Tinning cartridges (Sn60-Pb40)

[copperboy]

Have any of you tried tinning your cartridges?

 

By tinning, I mean applying a layer of soldier to the copper contacts of a game cartridge.

The copper contacts oxidize over time, depending on conditions and they eventually develop a layer of oxide that is too thick.

Sandpapering removes the layer but you lose some copper each time.

 

Perhaps it is better to sand and then apply a very thin later of soldier?

The tin-lead will oxidize as well but you can always retin.

 

I did tinning to a couple of Atari 2600 cartridges.

I was wondering if it is a good idea to do this.

 

I have a Coleco Gemini. Oddly enough, the contacts in the slot are fine after all these years.

 

[fiddlepaddle]

I wouldn't, unless I couldn't get the cart to work after cleaning.  I suggest trying Caig products first.

[copperboy]

1 hour ago, fiddlepaddle said:

I wouldn't, unless I couldn't get the cart to work after cleaning.  I suggest trying Caig products first.

You mean, something like a conductive ink?

https://caig.com/conductive-compounds-coatings/

[+batari]

2 hours ago, copperboy said:

Have any of you tried tinning your cartridges?

 

By tinning, I mean applying a layer of soldier to the copper contacts of a game cartridge.

The copper contacts oxidize over time, depending on conditions and they eventually develop a layer of oxide that is too thick.

Sandpapering removes the layer but you lose some copper each time.

 

Perhaps it is better to sand and then apply a very thin later of soldier?

The tin-lead will oxidize as well but you can always retin.

 

I did tinning to a couple of Atari 2600 cartridges.

I was wondering if it is a good idea to do this.

 

I have a Coleco Gemini. Oddly enough, the contacts in the slot are fine after all these years.

 

PCBs do not have exposed copper. As copper oxidizes to quickly, any exposed copper on a PCB is either tinned or plated at the factory. Almost all of the 2600 PCBs I have seen have been gold plated, and gold does not oxidize in air.

 

If a cart has been heavily used to the point that the gold plating or tinning is completely worn off, tinning might help. If it is just scratched, however, then I think it's better to just clean it rather than cover the gold plating with solder.

[+Stephen Moss]

2 hours ago, copperboy said:

You mean, something like a conductive ink?

I think that may generally a better option than tinning with solder because unless you are good at soldering...

a) It is can be difficult to get a good thin layer of solder and too think a layer or any lumps may over time result in bending or scratching of the contacts in the cartridge connector resulting in poor contact with those cartridges you have not "tinned" with solder.

b) In trying to get a nice thin lump free layer of solder you risk heating up the card edge fingers to the point where they become unglued from the PCB.

c) If you decant the ink from the pen into a small pot/jar/bottle cap and use a small paintbrush (i.e. for painting models) you should be able to apply the ink without having to take the cartridge apart  as you would probably have to do if soldering/using a conductive ink pen to gain full access to entire area of the card edge finger contacts. 

[Keatah]

Conductive ink won't hold up. It will rub off and oxidize, and create additional debris.

 

1st choice is a gentle cleaning and then Deoxit.

[copperboy]

I tinned 2 games.

It is difficult to keep an even layer but I think it isn’t a problem since on the console side of things, the contacts are springy.

I figure that Sn60Pb40 has no value. It doesn’t matter if it gets micro scratches over time and then, I could just retin it.

 

If these contacts (on the original games) are gold plated, I don’t know why they oxidize. Maybe the gold content is too low.

If anyone has information on it, I would be swell.

 

I remember as a kid, we had plenty of problems with NES games. We always had to blow in it, remove and reinsert the game..... That was at a time when I had the game cartridge for 2 or 3 y.

I bought a game some months ago. It doesn’t work. Sandpapering it fixed it.

 

I looked at the MSDS sheet for Deoxit but it lists it as a trade secret. I would like to know if it reduces the oxide back to metal.

 

 

[Keatah]

It forms a thin coating, molecules thick, that lubricates and prevents oxygen from getting at the bare metal. Similar to dielectric grease.

[Voxel]

I've tinned contacts before.

 

You get a wet sponge and quickly wipe off the excess solder.

[copperboy]

On 9/6/2021 at 7:02 AM, Voxel said:

I've tinned contacts before.

 

You get a wet sponge and quickly wipe off the excess solder.

Did you wipe with copper wool?

The biggest PITA is that it is very hard to open the Atari cartridges. I gave up on some of them.