VGS Restoration Shop 🛠️

[a3quit4s | 4,096]

13 minutes ago, MrWunderful said:

If i get into my storage today I will for you

[Mega Tank | 960]

15 minutes ago, MrWunderful said:

If i get into my storage today I will for you

[MiamiSlice | 3,089]

Got a bunch of stuff from another collector but most of it is garage stuff that needs serious cleaning. Here's the first thing I wanted to tackle. Never had one of these before so I wanted to make it good enough to use

I scrubbed and washed the whole thing with diluted bleach, then scrubbed some areas with a magic eraser. Managed to take off all the dirt and grime and most of the markings. 

It could probably still use a brightening treatment but I don't feel like that's necessary. Just left it to hang dry and it should be ready to use by tomorrow!

 

[RH | 4,903]

10 hours ago, MiamiSlice said:

 

 

I have no clue how I've yet to pick one of these up.  I had one as a kid and I loved it--perfect for trips, short or long.  Anyway, I think when I was looking, I was waiting to find one in mint shape and I just never found one.  Nice to see one getting some love.  Thanks for sharing.

 

Edited May 16, 2022 by RH

[Tanooki | 4,933]

I got this off ebay, despite I'm mostly trying to avoid that, I saw this game for like $30 less than the usual paid out price so I went for it hoping I could remove the mess from it.  The end result there you can see.

The rear of it had a wrecked sticker, another security strip mess, just had to remove it as it killed that, and marker, it's clean now too 100%.  Inside had more security strips, they're off and smoothed the glue away clean too.

The only side effect if you catch the light right you can see the outline of the letters on the face, guessing they sat for 25 years it protected the plastic from a little light shift?

If it's not that, I'm willing to attempt something that won't sand it down.

         

[Tanooki | 4,933]

I went on a roll today.  I got a nice trade in the mail faster than expected from mike here, I knew clear well that the Phantasy Star IV cart was imperfect, did not bother me.  I also was tipped off to a store in town here, found Ranger X for less than normal, but it had sticker damage and 2 types of really bad ink on the sticker no less.  Before and After, what do you think?

PS4 required the use of various inks I have, yeah heresy...and?  I had to blend this for 15-30min blending inks, wiping free with a cloth, applying more, sitting, blending...repeat.  It's not perfect, but, what do you think?  I used a couple shades of dark red, purples, blues, and black to blend dot and rub away every bit of white I could.

Ranger X the face had two types of ink on that black splotch on the front, and ANOTHER two black inks on the top and also another like think yellowy paint pen too, it ate a corner off the top of the sticker maybe 1/4" square which I didn't see until removal.  This would NOT stand.  I tested it, this sticker was alcohol friendly with a more gentle touch, dry rub, wet dab, dry wet... over and over, a gentle wet rub over and over, and the front was fixed.  The top was sucky, that took all that, but the yellow crap, it ate the sticker, basically I cleared the damage straight, removed the yellow best I could scraping as alcohol didn't totally dent it.  Now the obvious but only when looking right directly at it patch.  Yeah, I made a patch.  That's a product of a white corporate oversized post-it paper, cut the square to match, then used a couple dark shades of red, the same used on PS4 in those ink blends, and while cleaning all those games that came today, applied layer and layer and layer to it...until it matched dry.

 

[fsped09 | 223]

On 5/16/2022 at 12:00 AM, MiamiSlice said:

Got a bunch of stuff from another collector but most of it is garage stuff that needs serious cleaning. Here's the first thing I wanted to tackle. Never had one of these before so I wanted to make it good enough to use

I scrubbed and washed the whole thing with diluted bleach, then scrubbed some areas with a magic eraser. Managed to take off all the dirt and grime and most of the markings. 

It could probably still use a brightening treatment but I don't feel like that's necessary. Just left it to hang dry and it should be ready to use by tomorrow!

 

I love it! Great job. Could use some retro-bright, but even a full day in the sun might help too. 

Gotta paint those gameboy letters!!! They're raised enough that you could easily do it with a paint brush. 

[AirVillain | 488]

I wish the OG pics were working. Maybe that's just me.

Love cleaning these up though. Excellent thread. 

[RH | 4,903]

I have a few wavebird controllers that work but are grimy.  The analog ticks are all brownish in color, and I don't think it's from sun/light damage.  Is there any way to clean those rubbery thumbsticks, without destroying the surface?  I think I've tried soap and water before and that didn't quite work.  I need something a bit more aggressive but also won't degrade the rubber.

Thanks.

[fsped09 | 223]

On 6/6/2022 at 8:15 PM, RH said:

I have a few wavebird controllers that work but are grimy.  The analog ticks are all brownish in color, and I don't think it's from sun/light damage.  Is there any way to clean those rubbery thumbsticks, without destroying the surface?  I think I've tried soap and water before and that didn't quite work.  I need something a bit more aggressive but also won't degrade the rubber.

