Hobbyist or repairer
How to fix yellowed plastics on old computers!
Yellowed case plastic on old computers is the problem the 8-Bit Guy takes on, after reading about retr0bright results elsewhere and deciding to try the method and report back.
Topic
restoration
75 videos.
A restoration usually begins with a machine that is dirty, yellowed or dead, and the order of work matters. Many repairers clean first, look for leaked battery or capacitor residue, and check the power supply's output before it is connected to the machine. Grime often hides the real fault, so a slow first look pays off.
For a project told in stages, The Retro Collective's SX-64 job ends in part three, which deals with the power supply. Adrian Black opens a shed-found Apple II+ where damp is the worry. Retro ER takes on a corroded Game Boy with a screen swap. Yellowed cases have their own page on retrobrite.
A tube set or monitor keeps a high voltage charge after unplugging and has mains inside. Struck or cracked glass can implode, so guard your eyes and never carry a tube by its neck. Opened power supplies expose mains wiring, and their big capacitors can stay live after the plug is out. Solvents catch fire, and the iron burns.
Hobbyist or repairer
I Gave Atari’s Biggest Failure the Upgrades It Deserves
A filthy, neglected Atari Jaguar gets a full restoration and modern upgrades, and the maker then looks at newer accessories made for the console.
Publication or museum
Commodore SX-64 Restoration Finale | Trash to Treasure (pt3)
Power supply faults in a Commodore SX-64 are the last hurdle in part three, after which the machine is put back together.
Hobbyist or repairer
Restoring the Nintendo Console That Nintendo Didn’t Make
Sharp built its own version of the Famicom in 1986, combining two pieces of Nintendo hardware in one unit, and a broken Twin Famicom is taken apart and restored.
Publication or museum
Amiga Tower of Power - A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing?
Was there more to the Amiga 1200 than first seemed? The maker repairs one and builds it into a tower case to find out.
Hobbyist or repairer
Restoring One of the Most Expensive Gaming PCs of the 80’s and 90’s
Sharp's X68000 was one of the most expensive gaming computers of the 80s and 90s, the maker says, and one is restored and modified with modern upgrades.
Publication or museum
Commodore SX-64 Restoration - Keys and CRTs | Trash to Treasure (pt2)
The Commodore SX-64's built-in CRT and its keyboard are tackled in part two of The Retro Collective's Trash to Treasure restoration series, with part three still to come.
Hobbyist or repairer
Apple Archeology: A "shed found" Apple II+ filled with cards
What is inside an Apple II+ that sat in a leaking shed for at least thirty years? Adrian Black opens it up, looks over the cards and tries to get it running.
Hobbyist or repairer
That Amber Glow: Fixing a shed-found 9" composite monitor (USI Pi4)
Found in the same shed as the recent Apple II+, a broken USI Pi4 amber monitor is the next job, and the maker sets about getting it working.
Hobbyist or repairer
Restoring a TRASHED Game Boy DMG (Play It Loud) | Complete Restoration & Repair
Restoring a Play It Loud Game Boy DMG takes in repairs to the LCD, headphone jack and power switch, then a retrobrite, an LCD reflow and recaps, from Retro ER.
Hobbyist or repairer
Impossible Repair of a Completely Corroded Game Boy (Full LCD & Power Switch Teardown) | Restoration
Heavy rust on a Game Boy DMG leads to repairs on the power switch and link port, a recap of the CPU board, an LCD swap and a test for horizontal lines.
Hobbyist or repairer
Fixing up the classic 1999 Hewlett-Packard Pavilion PC
What is broken or missing inside a 1999 HP Pavilion 6535? LGR opens the 466MHz Celeron desktop and works through what needs repair and cleaning.
Hobbyist or repairer
1982 Atari Millipede Arcade PCB Reburbish/Repair 3-9-2026
Classic Arcade Repairs refurbishes and repairs a 1982 Atari Millipede arcade PCB, one more board from a channel with a large back catalogue of arcade circuit board repairs.
Hobbyist or repairer
I Restored & Upgraded The Handheld No One Is Talking About
A forgotten WonderSwan handheld from the early 2000s is restored and fitted with a screen mod by The Retro Future, and the maker links the screen used.
Hobbyist or repairer
I Saved & Upgraded a Pokémon Blue Chewed by a Dog
A dog has chewed a Pokémon Blue cartridge, and The Retro Future sets out to save it and make it better than before, with an outside helper credited.
Hobbyist or repairer
Dreamcast Not Dead! Just Dirty | Local Score Repair
A Dreamcast sold as non-working turns out to run, just loud and filthy, so the maker deep cleans it, lubricates it and restores it.
Hobbyist or repairer
Disgusting Bug INFESTED PS2 - Let's Clean It!
A PlayStation 2 packed with dead roaches arrived part cleaned, and the maker works through the rest to find out whether cleaning is enough.
Hobbyist or repairer
Restoration of the Revolutionary UnMouse
Getting an UnMouse working has to come before judging it. Branchus Creations links a plus and minus power supply module, and the Pico ATX unit that failed along the way.
Hobbyist or repairer
EXTREME Flood Damaged Game Boy Colors - Restored(ish)
Flood water has got into a batch of Game Boy Colors, and Restorish sets out to bring them back, with a result the maker only calls restored(ish).
Hobbyist or repairer
EXTREME Flood Damaged SEGA GENESIS CD - Restored(ish)
Can a Sega CD that has been through a flood be brought back? Restorish takes on a Genesis CD unit with extreme flood damage.
