DavidMil Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 Any ideas about restoring an RF shield that has a crust of black with some small rust spots on it? Funny, but the underside looks nice and shiny. I really don't want to use sand paper unless I have to. And yes, this is on that 1200XL I bought recently. DavidMil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 Salt and vinegar always removed the tarnish from pennies. Worth a shot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 Salt and vinegar just promotes more rust in steel. There's a treatment chemical for cars that turns corrosion back to normal iron but you end up with a rough surface that's intended to be sanded back anyway. The best fix is probably steel wool or wet & dry sandpaper with water. If it's the inside then you're not going to see it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 (edited) Barkeepers Friend, rinse dry, isopropyl alcohol rinse, dry, and Flitz or other metal polish.... there are others you can find used on automotive steel that work well.... gun solvent ... so many things will work.... but always rinse dry, isopropyl alcohol, dry and polish to protect at end of process.... hears a wikihow page of things people do... http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Rust-from-Metal Edited June 6, 2017 by _The Doctor__ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMil Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 Thank you all for the tips. I like the idea of seltzer water and fine steal wool to give a good finish to a tarnished surface. I'll try that first, then go to harsher stuff if that doesn't work. Of course if all else fails I can order a new RF shield from Best for $9.00. I'll let you know how this turns out. DavidMil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Well, as much as I like restoring any old thing to its original condition, none of my "working systems" have RF shields, by and large. Nobody's broadcasting NTSC analog anymore so not much worry about an FCC complaint from the neighbors. It also makes it a lot easier to fit mods inside the cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitkraft Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Well, as much as I like restoring any old thing to its original condition, none of my "working systems" have RF shields, by and large. Nobody's broadcasting NTSC analog anymore so not much worry about an FCC complaint from the neighbors. It also makes it a lot easier to fit mods inside the cases. ATSC broadcasts in the same frequencies as NTSC so would be just a sceptible to interference. Just because we've gone digital doesn't change that. Not that chances of interference are high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 ATSC broadcasts in the same frequencies as NTSC so would be just a sceptible to interference. Just because we've gone digital doesn't change that. Not that chances of interference are high. Of course. However - and this is important - ATSC uses error correction so a few missed bits here and there won’t ruin the image, unlike for example the terrible fuzz and waviness you will get from an analog RF signal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRTGAMER Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 The RF shield is internal, I do not see a need for the polish up other then a preserve of the zinc which acts as an anode. Just give it a wipe with alcohol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitkraft Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Of course. However - and this is important - ATSC uses error correction so a few missed bits here and there won’t ruin the image, unlike for example the terrible fuzz and waviness you will get from an analog RF signal. That only makes it more robust to interference, not immune. I've seen it in action since I've done some tinkering with mixing antenna and internal RF feeds on the same coax inside my house. Again though, its splitting hairs because the likelihood of messing up your neighbors signal with something like the lack of RF shield in a game console was pretty minimal even on NTSC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+nanochess Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 I have polished a Colecovision RF module. Use gloves and do it in water to prevent oxyde dust. Apply transparent laque lacquer to protect it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitkraft Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 (edited) A lot of guys in the arcade world have used vinegar to remove rust from metal parts without having to sand them. I've seen people use it on Pinball machine legs since they are silver colored and polished so you don't want to sand them. I've used it on metal hardware from an arcade cabinet that was allowed to sit out in the elements and get rusty. I just put the parts in a container, filled it with vinegar and soaked them for a day or two. The vinegar will eat away the rust leaving the non-rusted parts. Fair warning though, on items that were rusted all the way through it will eat all that rust and leave a pit or hole. A transparent lacquer like nanochess suggested might be a good idea afterwards because I think they are susceptible to rusting more after the process. Edited June 7, 2017 by Mitkraft 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 (edited) If you want to go all the way... watch a few of these or some of the others on the right hand side till your comfortable with it... if going long and shallow make sure to spread the conductors on each end... Electroplating is easy...it should be in the restoration stickies as far as I'm concerned Edited June 8, 2017 by _The Doctor__ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMil Posted June 8, 2017 Author Share Posted June 8, 2017 My brother