SwampFox56 Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 A lot of people have asked me for pictures of my mod work - which is quite understandable. Given the fact that people are sending their system to a stranger; I'd also want to know what the mod work looked like. So here are some pictures. I can add more if anyone wants. If you ever have any questions as well - feel free to let me know Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer (S-Video Mod, and pinch socket for the ribbon cable replaced) Unfortunately mounting RCA jacks in a Heavy Sixer is ridiculously hard. Drilling through a full Centimeter of plastic... isn't... isn't fun. Nor is trying to get a nut around the other end of RCA jack :/ Atari 5200 S-Video Mod Atari Jaguar (Removed RF modulator, and installed S-Video and Composite female cords) NES Toploader (Composite Video Mod, Stereo Mod, Overclocked. Plus all the chips are on sockets since I had to repair the system) SNES Component Video Modded 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampFox56 Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 Well... poop. I can't edit my thead under the hardware sub-forum. So, here are some more pictures of a different TopLoader I recently modded (and just sold) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Ouch. The cosmetic work on all of those is surely lacking I'm sorry to say. You might want to work on your craft a bit more before charging people money for this type of work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSG Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Ouch. The cosmetic work on all of those is surely lacking I'm sorry to say. You might want to work on your craft a bit more before charging people money for this type of work. It also depends on the price. If it isnt outrageous and you dont care much (like me) cosmetics isnt an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampFox56 Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 (edited) Ouch. The cosmetic work on all of those is surely lacking I'm sorry to say. You might want to work on your craft a bit more before charging people money for this type of work. Ouch is right - wasn't expecting that kind of response to be honest :/ More than anything - I want to be known for good, quality mod work. Can you give me information about the problems you see, and what you believe I need to improve on? I opened this thread so I could definitely hear criticism. By cosmetic you mean RCA mounting, switch mount etc - correct? The 5200 was modded about 1 and 1/2 years ago which is why the inside is a bit shoddy. The Top Loader I just sold was already damaged cosmetically when I bought the system. Heavy Sixer's I've always had issues with I'll admit for sure. On the inside, do you have an opinion about the mod work itself? On a side note - here is the outside of a Light Sixer I finished up today. I can take pictures of the inside of the system if anyone wants... but I just finished closing it up. Edited April 20, 2016 by SwampFox56 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Blowout on the holes for the jacks. Especially on the NES it's really bad. Poor placement of the jack holes i.e. not being in a straight line as they should be. The female connectors on wires just hanging out of the back of the jaguar when they could have been jacks. I don't want to go on and on here but you wanted some honest feedback and my assessment is the cosmetic side of your work is greatly lacking. EDIT: The work on the light sixer looks a lot cleaner versus all the other ones you posted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampFox56 Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 (edited) I personally thought that a slight deviation in jack spacing and position was acceptable (granted, the Heavy Sixer shown is more than "a little deviation"). Since other's don't think so, that's something I definitely need to work on so thanks a lot for the info . I suppose a lot of the issue has been the fact that I've been using a Rotary Tool to drill holes because I don't own a proper drill... or didn't until literally this afternoon when the one I ordered arrived.I bought a nice Ryobi, 12V lightweight drill. I used that to drill the holes in the Light Sixer, and yeah... the difference is night and day. In the future I suppose this shouldn't be a problem as long as I measure, and use a drill to actually drill the holes. Thanks again Shawn, your feedback has been invaluable Edited April 20, 2016 by SwampFox56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800fan Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Take care when using power drills on plastic. The plastic can crack easily. Personally I punch out pilot holes using 1/16" using template to keep it in straight line, then I hand twist unibit to desired hole size. Hand twisting or using very slow drill speed greatly reduces chance of cracked plastic. Don't forget to deburr hole if there's bits of plastic flake stuck to the edge. Deburring metal also helps if you cut the RF shield. Wiring part looks great. Just a bit more work on plastic part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampFox56 Posted April 22, 2016 Author Share Posted April 22, 2016 (edited) Take care when using power drills on plastic. The plastic can crack easily. Personally I punch out pilot holes using 1/16" using template to keep it in straight line, then I hand twist unibit to desired hole size. Hand twisting or using very slow drill speed greatly reduces chance of cracked plastic. Don't forget to deburr hole if there's bits of plastic flake stuck to the edge. Deburring metal also helps if you cut the RF shield. Wiring part looks great. Just a bit more work on plastic part. I actually had an 18V Ryobi two years ago, and found that out the hard way... totally destroyed the shell of my Master System at the time. Literally shattered like glass using a drill... Which is why I switched to using my dremel... but it tends to move around while drilling through plastic which results in... off center and non-straight jacks. I imagine I'll still use my dremel... rotary tool for for certain things... at least until I get some step-up drill bits. Also thanks for the feedback on the wiring. I've worked hard to become as good at soldering as I have. Edited April 22, 2016 by SwampFox56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradd1978 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 (edited) I actually