Thanks.

Got a pic? Why not just open them up and give them a proper cleaning? You could also buy replacement sticks and it'll feel like new! 

They're pretty cheap too: Amazon.com: 2 x Replacement Analogue Analog Sticks Thumbstick for Gamecube Controller : Video Games

[RH | 4,903]

2 minutes ago, fsped09 said:

Got a pic? Why not just open them up and give them a proper cleaning? You could also buy replacement sticks and it'll feel like new! 

They're pretty cheap too: Amazon.com: 2 x Replacement Analogue Analog Sticks Thumbstick for Gamecube Controller : Video Games

I guess that's an option but I'm not fond of replacing hardware that works just fine.  Ok... I do need to test these because I got them in a Salvation Army lot years ago.  They look clean in the battery compartment and mostly loved but not abused condition.

I'll try to take some photos later.

Actually, when you say replace the sticks, do you mean the entire analog stick, or is it east to just replace the plastic/rubber stick and leave the mechanics?  I've not looked into replacement parts at all.  I'd be more inclined to replace the plastic components vs. the entire analog assembly.

[MiamiSlice | 3,089]

1 hour ago, RH said:

I guess that's an option but I'm not fond of replacing hardware that works just fine.  Ok... I do need to test these because I got them in a Salvation Army lot years ago.  They look clean in the battery compartment and mostly loved but not abused condition.

I'll try to take some photos later.

Actually, when you say replace the sticks, do you mean the entire analog stick, or is it east to just replace the plastic/rubber stick and leave the mechanics?  I've not looked into replacement parts at all.  I'd be more inclined to replace the plastic components vs. the entire analog assembly.

You can just replace the plastic top and leave the mechanics alone. You will see when you take it apart how simple it is.

Edited June 8, 2022 by MiamiSlice

[fsped09 | 223]

19 minutes ago, MiamiSlice said:

You can just replace the plastic top and leave the mechanics alone. You will see when you take it apart how simple it is.

Yup this. When you open it up, you'll find that these sticks just sit on a pin/rod of sorts. It just pops off. You need not replace the mechanics, just the rubber/plastic part that has wear/tear on it. 

Once you've got it open you'll have an 'ah-ha' moment

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,012]

I bought a broken PS4 at a yard sale for $8. There was a note on it saying it couldn't get past the set up or connect to the WiFi (which is probably why it couldn't get past the set up screens). So I took her home, bought a cheap ass controller and gave it a go and show enough, it got stuck trying to set up the console. The previous owner must've reset it to try to fix it but no luck.

But luckily for me, I found the PS4 boots into a safe mode, so I went into that. I plugged in the Ethernet cable to bypass the WiFi and then downloaded the update from the safe mode. Once it was done, I went back to setup the console like normal and BOOM complete success.

Not the typical restoration but I figured I'd make a post in case anyone runs into a similar problem. 

[fsped09 | 223]

Bought a lot of seven off eBay. A little warm soapy water and 24 hours RetroBriting, they look good as new!!

[MiamiSlice | 3,089]

Recently I picked up a V-Tech Socrates system. The seller told me he couldn't get it to work. I spent my free time over the past week fixing it up. Unfortunately, there's still something wrong with it, but I was able to get the unit to boot up and it was very nostalgic. I had one of these back in the day, spent a lot of time with it (I also had the mouse accessory). 

Unfortunately I didn't get too many pictures of the process, but I did get a few. Firstly, the system was filthy. I had to clean it all over with alcohol. The color of the plastic actually turned lighter due to a layer of dirt being removed. Second, there was A LOT of battery corrosion, and one of the battery compartments is deep inside (you can slide the batteries in but you can't reach the spring to clean it) so I had to open up the console and take it apart just to clean the corrosion off the contacts. 

Backside: 

The compartment I had to open up after removing the shell: 

The contacts I was finally able to reach & clean: 

The level of filth I had to clean on the shell and keyboard: 

I guess at one point this was sold for $34.99 at a thrift store? 

The keyboard before cleaning, there was dirt even in the compartments under the pop-out controllers: 

After cleaning: 

(I used a toothpick to get an alcohol-soaked paper towel into the grooves)

The unit fully cleaned: 

(The magic marker did not come off completely, that would probably require a magic eraser)

I took a video of the system booting up. It's RF-out only, but IMO it still looks really good on my CRT. 

 

And yes this is a proper console. It has built-in games, but it also has a slot for cartridges for more games. 

So on to what didn't work... the keyboard isn't being read by the base unit. The keyboard is wireless and uses an infrared transmitter to talk to the base. The base's receiver lights up, and the keyboard lights up when I press buttons. I can even see the transmitter blinking when I press buttons (using my iPhone camera), so I know it's sending something. I don't know where the problem is... it's possible that a wire inside the base isn't connected, so the receiver isn't talking to the rest of the board. But I don't think I'm going to be able to fix this. It's too bad, I was really hoping to be able to play it. 

