Making old consoles look like new!

[Retro_player]

What is the best way, to make a console like a snes, psx, nes, with 10 years of use look like new?
What is the best way to clean it? What is the best product to use?
How do you take care of the cosmetic of your consoles?

Thanks!

regards!

[christianscott27]

i'm addicted to armor-all, especially on black consoles like the saturn, just keep it away from the CD area. spray it on a paper towel and then buff the hardware. its supposed to protect from UV damage and helps keep the dust down.

[kai123]

409 and a toothbrush will clean almost anything. (almost)

[omnedon]

Disassemble, and get out the soap and a toothbrush. The toothbrush is the key. Stuff looks like new when even the grooves are free of debris. :D

Armor All scares me... though. Too Shiny and slippery. Won't use it. YMMV. Worked great on the banana seat on my bike in 1979 though. LOL

[nesuser2]

use a dry toothbrush to break the dirt that you can, then use soap or an armor all wipe. the spray is dangerous. and if people don't already know....don't get armor all on the paint of your car, you just might get charged extra on your next body shop visit. it doesn't treat fresh paint very well :eek 2:

[intro9]

I would say a toothbrush, a good rag and either Formula 409 or Fantastic. Both have worked wonders for me. Soap and water will only get you so far with dirt and stuff, but the 409 or Fantastic will take it right up if you let it sit for about 30 seconds then buff it nicely with a rag. After you are done tho you might want to wipe it down with a little soap and water. 409 and Fantastic tend to leave a sticky residue after wiping it off. But you'll get a great clean after using it. Very nice. Toothbrush for the creases and the such of course.

Frank

For sticker goo and the such, GooGone is a great choice.

[Ed Oscuro]

i'm addicted to armor-all, especially on black consoles like the saturn, just keep it away from the CD area. spray it on a paper towel and then buff the hardware. its supposed to protect from UV damage and helps keep the dust down.

That's probably a good idea...if I had something in the light all the time I might just do that. Keep a lot of my stuff in the box, though.

For me, I just keep things dusted.

[Retro_player]

What is formula 409? I've never heard of it. What does it do?

Regards!

[dreamcaster]

I tend to disassemble the console to it's bare bones, and then proceed to wash the exterior casing in soap and warm water, scrubbing if necessary. Same goes for controllers.

Circuit boards I just give a once over with a damp cloth.

[The Manimal]

I always used rubbing alcohol and water.

Not sure if it was a good idea, but it works *crosses fingers*

[intro9]

To the question about Formula 409, it's a spray bottled cleaning fluid. I know in the states it's available at like every supermarket and k-mart/wallmart deal. Not hard to fine. Goo-Gone can be a pain to get tho.

Frank

[Jasoco]

What is formula 409? I've never heard of it. What does it do?You've never heard of 409? It puts Grease on the run! That's what it does! Or so the commercials say.

For me, I find it easier to just put the whole thing in the dishwasher. Don't bother disassembling them, they're built waterproof. All of them. So it's safe. Just drop them in and set it on Warm Rinse.

I kid. I kid.

[bjk7382]

We had a large discussion about this on AA and it became a heated debate on whether to use Armor all or not. And sombody actually wrote an email to armor all the company and they told them not to use it on video game systems. If you ever spray that stuff on a piece of glass and then try to wipe it off you will see the "film" layer that is left on your system.

I just don't think it is a good idea to use it, I think it works great to just use an "all purpose" cleaner and leave it looking original.

[nesuser2]

i don't think armor all is going to damage the plastic, however it may damage the components......which is why i recommended the whipes versus the spray. and should anybody want to paint their console for fun or something. Definitly don't try it on a console you've ever touched with armor all.....it just won't work out......

[bjk7382]

Here is a topic like this that got locked over at AA. I will admit that I overspoke most of the time, but it was all in good fun.

http://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=39728&highlight=armor+armour

[nesuser2]

well they do have some good points over there. I think you do have something against Armor all.

If you read further up in my post, I already mentioned all the bad things about armor all.....that aren't really that relevant to this topic but that's about the only thing wrong with it that I know of.