had an 18V Ryobi two years ago, and found that out the hard way... totally destroyed the shell of my Master System at the time. Literally shattered like glass using a drill... Which is why I switched to using my dremel... but it tends to move around while drilling through plastic which results in... off center and non-straight jacks. I imagine I'll still use my dremel... rotary tool for for certain things... at least until I get some step-up drill bits. Also thanks for the feedback on the wiring. I've worked hard to become as good at soldering as I have. I've always used my dremel tool with the drill bit end for cutting holes on any consoles. Never had a problem. I also make a quick template on painter's tape and apply it to where I'm cutting. Works great and your holes will be nice and straight :-) Edited April 22, 2016 by bradd1978 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Popp Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 (edited) Honestly, overall I think those mods look pretty good. As long as you enjoy it, and help others enjoy upgraded vid quality I'm all for it. Most of us aren't electrical enginners, designers or pros at all the tools. It is a mod afterall. Edited April 22, 2016 by Jeremy Popp 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 (edited) I use a 7 volt black n decker lithium drill, its single speed and rather slow (like 30 bucks normally I got mine on sale at warlmart for 20, and dont let 7 volts fool you I have drilled 2 inch holes saw holes though 1 inch MDF with the thing as well as 3 inch #10 wood screws into 2x4's with it, lithium packs quite a punch, especially on a drill that can hold 0.015 inch drill bits lol) To keep bits from wondering I use a xacto knife, make your marks however you like then using the sharp tip of the blade, line up exactly on the centerpoint. light pressure and 3-4 full spins of the knife handle you end up with a dimple with 45(ish) degree walls which is wide enough for a small pilot bit to drill in. the magic trick is of course start with the smallest bit you have and gradually work up to the size you need, much less chance of gab n snap. Unibits work well (also cheap at harbor freight, which has decent enough tools for hobby work) but you have to be sure to be perfectly square with the surface or they will grab, on non brittle plastic its no big deal just a little wobble of the drill, on brittle plastic its shattered, also I never use them to start a hole, I always drill a pilot large enough the first step will fit in keep up the good work, you can only get better with practice! Edited April 23, 2016 by Osgeld 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApolloBoy Posted May 1, 2016 Share Posted May 1, 2016 For the Heavy Sixer you can countersink the holes from the inside by using a larger bit and then turning it by hand a few times. That will thin out the plastic near the hole and it should allow you to comfortably mount a jack. Also, your wiring is quite messy. I see that you're using solid core wire which is fairly inflexible and can easily break off if you mess around with your connections too much. I use stranded wire which is easier to work with. Also I highly suggest you braid your wire bundles together and then band the wires together with heat shrink, which makes your work much more professional-looking and easier to manage in case you need to do some repairs or extra mods down the road. Using heat shrink to cover up your connections wouldn't hurt either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+frankodragon Posted May 1, 2016 Share Posted May 1, 2016 Make sure you wear eye protection when using a Dremel. Nothing's more painful than getting melted plastic in the eyes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjameslv Posted May 1, 2016 Share Posted May 1, 2016 Being a modder isn't for everyone. I never understood people posting threads to solicit mods. Simply post things you have done and if people like it they will pm you. Example: I posted a full nes advantage mod on nintendoage over a year ago. It got so many views its still number one on google search and god knows how much mod work i got from it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampFox56 Posted May 7, 2016 Author Share Posted May 7, 2016 (edited) For the Heavy Sixer you can countersink the holes from the inside by using a larger bit and then turning it by hand a few times. That will thin out the plastic near the hole and it should allow you to comfortably mount a jack. Also, your wiring is quite messy. I see that you're using solid core wire which is fairly inflexible and can easily break off if you mess around with your connections too much. I use stranded wire which is easier to work with. Also I highly suggest you braid your wire bundles together and then band the wires together with heat shrink, which makes your work much more professional-looking and easier to manage in case you need to do some repairs or extra mods down the road. Using heat shrink to cover up your connections wouldn't hurt either. Thanks for the info on drilling into Heavy Sixers. I'll try that the next time I work on a Heavy Sixer As for single strand wire versus stranded (which I call frayed because... I mean really? stranded? What, is this piece of wire stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere?!... I digress) - If you notice, all other systems I used frayed wire I learned this through experience to be honest. Always had a crap-ton of trouble soldering with single strand wire and when I ran out of CAT5 cables to cannibalize, I started using IDE cables and instantly saw the difference between single strand and frayed wire. Frayed wire will soak up solder like sponge, making it stick pretty easily to whatever you're soldering to (similar to solder wick, but not on the same level); making it thirty billion times easier to solder wires to solder pads. Also - frayed wire can actually be tinned. Unlike single strand which honestly can't be tinned (unless you get a glob of solder to stick to it... which is a shitty method anyways.) I never understood why I couldn't tin wires... until I started using frayed wire. Make sure you wear eye protection when using a Dremel. Nothing's more painful than getting melted plastic in the eyes. Yeah... I nearly lost an eye around a month ago when I was dremeling into the Heavy Sixer shell shown above. In fact, that's the reason why the red RCA jack is so off-centered (I had to stop in the middle