Broken Plastic Special Edition GBA Sp

[ProtonX | 69]

I bought this Sp, and it was already damaged. Right now the top shell part is extremely damaged.
 

My only practical idea is to convert the top half into red and just having a fully red iQue Sp (Pulling the top logo). Does anyone have any better ideas on saving the top damaged shell?

[Tanooki | 4,929]

I can't remember exactly how many MM of room is left in there between the LCD panel and the inside casing.  That would depend if you can fix it.

Going with you can, what I would do, given the break didn't actually warp the plastic in the slightest, I'd find something tough, hard, non-pliable you can use as a backing between the inside of the shell and the LCD itself.  Maybe some insane resin or epoxy you can squirt all over in there, then sand down as much as possible without ruining that, also allowing it into the crack and then rapidly removing it before it adheres to the outside when the pressure causes it to ooze through.  Maybe if enough space and time to dry the gasses out, super glue gel on the inside along with some super thin 1-2mm metal plate to make a rigid platform.

None of this would be a big problem exactly to at least attempt before tossing it, and if you can't get anywhere, then do your red idea.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

10 hours ago, Tanooki said:

None of this would be a big problem exactly to at least attempt before tossing it, and if you can't get anywhere, then do your red idea.

I agree, there's no harm in trying if the main plan is to yank it and toss it anyway.  The one thing I would note is that if superglue were used, the lens would need to be removed beforehand so as to prevent any vapors from the glue hitting it and depositing a permanent haze on it that's pretty much impossible to remove without doing some sort of damage to the plastic (scratches if manually removing it, warping if trying to use acetone, etc.).

My method of choice would be to use a standard 2-part epoxy for the snapped front frame, then some sort of cobbled together jig or frame to hold it completely square and flat (placed face-down on something like wax paper, then with something sitting on top of the inner part of the shell to apply even pressure over the whole surface) until it cured ~24 hours later.  It might be possible to use epoxy on the top/outer shell as well, but superglue might be better there, as epoxy tends to be very gel-like at best, and if the cracks aren't large enough or the pieces completely broken apart, it can be extremely difficult to get it inside of them.  Liquid superglue, on the other hand, if used carefully, can be very easily made to flow into tiny cracks and crevices via capillary action.  You've got to be much more careful with the superglue, though, as once it touches the paint and plastic, some of it will adhere even if you wipe it off, so you need to start out with a very small amount and only use as much as is needed.

Should all else fail, though, here is a link to a full replacement case that's nearly identical to the one pictured.  If repairs fail or just aren't in the cards, I'd say buying this replacement case and swapping out the top would be the easiest way to keep it as original as possible.  The replacement is technically a 25th anniversary shell versus a 20th, but the design is almost the same, and there's even room to transplant the original iQue logo sticker.

[RH | 4,889]

9 minutes ago, darkchylde28 said:

I agree, there's no harm in trying if the main plan is to yank it and toss it anyway.  The one thing I would note is that if superglue were used, the lens would need to be removed beforehand so as to prevent any vapors from the glue hitting it and depositing a permanent haze on it that's pretty much impossible to remove without doing some sort of damage to the plastic (scratches if manually removing it, warping if trying to use acetone, etc.).

My method of choice would be to use a standard 2-part epoxy for the snapped front frame, then some sort of cobbled together jig or frame to hold it completely square and flat (placed face-down on something like wax paper, then with something sitting on top of the inner part of the shell to apply even pressure over the whole surface) until it cured ~24 hours later.  It might be possible to use epoxy on the top/outer shell as well, but superglue might be better there, as epoxy tends to be very gel-like at best, and if the cracks aren't large enough or the pieces completely broken apart, it can be extremely difficult to get it inside of them.  Liquid superglue, on the other hand, if used carefully, can be very easily made to flow into tiny cracks and crevices via capillary action.  You've got to be much more careful with the superglue, though, as once it touches the paint and plastic, some of it will adhere even if you wipe it off, so you need to start out with a very small amount and only use as much as is needed.

Should all else fail, though, here is a link to a full replacement case that's nearly identical to the one pictured.  If repairs fail or just aren't in the cards, I'd say buying this replacement case and swapping out the top would be the easiest way to keep it as original as possible.  The replacement is technically a 25th anniversary shell versus a 20th, but the design is almost the same, and there's even room to transplant the original iQue logo sticker.

In the past (not with game stuff) I’ve had success framing stuff together as it should be and on flat surfaces, soaking thin paper in super glue and then laying it on the crack.  Super glue likes to run through cracks and the last thing you want is for the glue to seep through to the front.  By using small, thin strips of paper, the acetone in the paper bonds to the plastic, but not necessarily the exposed plastic in the crack.

I’ve had a dog chew on small plastic things and reinforcing parts intended for slight tension within simple mechanical toys have been fixed this way.  I don’t know.  I discovered this technique by my own experimentation, but I’ve not tried it on a larger scale like this.  It might be worth an experimental try.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

3 minutes ago, RH said:

In the past (not with game stuff) I’ve had success framing stuff together as it should be and on flat surfaces, soaking thin paper in super glue and then laying it on the crack.  Super glue likes to run through cracks and the last thing you want is for the glue to seep through to the front.  By using small, thin strips of paper, the acetone in the paper bonds to the plastic, but not necessarily the exposed plastic in the crack.