Nobody is cleaning any electronical components with armor all, and if they do, when they ruin they're collection is the day I will point and laugh. Meanwhile, If you're so scared of the build up from armor all, try Tuff Stuff, which only comes in a spray can if I remember right and I can't say that it would hurt any of the components in a system....But I would recommend cleaning it case only since it is a spray and it does foam up and there is no control. I've even gotten this stuff in my eye before and it didn't even burn....so it shouldn't hurt many things.

One last note on your fake shine ordeal. This really bothers me, because if you take something apart and clean it with soap and water......and you clean it good......If the plastic is 10+ years old it will look dried out. I've done this before. I bought a car where the interior was covered in filth. So i took out the panels and washed with soap and water......that's it. they all came out looking dry so you will have to use something to restore the finish. plastic deteriorates over time and armor all is a good defence because it moisturizes it. Maybe I didn't spell that right but when people use tire shine on their car, they're helping their tires because if you don't drive the car all the time and loose tread......the sidewall will be the next to go because it's dried out.

Armor all ruins paint in a heartbeat. I believe blindly the fact that armor all causes buildup because it's a spray on type thing and you don't rinse it off and It's oily yet to boot. There is nothing wrong with a buildup of shine on a console. If you think it's too shiny or too oily.....which does happen with armor because it's extremely oil. Get a dry cloth and whipe it around and you will notice some of the excess oil being lifted and it will look brand spanking new and be just a touch oily which can still be soaked up at a later date but only so much will come off at a time. Bash it personally if you like, but you're not going to convince everybody to stop using it...

[christianscott27]

using armor with common sense on consoles is fine, some people in that AA thread really missed the point and went just a tab overboard.

what i'm wondering is how does armor alls claim of protecting against UV damage stand up? take for example the yellowish discolored SNES, some sources say thats smoke residue but i'm convinced its light damage. i have a super fami cart that has that yellowing only on the backside. would a coating of armor all prevent that?

i really like the armor all effect on colored plastics, i have a lot of handhelds and armor all has made them look brand new.

[Jasoco]

take for example the yellowish discolored SNES, some sources say thats smoke residue but i'm convinced its light damage..Well, my SNES is 13 years old, been out in the open the whole time and is still its grey color. As are all my carts. Still gray.. well, except my DOOM cart which for some reason has turned bright red and.. oh, wait.. that's the actual color. Nevermind. ;)

BTW, we're a non-smoking household. If that helps.

[punkoffgirl]

I always heard that if you used Armor All in your car, that it would cause a white filmy buildup after a while.. but that you could use diluted vinegar to remove this. I guess you'd have to be doing it quite often to your systems for it to build up, eh?

[FABombjoy]

[edit: nevermind]

[bigdaddychester]

I will completely disassemble an acquired console and place the plastic shell into the dishwasher. Always the top shelf and lay it flat. 8-)

[Predatorxs]

Hey,

If you have an old yella snes, strip it down then give the outer shell a good clean, then spray that thing!! Here's a few pics of my BLACK SNES!!

http://mysite.freeserve.com/browncow/snesbk3.jpg?0.5497467331472716http://mysite.freeserve.com/browncow/snesbk2.jpg?0.6620364251079981

The pics don't do it justice, i'v posted these pics b4, but thought some ppl might like a look?!? ;)

[Bratwurst]

That continues to remain the best console paintjob I've ever seen.

[omnedon]

I am in full agreement with Bratwurst, and I'm a purist (I prefer original to custom stuff). That custom job is far and away superior to yellowed, or 50/50 yellow grey. 8-)

[Dangerboy]

You know, I was DAMN impressed with the SNES paint job until I saw what cartridge was sitting in it. That it became jealousy LOL

[Jasoco]

I dunno about the purple buttons. I would probably have gone.. hmm... I dunno.. some color that looks good with black that wasn't the original color.

Cool none-the-less. Cartridge Jealousy overcomes us all, though.

[§ Gideon §]

You know, I was DAMN impressed with the SNES paint job until I saw what cartridge was sitting in it. That it became jealousy LOL
Gah, you're right! Is that what I think it is?

[Memnon]

I do a good job getting dirt and grime off of my consoles, but of course nothing can remove the scratches and scuff marks in the plastic, a problem with pre-owned consoles. It comes out looking clean, but not 'brand new'.

