NayusDante
04-13-2008, 09:13 PM
Are your controllers getting dirt and grime along the seams? There's probably dirt and grime around the buttons too. Most gamepads use standard small phillips head screws, so crack that thing open and get the hot water running. Today's subject: The SNES Pad
All of our parts together
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2371/2412047714_36de25fd4e_b.jpg
Don't be afraid to get the pieces mixed up. Aside from the L and R buttons, everything only goes in one way. Also, I wouldn't wash the metal rods that hold the L and R buttons on, as they're metal (rust...) and they're small enough to likely fall down the drain.
Our buttons, ready to be washed
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2370/2411222993_72509044d8_b.jpg
I didn't use any soap, just running water (hot) from my bathroom sink. You may want to close the drain, just to be safe. The buttons might have a bit of grime around their bottom rings, so be sure to wipe it off. Even though the rubber pieces shouldn't have much dust or anything on them, I wash them just the same. The two halves of the plastic shell are going to be the hardest parts to clean, as they have not only the most surface area, but also the most hard-to-reach crevasses. The edges where the halves contact are going to be where the grime is collected, so be sure to wash that off. Also, scrub the flat surfaces to remove the built up skin oils and whatever has been rubbing off your hands all these years (12 years of use for me). If it feels slick or oily under the water, scratch it with your fingernail or rub it harder until it feels more like plastic. I cleaned both the inside and outside of all my parts.
After washing an individual piece, lay it out on a towel or something similar to dry. When you're done with the rest of the pieces, a blow dryer works nicely to get everything dry quickly. I don't think that leaving water on rubber is a good idea, especially since the metal contacts under the buttons are attached with what I'm guessing is adhesive glue.
Now, let's look at something interesting:
SNES Pad front half
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2242/2412047062_262a3d586d_b.jpg
See the labels? If you know anything about the localization of the SNES, you'll notice that the button color placement from the SFC pad is noted, as well as the SNES color placement. Where the SFC was a bit more colorful (in keeping with the FC's "toy" concept of marketing), the SNES used only two colors, specifically "lavender" and "purple." I'm going to take a guess and say that these markings indicate that the buttons were inserted by hand, not a machine, and that Nintendo could manufacture a larger number of the same part number without having to worry about different markets. Whether the system identifying logo on the controller was printed before or after assembly, I can't say.
So what's the end result?
Clean and Gray!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/2411400545_86006a3c0f_b.jpg
The camera flash hides the slight discoloration, which actually is pretty even over the whole controller. Still, it's definitely cleaner. I've put this controller through so much wear and tear that it amazes me it still looks this good. Heck, the sides of its underside are shiny and smoothed out from so much use.
I hope you enjoyed this, might do the same for some other stuff. Taking game equipment apart and cleaning it is oddly fascinating. If anyone has suggestions on cleaning fluid or other methods, then by all means, I'd love to hear and try them.
All of our parts together
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2371/2412047714_36de25fd4e_b.jpg
Don't be afraid to get the pieces mixed up. Aside from the L and R buttons, everything only goes in one way. Also, I wouldn't wash the metal rods that hold the L and R buttons on, as they're metal (rust...) and they're small enough to likely fall down the drain.
Our buttons, ready to be washed
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2370/2411222993_72509044d8_b.jpg
I didn't use any soap, just running water (hot) from my bathroom sink. You may want to close the drain, just to be safe. The buttons might have a bit of grime around their bottom rings, so be sure to wipe it off. Even though the rubber pieces shouldn't have much dust or anything on them, I wash them just the same. The two halves of the plastic shell are going to be the hardest parts to clean, as they have not only the most surface area, but also the most hard-to-reach crevasses. The edges where the halves contact are going to be where the grime is collected, so be sure to wash that off. Also, scrub the flat surfaces to remove the built up skin oils and whatever has been rubbing off your hands all these years (12 years of use for me). If it feels slick or oily under the water, scratch it with your fingernail or rub it harder until it feels more like plastic. I cleaned both the inside and outside of all my parts.
After washing an individual piece, lay it out on a towel or something similar to dry. When you're done with the rest of the pieces, a blow dryer works nicely to get everything dry quickly. I don't think that leaving water on rubber is a good idea, especially since the metal contacts under the buttons are attached with what I'm guessing is adhesive glue.
Now, let's look at something interesting:
SNES Pad front half
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2242/2412047062_262a3d586d_b.jpg
See the labels? If you know anything about the localization of the SNES, you'll notice that the button color placement from the SFC pad is noted, as well as the SNES color placement. Where the SFC was a bit more colorful (in keeping with the FC's "toy" concept of marketing), the SNES used only two colors, specifically "lavender" and "purple." I'm going to take a guess and say that these markings indicate that the buttons were inserted by hand, not a machine, and that Nintendo could manufacture a larger number of the same part number without having to worry about different markets. Whether the system identifying logo on the controller was printed before or after assembly, I can't say.
So what's the end result?
Clean and Gray!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/2411400545_86006a3c0f_b.jpg
The camera flash hides the slight discoloration, which actually is pretty even over the whole controller. Still, it's definitely cleaner. I've put this controller through so much wear and tear that it amazes me it still looks this good. Heck, the sides of its underside are shiny and smoothed out from so much use.
I hope you enjoyed this, might do the same for some other stuff. Taking game equipment apart and cleaning it is oddly fascinating. If anyone has suggestions on cleaning fluid or other methods, then by all means, I'd love to hear and try them.