of dremelling that hole because a piece of molten plastic flew right into my eye... short version - searing pain in my eye for a couple hours. Edited May 7, 2016 by SwampFox56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 (edited) Also - frayed wire can actually be tinned. Unlike single strand which honestly can't be tinned (unless you get a glob of solder to stick to it... which is a shitty method anyways.) I never understood why I couldn't tin wires... until I started using frayed wire. Use flux your soldering will improve 100x instantly, including tinning solid core wire also you dont want frayed wires, they should always be replaced strand·ed2 ˈstrandid/ adjective adjective: stranded (of thread, rope, or similar) arranged in single thin lengths twisted together. frayed frād/ adjective (of a fabric, rope, or cord) unraveled or worn Edited May 7, 2016 by Osgeld 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas10e Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 I'm sure there is a whole lot of science between the use of a solid conductor & a stranded conductor flux can be picked up cheaply in plumbing section @ Home Depot ... just don't leave the lid off for over a day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 plumbing flux is highly aggressive and would probably eat the traces of a PCB if residue was left for a period of time I did an experiment at work few years ago with no clean electronics flux, rosen electronics flux and super aggressive flux like you would use to rewire a 75 year old car with its original wiring but still not nearly as strong as plumbing flux. I put roughly equal amounts on a PCB and shoved them in a thermal chamber at 85C for 1000 hours. The no clean flux came out looking exactly like it did going in The rosen flux had discolored exposed copper but left solder joints alone the super aggressive flux ate a signifigant amount of exposed copper, pitted the solder joints and peeled off the solder mask 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApolloBoy Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 (edited) flux can be picked up cheaply in plumbing section @ Home Depot ...I hope you didn't use that on anything particularly valuable... Edited May 7, 2016 by ApolloBoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800fan Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 For really small work, especially when it's not a through hold wiring (ie LCD mod for Game Gear), I prefer solid core wire anyway. Stranded wire have a tendency to come unraveled while soldering on spots and a stray strand could cause bridge or other undesired problem. Each to his own methods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas10e Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 plumbing flux is highly aggressive and would probably eat the traces of a PCB if residue was left for a period of time I did an experiment at work few years ago with no clean electronics flux, rosen electronics flux and super aggressive flux like you would use to rewire a 75 year old car with its original wiring but still not nearly as strong as plumbing flux. I put roughly equal amounts on a PCB and shoved them in a thermal chamber at 85C for 1000 hours. The no clean flux came out looking exactly like it did going in The rosen flux had discolored exposed copper but left solder joints alone the super aggressive flux ate a signifigant amount of exposed copper, pitted the solder joints and peeled off the solder mask well I will certainly no longer be using this stuff http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/Oatey-Tinning-Flux-p/30374.htm?gclid=COmflq36yMwCFU5Zhgod93EHHA NOT FOR USE WITH ALUMINUM, STAINLESS STEEL OR MAGNESIUM. DO NOT USE ON ELECTRICAL PARTS. it didn't say that on the actual package when I picked it up thanks for the heads up & why I only work on my own stuff I hope you didn't use that on anything particularly valuable... /me faints I haven't used a lot of it ... mostly for tinning a wire here & there ... but yeah on a couple pinball machines with loose lamp sockets , any board work I don't recall needing flux, usually replacing capacitors I clean up with some 90% rubbing alcohol afterwards whatever the gooey stuff -residue I see on the q-tip is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 vaseline and acid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kokovec69 Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 I prefer to use stranded wire myself. If using flux or rosin filled solder makes sure to keep the temp of your iron low enough as not to evaporate the flux before it can flow onto the solder pad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampFox56 Posted May 8, 2016 Author Share Posted May 8, 2016 (edited) Use flux your soldering will improve 100x instantly, including tinning solid core wire also you dont want frayed wires, they should always be replaced strand·ed2 ˈstrandid/ adjective adjective: stranded (of thread, rope, or similar) arranged in single thin lengths twisted together. frayed frād/ adjective (of a fabric, rope, or cord) unraveled or worn Maybe you didn't read it, but I made a joke about my use of the word "frayed". As for single strand wire versus stranded (which I call frayed because... I mean really? stranded? What, is this piece of wire stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere?!... I digress) - If you notice, all other systems I used frayed wire I agree though - actual wire that is fraying is terrible. If you watch some of my youtube videos - you can see me constantly twisting the ends of stranded wire. Also I'm well aware of flux... frankly anyone who solders should be aware of flux and why it's important lol. I'll admit though, I never thought to add flux to solid core wire. I never thought it'd make a difference. Anyways, thanks for the info about plumbing solder supplies versus electrical solder supplies. I've using this flux for a long time (I bought it at Menards because it said "all-purpose" when it should have said "all-purpose PLUMBING flux). I knew that plumbing soldering supplies was not to be used on electronics. I'm glad everyone said something though because I would never have checked the flux I've been using if everyone hadn't said something. Time to check eBay for a large quantity of liquid, electrical soldering flux... Edited May 8, 2016 by SwampFox56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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