suggested Q/M remove, that used to work very well on brass. I also have a can of spray-on lacquer I've been planning on using. Would polyurethane work on the metal as a protective barrier also? I'm not worried about interference, it's more of an Atari purest restoration thing. David Milsop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 (edited) inside the 800xl and the 130XE the zinc coating is there not just to protect but to allow contact with the keyboard and cartridge ports doors... paint prevents that....as will lacquers and urethane.... as a purist.. just plate it... for sh*ts and giggles we used to take pennies and plate them silver in school.... so remove the rust do the rinses and then plate.. no muss no fuss....not going to plate.. polish still protect and wears easily to a degree still allowing some contact Edited June 9, 2017 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMil Posted June 10, 2017 Author Share Posted June 10, 2017 Thank you all for the tips. I like the idea of seltzer water and fine steal wool to give a good finish to a tarnished surface. I'll try that first, then go to harsher stuff if that doesn't work. Of course if all else fails I can order a new RF shield from Best for $9.00. I'll let you know how this turns out. DavidMil The seltzer water didn't do a thing. If anything it made it blacker. I like the idea of electroplating but I'm too cheap to spend that much money until I've tried every thing else (besides, I'm saving up for a 3D scanner), So next is the vinegar treatments... DavidMil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted June 15, 2017 Share Posted June 15, 2017 (edited) most electroplating can be done cheaply enough.... you don't need a big pure zinc block like in the one video... as I said watch through a few videos on the process and see what works for you Edited June 15, 2017 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted June 15, 2017 Share Posted June 15, 2017 the little plate that goes around the joystick ports on my 400 was completely rusted over, like a day and a half in plain old vinegar, light sanding and a light polish later pretty much got it back to dull metal, which since I dont have a buffing wheel I primed and painted over, which if I did that in the first place it would have looked like rusty metal with paint instead of just metal and paint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMil Posted June 23, 2017 Author Share Posted June 23, 2017 The seltzer water didn't do a thing. If anything it made it blacker. I like the idea of electroplating but I'm too cheap to spend that much money until I've tried every thing else (besides, I'm saving up for a 3D scanner), So next is the vinegar treatments... DavidMil Vinegar didn't do much either so I've ordered so sodium carbonate (not bicarbonate) in the form of 'Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda'. At $14.00 including tax and shipping, that's right down my alley. A 1.5 volt battery and some clean water in a plastic jar is all that is required to clean rust and black corrosion from metal. At least it worked in the U-Tube video. If this works I will certainly post before and after pictures. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMil Posted June 29, 2017 Author Share Posted June 29, 2017 (edited) Well the Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda remove all the rust. The problem is that where there was rust now there is just a black spot on the shielding. I guess I have to nickel plate after all (I was trying to avoid that). Anyway, I've attached before and after pictures of the first RF shield that I tested. DavidMil Edited June 29, 2017 by DavidMil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillC Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 Some elbow grease with steel wool might improve things, very fine steel wool acts like polish. Rustoleum and Krylon both make a brushed nickel metallic spray paint, Rustoleum has a satin finish as well. There are others, but these are the ones that come up most in google. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRTGAMER Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 Some elbow grease with steel wool might improve things, very fine steel wool acts like polish. Rustoleum and Krylon both make a brushed nickel metallic spray paint, Rustoleum has a satin finish as well. There are others, but these are the ones that come up most in google. The paint will make it look better, but a loss of heat dissipation. As mentioned to OP earlier since the shield is not visible, why all the cleaning with risk of removing more of the zinc coating off the steel? Just a quick wipe with alcohol the best "solution". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 the exposed area's will just rust over again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faicuai Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 Was on the same boat a few years ago... Machine brushing / sanding is the only way to come close to original finish. Therefore, I decided to buy them "new" from Best Electronics... lot of time and effort saved. Here, WITH Ultimate installed... Shields in place, and clean. http://atariage.com/forums/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-29379-0-97724100-1336748581.jpg http://atariage.com/forums/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-29379-0-97724100-1336748581.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMil Posted June 29, 2017 Author Share Posted June 29, 2017 Both best and myatari are out of 800XL shields. Believe me, I tried them first. The fine steel wool is an idea. I use it to get a shine on wood surfaces. I'll try it first and let you know what happens. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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