Nes Game Label Transplant

[ProtonX | 69]

Now- as a general rule of thumb this is a bad idea to do. I would not do this on any game of any significant value.
 

However, I was an intrigued at the idea of if I could do this. Fortunately I had a perfect game shell to use. The tecmo bowl was essentially junk with then entire side broken and missing a few pieces. The label was decent but not great, and after peeling (which stretched some parts of the label) and using a razor blade anytime it was starting to tear- I was able to remove the label. I didn’t have any great fronts to use, so I used a no label damaged anticipation. I sanded down the front for a rough surface for the glue to adhere to.
 

Turned out better than I expected- and is now a playable copy for someone else.

Edited February 16, 2023 by ProtonX

[Tanooki | 4,943]

So you did this entirely with scraping and a razor?  For future, and I do think you got a bit lucky given what you wrote, try using some heat.  I'm not talking like electronics level hot air gun unless you can dial it down low enough, just a common cheap hair dryer.  If you warm it enough to make your fingers hurt, but not worse, it'll soften the glue where you should be able to safely without stretching peel it away and retain the original glue likely too.  I'd still add glue stick, but it would be a solid attempt if you do this again.

[ProtonX | 69]

Yep- just slow peeling and a razor blade.

I do think heat would help some, but might actually cause it to stretch more. I might try it again on another destroyed cart.

I did have to use a glue stick, as the glue was compromised from holding the label and peeling.

[Tanooki | 4,943]

I've transplanted stickers successfully using heat, if you go slow but steady it won't stretch.  The idea is just enough heat to soften the glue so it pulls off like a fresh price sticker from modern retail with little resistance.

Elmers glue stick is a savior.  I've used it since the 00s, have games over a dozen years old now still holding firm where I had to elmer it to fix some flea market/second hand curl/pull up and still there.

[egg_sanwich | 1]

Looks awesome. I wouldn't have the balls to do that on a cart worth anything significant though!

[ThePhleo | 2,185]

On 2/15/2023 at 12:42 PM, Tanooki said:

I've transplanted stickers successfully using heat

This makes me wonder, if you can go the other way around.

I know that people use their freezers to remove security stickers, but I wonder if it'll work for a label.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

40 minutes ago, ThePhleo said:

This makes me wonder, if you can go the other way around.

I know that people use their freezers to remove security stickers, but I wonder if it'll work for a label.

I would say so, but given how much adhesive tends to get used on labels and how well it tends to stick, I suspect that you might have to lower the temperature of everything to the point where the plastic casing would end up getting brittle by the time the glue was willing to let go.  If you're not trying to preserve the case you're pulling the donor label from that wouldn't be an issue, but it definitely might be if you're doing the same thing to the case it's moving to.

[captmorgandrinker | 1,649]

51 minutes ago, ThePhleo said:

This makes me wonder, if you can go the other way around.

I know that people use their freezers to remove security stickers, but I wonder if it'll work for a label.

Not very well.  

I've done successful transplants on labels for cracked shells before.   As long as the label doesn't have existing damage it comes off very easily with a hairdryer.

[ProtonX | 69]

Attempt Number 2 did not go nearly as well. The shell was unusable as the board would fall out partly. So- it’s better than before, but the label didn’t all make it. I did try using heat, but it was still not coming well.

Edited February 21, 2023 by ProtonX

[Tanooki | 4,943]

Ouch you frayed the hell out of the sides on that one.  I'd say not enough heat or even heat mixed with perhaps an uneven level of speed or tension on the sticker.  It just wouldn't release as well in those few spots and caused that.

 

And I agree too, while cold would work, the drop you would need would also likely brittle out the lower good sticker you DO want, but also the plastic would suffer for it.

[ProtonX | 69]

Agreed- ironically the clear coating is all there, but the under layers were stuck quite hard. I’ve transplanted many DS (fixing cut field destroyed games) labels and I think the biggest factor is the label condition. Whenever scratches or added pressure is put on the label- it bonds it more to the plastic. 
 

If it’s a minty almost new label- 90% of the time they come off super clean and easy. 
 

I’ll keep trying with unsalvageable fronts as I get them- and see over time what works best.

[Tanooki | 4,943]

Yeah find a beater and keep going, it could also be whatever f'd up the game itself may have tainted the sticker and got it truly well and better fused to it too as a problematic spot or two.

[Tanooki | 4,943]

Just because I was trying to give direction here on the move of a sticker, I feel I should point out I attempted it for myself again(after a long while) just the other day.

We have a nice salon-ish style hair dryer with attachments, one being the flat stream of air piece.  I set the thing to hot mode on high outtake of the thing and let it warm up.  Once it was hot enough to hurt my fingers, out came the game, and the tweezers.

The best route was the in an up and down motions run the flat stream of burning pain numerous times over the label to soften it up...but never long enough to melt or warp the shell.  After so many seconds of hot air, place it (still on) to the side, and using tweezers I grabbed the worst(only slightly ehhh) sticker and slowly start to pull until I could get some thumb and finger to the label.  There, a slow pull maybe an inch, back to the tweezers, another 10-15sec of hot air, wash - rinse - repeat.  Popped right off, 100%, no snags, no tears, no stretches, no deformity to the laminate layer.

The glue despite being a 30 year old Game Gear game from Japan still was juicy.  I laid the sticker back down and it largely stuck, but to be safe I peeled it back up again along the edges and gave it the wet purple/clear dry elmer's glue stick...job was done.

The original plastic shell had both tabs cracked inside, the plastic was rotting/aging badly as it had a light gray going towards whiteish-gray in time circular halo starting on the plastic, and random of that color on the sides which annoyed me so I risked it using a dud spare Sonic 2 cart I had as a donor.  Donation successful.  **The little on the bottom left plastic outside the label in after is glue residue I forgot to remove from the glue stick.

BEFORE:

 

AFTER:

[ProtonX | 69]

That looks nice  

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

11 hours ago, Tanooki said:

The best route was the in an up and down motions run the flat stream of burning pain numerous times over the label to soften it up ...

This had me cracking up. 

[FireHazard51 | 2,047]

@Tanookithe first case looks like it' has some bumps at the top.  Does the new case not have those?  Did you swap the game to a another OME case or a repo case?

[Tanooki | 4,943]

10 hours ago, FireHazard51 said:

@Tanookithe first case looks like it' has some bumps at the top.  Does the new case not have those?  Did you swap the game to a another OME case or a repo case?

Bad angle. It’s there. Spooked me so I looked. The donor was a sonic 2 spare.