Atari 2600 Whiteout

[Heavy_Sixer]

Hi,
I have been a fan of this site for a while and recently decided to be come a member and see if I can get a bit of help, and maybe help some people too.

I recently bought a atari 2600 and a jr. The jr is in good cosmetic shape but the 2600 has been "customized" by someone with whiteout i was wondering of anyone has tried to remove whiteout from plastic before. Just wanted to know if it was salvageable or i should just use it for parts.

Thanks,
Heavy_Sixer

Attachment 4099

[VertigoProcess]

Picture isn't coming up for me but that's not a new thing for when im posting from my phone... but anyway it should be able to be cleaned up id try rubbing it with alcohol and then scraping it off with your finger nails... should be easier to get off then sharpy cuz it hardens to a solid... and I've gotten sharpy off plenty of times with just rubbing alcohol alone...

Ok picture just came up.... ouch that's a lot of white out... id take it apart take the top half that has all the white out on it to a sink and scrub with a tooth brush... still think it'll come off, just gotta give it some elbow grease...

[Heavy_Sixer]

Thanks for the advice i will give it a try!

[FABombjoy]

Yep, it's easy to remove the top half of the case. Just a few screws and it lifts right up. Then you can put it in a sink and spray it down with Dow Bathroom Cleaner, 409, or other general household cleaner. After a good soak and light scrubbing it should come right off.

[jb143]

I haven't tried it myself, but I'd think fingernail polish remover would do the trick...if you have any handy that is.

[bust3dstr8]

I haven't tried it myself, but I'd think fingernail polish remover would do the trick...if you have any handy that is.

Don't use nail polish remover. The acetone in it destroys plastics.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

This will be a tricky job. If you use harsh chemicals, you may fade the black plastic, or you might end up removing the writing that's underneath the white blob on the left. I suppose if the black plastic could be repainted black if it fades.

Anyway, good luck.

[jb143]

Don't use nail polish remover. The acetone in it destroys plastics.

Which is why it always melts through the bottle. Seriously though, it looks like acetone can act like a solvent on some plastics but obviously not all. It will remove whiteout though. But I'd test any chemical on an inside surface first before trying it on the front. Various bathroom cleaners can "melt" plastic as well. If non-harsh chemical methods don't work then you can add a dab on the inside and see if the plastic gets at all sticky. If it does, then don't use it on the front.

[Niku-Sama]

this is an old 40 year old plastic, when you bought nail polish remover in the 70's it probably came in a glass bottle.

dont use nail polish remover, i know for a fact it kills the atari 2600 plastics

[Sunnyvale]

Methinks OP has already tried, either failed or succeeded, and listed said Atari.

Doubt he'll be back.

[Heavy_Sixer]

No I haven't had the time to try or reply for that matter i have been busy with school and work sorry, i gave it a quick try with water and a tooth brush and it looked promising. thanks for the advice and i think i will use nail polish remover as a last resort.

[removestain]

Hi,

OK - I know this exact problem. It has come up many times and it is not new to the situation of Atari.

If you need to remove whiteout, then you can follow the link I gave, or go to:

Remove Whiteout

Furthermore, I would definitely caution you on the use of nail polish remover.

Best of luck!

Your homie!