[Schenley]

Check out my post about Zaino. (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36502&highlight=zaino)

[InsaneDavid]

Nothing like reviving an almost TWO YEAR OLD dead thread. :roll:

[Memnon]

If I would've started a new thread, a whole swarm of mods would've descended on me "this has been covered before, use the search, lock this, blahblah"...

[SuperShark]

But still, even with that fine point you made, why revive a 2 YEAR OLD thread just to say 'I have cleaned a few systems well before but couldn't get out the scratches'? What IS the point?

[nesuser2]

Nothing like reviving an almost TWO YEAR OLD dead thread. :roll:


But still, even with that fine point you made, why revive a 2 YEAR OLD thread just to say 'I have cleaned a few systems well before but couldn't get out the scratches'? What IS the point?

Let this one carry on, we have all added our two cents to a subject too late at least once in our life and this one shall be no different. Carry on Memnon.

[Memnon]

My point was that it's almost impossible to get an old console to look completely new, which is relevant to the original topic of the thread...which was about cleaning systems and trying to get them to look new. The topic is 2 whole years old, but there's a lot of new members that have joined since then, who might have the same questions the original poster of this thread had. They can find all of the information in this thread, rather than starting a new one.

[nesuser2]

My point was that it's almost impossible to get an old console to look completely new, which is relevant to the original topic of the thread...which was about cleaning systems and trying to get them to look new. The topic is 2 whole years old, but there's a lot of new members that have joined since then, who might have the same questions the original poster of this thread had. They can find all of the information in this thread, rather than starting a new one.

What are you using to clean it? Is it taking the life out of the console? As in...does it look too dry or white? no gloss? If that's what you're talking about, try something like plastic polish or maybe even armor all but use either sparingly.

[Archenemy]

What I do with most of the stuff I get (Consoles, controllers,cartridges) here and there is to disassemble it (took me a while to get all the different kind of screwdriver heads that are needed to have a universal disassembly klit but I did it hehehe LOL )

Next, unscrew and remove carefully the PCB. CDROM drive, etc.

As most of you, I use normal soap and mild water. My secret is to use an electric toothbrush with a rotatory head that does the job faster and better than the old normal toothbrush- that I still have to use for controllers because the electric toothbrush easily takes the small buttons from your fingers.

If it has marker on it that hasn't go with the toothbrush, I use Goo Gone. Still there? Well take a look at the cottonball I usually take to apply and rub, if it's clean, then it's a lost cause. If it comes a little stained, no matter how small the stain it comes in the ball, apply a small portion of Goo Gone directly to the mark and let it work for a few minutes. Chances are the marker will AT LEAST be severely deminished, if not (luckly) vanished.

Then it comes the time for the decision; sometimes I use a product that is a little different from Armor All but gets similar results and leave little-to-no residues on the case with a little less shinier, more natural and attractive look. But most of the time I do nothing and leave it that way ;)

As for the Scuffs and scratches... there is nothing to do for them. Really. Don't even think about using sandpaper!

And I see nothing bad about bringing a topic back to life. It wasn't banned or closed and I see no offense here, except for the people who like to buy Brand New Sealed thingies and have a whole load of money to waste that way and think that we people who buy used and restorate our things are beggers or homeless :roll: :hmm:

[alec006]

Whoa nice SNES paint job,would like that on my half grey and yellow SNES. BTW i use wood polish for my Atari 2600 wood part,ah snines like new.

[diediemydarling]

yea you should have put red buttons on that snes

[omnedon]

This is a timeless topic.

[johno590]

Oops, double post.

[johno590]

Well, I have bought alot of stuff at flea markets, and you know how dirty some of those things can get.

One thing that I use all the time and it has worked great...

Magic Eraser.

It's a Mr. Clean product, and its just a white eraser looking sponge and it cleans all plastics perfectly.

It also got some marker off a label (but be careful it could remove some of the color off of label but it worked for me) Partly removes marker off of plastic, and removes most marks and dirt. Try it out.

[Tron2005]

Something else to think about is a product called Plexus. it is a cleaner protectant that is used on Motorcycle plastic so there for its safe on plastic (most motorcycle plastic is ABS) it cleans and protects and its got a pleasant smell to boot. your local motorcycle shop should have it

As for the Armor All ive always heard that it dried plastic/rubber out and you had to keep on applying it to keep it looking good.

