on hand and it worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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