I’ve had a dog chew on small plastic things and reinforcing parts intended for slight tension within simple mechanical toys have been fixed this way.  I don’t know.  I discovered this technique by my own experimentation, but I’ve not tried it on a larger scale like this.  It might be worth an experimental try.

The paper concept you introduced here is a good one, but personally I would still want some glue within the crack itself, as support from the back is not going to reinforce it enough to keep the cracks from spreading, completely breaking, etc., even if it does keep all the pieces hinged together.  You're right, though, in that you don't want the glue seeping out of the front side.  When doing something that delicate, I'll typically put a drop or two of superglue on some scrap material and then use a metal pin or needle to swipe a tiny bit off the drop and use the sharp tip to wick it into the crack.  That way you get some serious control over how much you're using and where it's going.  You still need to be mindful about it going all the way through the crack, but it's much less likely to run and seep out in the quantities being used with a pin/needle.  Supporting the cracks from behind after being sealed from within is an absolutely great idea, though.

[RH | 4,889]

27 minutes ago, darkchylde28 said:

The paper concept you introduced here is a good one, but personally I would still want some glue within the crack itself, as support from the back is not going to reinforce it enough to keep the cracks from spreading, completely breaking, etc., even if it does keep all the pieces hinged together.  You're right, though, in that you don't want the glue seeping out of the front side.  When doing something that delicate, I'll typically put a drop or two of superglue on some scrap material and then use a metal pin or needle to swipe a tiny bit off the drop and use the sharp tip to wick it into the crack.  That way you get some serious control over how much you're using and where it's going.  You still need to be mindful about it going all the way through the crack, but it's much less likely to run and seep out in the quantities being used with a pin/needle.  Supporting the cracks from behind after being sealed from within is an absolutely great idea, though.

You can run small strips of paper across the crack, perpendicular to it. Cut them into something like 1/18th”x1” rectangles and run 4-6 down the spine of the crack like stitches.

Once that’s done and it’s dried, you can then trace the crack with super glue on the areas that are not covered with the paper.  This will seep some into the crack, but shouldn’t seep through to the other side.

You’re not wrong and I get what you’re saying.  I think I’d try to find a piece of brittle plastic I could break and test this on first, but I think between a combo of the two techniques you can come up with a rather solid solution.

[ProtonX | 69]

Honestly- I’m not great at gluing things like this and having them turn out looking good. If someone wants to just pay the cost shipping and try themselves they are welcome to keep the below parts. 
 

It seems like a shame to just toss it.
 

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

8 hours ago, ProtonX said:

Honestly- I’m not great at gluing things like this and having them turn out looking good. If someone wants to just pay the cost shipping and try themselves they are welcome to keep the below parts. 
 

It seems like a shame to just toss it.
 

Are all the pieces to make the top/outer shell complete in the baggie?  If so, I'd probably be interested, if just to polish my skill a little and potentially have a replacement top on hand for someone.

Since you're opting to replace the top, did you decide to just go with red like you talked about, or something similar to the original piece like I suggested?

[ProtonX | 69]

Yep- went the red route. Matched similar amount of wear parts.

[RH | 4,889]

if @darkchylde28 backs out for any reason, I'll take them for no other reason to experiment with a few additional techniques.

Of course, I'll share my progress and attempts here for on VGS for posterity.

 

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

31 minutes ago, RH said:

if @darkchylde28 backs out for any reason, I'll take them for no other reason to experiment with a few additional techniques.

Of course, I'll share my progress and attempts here for on VGS for posterity.

@ProtonX reached out to me for my address info so he could calculate shipping, but if you're wanting to experiment a bit, I'll bow out of the way.  I was just going to piece it back together so it would look as close to new and original as possible (and maybe get my best friend's artist girlfriend to repaint any/all bits that didn't look factory), so I'm fine with you taking it to test out new techniques on.  Be aware, though, that it's an anniversary edition, so if things go awry there's one less in the world.  Just let me know if you go forward with it or not, @RH.

[RH | 4,889]

14 minutes ago, darkchylde28 said:

@ProtonX reached out to me for my address info so he could calculate shipping, but if you're wanting to experiment a bit, I'll bow out of the way.  I was just going to piece it back together so it would look as close to new and original as possible (and maybe get my best friend's artist girlfriend to repaint any/all bits that didn't look factory), so I'm fine with you taking it to test out new techniques on.  Be aware, though, that it's an anniversary edition, so if things go awry there's one less in the world.  Just let me know if you go forward with it or not, @RH.

Eh, go ahead and take it.  Giving it a second look, I see it’s missing the small Nintendo faceplate and such. 
 

I have other broke hardware.  I can experiment with it.

[ProtonX | 69]

Yeah- it’s super sad that it was damaged. From my understanding and what I could find online they only made 5000-10000 of these.

[ProtonX | 69]

Also was able to fix the other iQue special edition from the same damaged lot. This was the one I really wanted. Here are some before and after photos.