I talked to a friend of mine that was in the plastic Manufacturing business and he was saying that the yellowing is caused by the manufacturing process itself . if i remember right it was too much of a certain chemical. i have a SNES that has a perfectly good center but the rest of the top piece is discolored and the bottom piece is good.

[phreak97]

As for the Scuffs and scratches... there is nothing to do for them. Really. Don't even think about using sandpaper!

well.. if it's already mutilated with heavy scratches in one area (not a single scratch, but like it came in contact with concrete or something) then you can sand a small area so long as you have the tools to buff it afterwards. it will NEVER be perfect, but it can be an improve ment.

i got a copy of zelda for snes which had had god knows what done to the plastic just off the left side of the end lable, there were a bunch of deep scratches all in the same half a square inch or so, they had dirt in them and all. i used a craft knife to clean the dirt out of each scratch, then a dremel with an emery type bit to smooth it out as much as possible (work lightly, or the plastic will melt from heat caused by friction). once that was done, i had an ok surface which was roughed up, so i used the buffer bit with the brown polishy crap they give you with the dremel buffer (it comes out clear) to give it a smooth shiny finish.
the result is by no means perfect, but it's FAR better than it was when i got it.

im not going to find the quote to go with it, but anyway:

yellowing is not caused by smoke, since smoke gets on the inside of the console as much as the outside, anything from a smokers household will prove it if you take a look at the brown gungy dust all over the pcb. yet the inside of yellowed snes's (mine at least) will still be perfectly grey.
i still believe it is sunlight which does it, as i have a starfox cart which has a clear line on the back between grey and starting to yellow. the line matches up perfectly with the level of the cart slot in my game doctor sf3 which was in the same lot of stuff as the starfox cart when i got it. i have no doubt the cart was left in the sf3 with the back facing a source of sunlight.

there are sunlight rays which get stopped by various things, so depending on what rays damage plastic, theres a chance reflected sunlight could have a much more minor effect than direct sunlight (apart from the fact less light gets reflected overall), so while you might have a well sunlit room, it could be reflecting off a surface which absorbs the portion which is harmful to your snes, same goes for different types of glass, i know there are parts of sunlight which dont even get through regular glass.. not so say theyre the harmful ones, but the possibility is there that some types let through less harmful light. (this is all my own theory, dont quote it. but still, i know it's possible)

[SkiDragon]

Sunlight Im sure causes some of the yellowing, but in many/most SNES systems it is the bottom half that is completely yellowed, while the top is fine. Thats what many of mine are like. Ive actually never seen a yellow top. Plus the inside of the bottom was yellowed. Brittle too. Sunlight would fall on the top more if anything.

[Coleman]

For hard to remove marker try using industrial style die makers ink remover. Usually comes in a spray can and it is toxic as hell. But i have watched it strip off dry paint on contact. Also works wonders for sharpie marks.

[videogameoverdose]

I use soap, water and an electric tooth brush to clean my consoles.
To refurbish the shine, I use a quality furniture polish (Pledge) sprayed on a lint free rag.

For carts, I clean the markers with lighter fluid and a large pencil or pen eraser, (no eraser on the labels) then use the furniture polish, makes the carts and labels look better.

[chaoticjelly]

Household Polish (Ideal for buffing up labels, removing stickiness)

Liquid Soda Crystals (On a wet face cloth)

Barkeep's Friend (Or whatever the hell its called - its a little abraisive and meant for cleaning brass etc but works wonders)

Isopropyl Alcohol (For cleaning contacts etc)

Thats about it!!

[Predatorxs]

Household Polish (Ideal for buffing up labels, removing stickiness)

Liquid Soda Crystals (On a wet face cloth)

Barkeep's Friend (Or whatever the hell its called - its a little abraisive and meant for cleaning brass etc but works wonders)

Isopropyl Alcohol (For cleaning contacts etc)

Thats about it!!

WOW! 2 year old thread comes to life lol.. i couldn't remember why this would show up in my posts, then i had a scan thru and saw my post about my black/custom snes, geez i nearly forgot i had that thing. Dang!! X_x

[CYRiX]

Shudda sprayed painted it that same shade of gray so it would just never turn yellow again.