Edited July 11, 2022 by MiamiSlice

[Tanooki | 4,933]

I know I posted this yesterday but all record of it is gone (glitch?)

Yesterday I got a nice little GBA SP/Game lot, but sadly Zelda LTTP/4S was roached to death, rotted on multiple pins, one of them completely through into a point up by the via so all contact was gone one one.  Ive never attempted it before to the extreme I took but it worked.  It took about 2hrs of investigation and a few attempts at things but I did repair the game.

At first I figured out which pins were not reading/reading well, and using solder and flux I gave a light brushing over them to a nice clean contact shine.  The problem, the one that went to the 7th lower pin of the chip with the game data was as I said gone, gone to a point rotted out.  I tried a few times, barely held once, making a solder bridge but a one off working power up failed.  Many attempts to do it again, also scraping some green away, eventually I got a couple more one offs to work then not.  Discouraged, annoyed, and time sunk into it with the advice of a friend on facebook I took it to the next level for me, wired bypass.  I have an old random pieces pull drawer thing for non-gaming repair stuff, found a busted piece I kept with 2 very thin wires, harvested one.

I cut 2 pieces knowing safer than sorry, keeping this more brief from there, I had it working again but a bad job, clean up killed it.  Eventually I was able using tweezers got a very tiny piece of wire down attached to the chip (so fine, my biggest worry) without a bridge, then connected it to the wrecked pin, tinned that out to the the end, and boom...fixed.  Stress tested it in the GBA for a couple hours and it remained good.

The pic isn't great, couldn't get a nice zoom with the magnifying class on my helping hands.  Since been taped over and closed up.

[fsped09 | 223]

4 hours ago, MiamiSlice said:

(The magic marker did not come off completely, that would probably require a magic eraser)

If you take a dry erase marker and mark up the permanent marker, let it sit for a min or so, it should wipe right off. Might need some rubbing alcohol and elbow grease. Magic Eraser should always be the last thing. Hopefully that works!

[CMR | 519]

For markers, I usually just let the spot soak in a few drops of alcohol.  This gives the pigments from the marker time to dissolve.  I then gently scrub at it with a q-tip.  I'll repeat the process until all the marker stain is gone.  I've had good luck with really stubborn marker stains using this method.  Patience is key.

[RH | 4,903]

*Brake fluid.  I can't recall who mentioned it on NintendoAge, but it's all I've used ever since and it 100% works best.  As a bonus, rubbing alcohol breaks down the polymers within plastics.  This is why if you ever clean darker plastics with alcohol, they then seem to have a light haze over them.  This especially happens with Nintendo cartridges.

Using rubbing alcohol on an item like that shouldn't be a problem since the plastic is so light, but a $2 bottle of brake fluid has lasted me for nearly 4 years and works like amazingly well on permanent marker.

[MiamiSlice | 3,089]

I appreciate the advice everyone but I’d really like advice on getting the infrared communication to work

[fsped09 | 223]

On 7/12/2022 at 12:17 AM, MiamiSlice said:

I appreciate the advice everyone but I’d really like advice on getting the infrared communication to work

Got any pics of the guts around the IR sensors? 

[Tanooki | 4,933]

Agree, that IR sensor is likely/almost definitely not a lost cause.

The odds are you have a broken or cold solder joint, a degraded trace, possibly a jacked up cap, maybe even the IR itself is busted.

Depending on skill level each of those can be redone or pop n' swapped.

[MiamiSlice | 3,089]

Today was a cleaning day! First up is a sealed Epic Mickey clicker controller with sticker residue all around, this is VGS Restoration Shop so you shouldn't mind seeing some gross stuff, but I'll put these in a spoiler tag for you: 

Spoiler

For this one I just put some blotches of Bestine on a paper towel and wiped the box. I've found that when I'm cleaning plastic or a sturdy box I don't even have to be gentle, I don't need to use a q-tip, I can just use a paper towel with a generous amount of Bestine and the residue comes off like I'm just wiping dust. It's really easy. Here's the final result: 

Second is this ALS Industries Videostax VGC-50 "Entertainment Center," no idea what year this is from, 1990 maybe? It was filthy, check this out: 

I took out the plastic trays and washed them with dawn soap + water, then scrubbed with a soft brush to get all the dust and grime out: 

Then the main part and the dust cover I used a combination of clorox wipes and alcohol to scrub every surface, it took a while but it was worth it. I even used a toothpick + alcohol to get into one crevice that was hard to reach. 

The end result: 

It's a really cool set, it can hold an NES or Atari 2600, has a compartment for accessories and then the back has a slot that can hold 24 Atari carts or 12 NES carts (with the black insert). Unfortunately I have no use for it but I'm going to hold onto it for a while. 

Edited July 23, 2022 by MiamiSlice

[MiamiSlice | 3,089]

Can’t figure out how to remove this stain