| |
Mace
Registered: May 2002
Posts: 1799 |
What about refurbishing C64s?
Recently I acquired quite a stack of C64s in various conditions. Some work, but have a lot of yellowing, others work but lakc a SID chip or have broken ports and some don't even boot but do have an almost perfect housing.
I'm considering to refurbish those: take all the good parts and build a nice looking and working C64.
Anyone here done that before?
Any thoughts on the fact that the 'authenticity' of a refurbished machine is gone? |
|
| |
Radiant
Registered: Sep 2004
Posts: 639 |
I say fuck authenticity as long as it works as intended, but I'm certainly no collector. I'd prefer a 100% working, refurbished machine over a 99% working "authentic" one any day. |
| |
Twoflower
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 434 |
Agreed. Just make sure to match the right SID's to the right computers. I find it quite interesting to note down the numbers of the VIC+SID, boardtype, serialnumber and productionfacility before switching stuff, just in case. |
| |
Mace
Registered: May 2002
Posts: 1799 |
Ah, good point, TwoFlower.
Thanks! |
| |
Master of Chaos
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 25 |
If these machines are not originally yours, who cares about 'authenticity'?
But if there is one which holds your memories, uhh, the motherboard, and of course the case shpuld not be replaced. Then i think, the SID should sound like the one you have heard the years before.
Other parts are exchangeable , i think .
|
| |
Style
Registered: Jun 2004
Posts: 498 |
Im forever refurbing stuff. At the moment Im refurbing an 8032. It will rock :)
Cleaning the c64 keyboard is the worst job. I pull them completely apart, clean everything part by part with metho, then put it all back again. Takes AGES, but is worth it cos usually they come up like new again.
|
| |
Radiant
Registered: Sep 2004
Posts: 639 |
I can only agree about cleaning the keyboard. I didn't take mine completely apart, but unscrewed it and cleaned it up as good as I could without removing the keys. The result: spacebar went from hammer-with-force-and-hope-for-the-best state into working-like-any-other-key state. |
| |
Mace
Registered: May 2002
Posts: 1799 |
Agreed about the 'original' machine.
It's holy! :-)
About cleaning the keyboard, I can advice to use 'green soap'. It's a soap based on vegetable oil and sodiumhydroxide without artificial odors. It smells a bit odd, but it's incredibly effective.
I pull off all the keys and throw them in hot water with a dash of green soap. Works like a charm, clean in just a few seconds.
The same water and soap can be used to clean the housing with a soft sponge.
Here's some results:
This is the keyboard of the C128 above, which I took apart completely (incl. desoldering):
 |
| |
Devia
Registered: Oct 2004
Posts: 401 |
I clean C64 keyboards fully assembled simply by using regular dishwashing soap and a danish (scandinavian?) dishwashing brush with long horse hair. Then I flush it under a bit of pressure and hang it to dry. If the keys are crap, I take off the back plate and clean the underside of all the caps using isopropylalchohol.
For cleaning the cases I use something with a low PH value. (use gloves)
If the case is yellow from UV light, you can bleach it using hydrogenperoxide (40%)... but it has to soak in that shit for about 48 hours depending on the discoloration. Remember to remove any stickers and whatnots. ..oh and DON'T stick your fingers in that shit either! - flush with plenty of water afterwards.
I have had positive results with even bleeching keyboard caps without visibly damaging the black print. This was on some Amiga keyboard. Be carefull with this and test it thoroughly before risking bleeching the letters off ;-)
-remember those gloves!!
|
| |
dalezy
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 476 |
nice pics there, mace.
i did the same some years ago with an awfully molested c64 that is now the red one i have and use. gotta see if i find the pics somewhere in the folder-mess. |
| |
maestro
Registered: Mar 2004
Posts: 727 |
dalezy didnt know you where a smoggie!!! |
| |
VIC
Registered: Aug 2003
Posts: 73 |
Quote: I can only agree about cleaning the keyboard. I didn't take mine completely apart, but unscrewed it and cleaned it up as good as I could without removing the keys. The result: spacebar went from hammer-with-force-and-hope-for-the-best state into working-like-any-other-key state.
I've heard about the "any key", but how does the "any-other-key" work? |
| |
dalezy
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 476 |
Quote: dalezy didnt know you where a smoggie!!!
does that mean all guys from middlesbrough have a hard time finding pictures they did? =) |
| |
yago
Registered: May 2002
Posts: 333 |
psst, dalezy: a picture of a red c64 is on your myspace account!
|
| |
dalezy
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 476 |
Quote: psst, dalezy: a picture of a red c64 is on your myspace account!
yeah, but that's the aftermath, not the before-and-in-progress-imagery |
| |
Style
Registered: Jun 2004
Posts: 498 |
I have a blue c128, which was so badly yellowed I painted it.
Ive got some Krylon Fusion now though, so I might restore it back to off-white :)
|
| |
Mace
Registered: May 2002
Posts: 1799 |
Quote: I have a blue c128, which was so badly yellowed I painted it.
Ive got some Krylon Fusion now though, so I might restore it back to off-white :)
That would be 'Dover White' in Krylon terms ;-)
I'd go for 'Flat Black', if I'd spray the case.
Nice idea to take a breadbox model and put a white keyboard in then: fake C16 :-) |
| |
null
Account closed
Registered: Jun 2006
Posts: 645 |
Quote: That would be 'Dover White' in Krylon terms ;-)
I'd go for 'Flat Black', if I'd spray the case.
Nice idea to take a breadbox model and put a white keyboard in then: fake C16 :-)
well... you'd have to paint all the keys grey too... c16 has grey keys afaik...
|
| |
Mace
Registered: May 2002
Posts: 1799 |
Quote: well... you'd have to paint all the keys grey too... c16 has grey keys afaik...
Pfff... mere details... ;) |
| |
Style
Registered: Jun 2004
Posts: 498 |
Quote: That would be 'Dover White' in Krylon terms ;-)
I'd go for 'Flat Black', if I'd spray the case.
Nice idea to take a breadbox model and put a white keyboard in then: fake C16 :-)
Dover white, yes - I got 6 cans of it. |
| |
maestro
Registered: Mar 2004
Posts: 727 |
does anyone know of anything in the uk that works well with old keyboards especially if they have yellowed with age aswell?? |
| |
Twoflower
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 434 |
As mentioned earlier - hydrogenperoxide (40%) or paint the darn thing with a can of Sherona Red you found in your cellar. For repairing cracks and so on, I use a solvent I got from Jerry. It's highly unpleasant and cancerogene and stuff, but darn, it really melts together that plastic in a neat way. You can actually not spot where the cracks or breaks ever were located if you do it in a nice way. |
| |
Graham
Account closed
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 990 |
Or you can skip the cancer thing and simply live with the state it is in. |
| |
maestro
Registered: Mar 2004
Posts: 727 |
so hydrogen peroxide doesnt take of the writing on the keys then??
cool i take the keys to work as we use hydrogen peroxide :) |
| |
Devia
Registered: Oct 2004
Posts: 401 |
You better test it first! Eventhough the chars survived in some cases, it doesn't mean they always will. The stuff the print is made up of, might have been changed during different production runs and thus might react differently.
|