Hobbyist or repairer
Cleaning hurricane damaged Retro Computers & CRTs
After Hurricane Helene flooded a collection in Asheville, the first stage of cleanup surface-cleans mouldy retro computers and CRTs, leaving internal cleaning and testing for later parts.
Hobbyist or repairer
Restoring Vintage Macintosh Treasure!
What is inside two bags of mystery Macintosh hardware, and can any of it be restored? Branchus Creations opens Bag A and Bag B in turn to find out.
Hobbyist or repairer
Rescuing this RARE Blue Game Boy
Yellowed blue plastic on a dead European Play It Loud Game Boy is the starting point, and the maker tries to restore as much of the handheld as possible.
Hobbyist or repairer
EXTREME Rust Damaged Special Edition Xbox - Restored(ish)
Rust has wrecked a special edition Xbox, and Restorish sets out to restore as much of it as possible, with 99% isopropyl alcohol among the products listed.
Hobbyist or repairer
Can We Rescue a Fire Damaged Game Cartridge from 1982? I don't know... #retrogaming #nostalgia #80s
Soot and heat have fused a ColecoVision Carnival cartridge after a house fire. The shell is opened, the board freed and the pitted contacts cleaned using isopropyl, and a printed replacement shell is planned.
Hobbyist or repairer
Restoring a 1997 Gateway PC! Windows 95 Pentium 2 Desktop
Gateway 2000 G6-233M from 1997 has a Pentium II MMX 233MHz inside, and the maker opens it up to find what is broken or missing before cleaning and repairing it.
Publication or museum
We Found a Rare Nintendo M82 Kiosk System Covered in ***** | Trash to Treasure Part 1
Heavy grime covers a Nintendo M82 kiosk unit that nearly ended up as scrap, and part one of the restoration starts bringing it back.
Hobbyist or repairer
Restoring an extremely rare, Belgian DAI PC (Part 1)
A Belgian DAI Personal Computer, a late 1970s 8-bit machine later used by TV stations for early digital graphics, is the subject of the first part of this restoration series.
Hobbyist or repairer
SOL-20 museum restoration, PART I
The power supply of a Processor Technology SOL-20 is restored by replacing only the original parts that need it, including reforming bulk capacitors, in the first part of a museum series.
Hobbyist or repairer
The Bear-A-Byte PC: Pentium III Teddy Bear Computer
LGR spots a dirty Pentium III PC built into an IKEA teddy bear on Craigslist, then strips it down, cleans it and rebuilds it.
Hobbyist or repairer
Pet Power! Transformer Restoration & Capacitor Reforming - Pet 4032
The badly rusted mains power supply of a Commodore PET 4032 is restored and its large filter capacitor is reformed, in an episode that follows a first look and disassembly.
Hobbyist or repairer
$1,795 Luggable PC from 1985: Sharp PC-7000
Sharp's PC-7000, a lunchbox-style MS-DOS portable from 1985, is cleaned up, tested and then put to use by LGR.
Hobbyist or repairer
Gateway Astro: $800 All-In-One PC from 1999!
The Gateway Astro all-in-one desktop from 1999 is repaired and tested, then set up to run Windows 98, in a video that also notes its Rugrats and Blue's Clues bundles.
Hobbyist or repairer
Tutorial: Retr0Brite VAPOR | New BEST Way To Restore Yellowed Plastic In 2022!?!
A vapour form of retrobrite is put forward as a new way to restore yellowed console plastic, credited to Simon Lock, and the maker goes over how it compares with the older ways.
Hobbyist or repairer
Restoring Arcade Joystick for My Original PlayStation - Retro Console Restoration
A 1990s Asciiware arcade joystick for the original PlayStation sticks at times and has gone yellow. It also carries extra switches that simulate repeated button presses.
Hobbyist or repairer
Sharp MZ-80K museum-quality restoration, PART 1
Previous owner modifications turn up as the maker investigates and strips down a 1978 Sharp MZ-80K, noting each change before restoring the motherboard in part 1.
Hobbyist or repairer
Arcade CRT Tube Swap and Rejuvenation (25" WG K7000)
A Goldstar consumer tube goes into the 25 inch WG K7000 monitor of a CPS2 cabinet, and because that tube is dim the maker then tries rejuvenating it.
Publication or museum
Apple IIe (1983) Trash to Treasure | 'The Most Personal Computer' | Part 1
An Apple IIe that needs repair gets its first look in part one of a restoration, with background on the machine ahead of the repair.
Hobbyist or repairer
Restoring Arcade Controller for My Nintendo SNES - Console Restoration
The Asciiware Super Advance arcade controller for the SNES has dead buttons and switches and a little yellowing. The restoration begins with taking it apart, which needs only a standard Phillips screwdriver.
Hobbyist or repairer
Restoring a 1976 Wang 2200F mini-computer, Part 1
Without a microprocessor, this 1976 Wang 2200F mini-computer runs on 113 discrete TTL chips. Episode 1 gives an overview, then takes the machine apart to look at its digital and analogue cards.
Hobbyist or repairer
Let's repair an old 286 mainboard Jaton JAM-2301-V1
Necroware takes on a donated 286 mainboard, the Jaton JAM-2301-V1, which the channel calls rare and more than three decades old, and tries to repair it.
Hobbyist or repairer
I Restored This Yellowed Joystick and Play New Games with it - Retro Gaming Restoration
Why does a yellowed QuickShot Python 5 joystick drift to the right? The maker opens it, desolders the wires to part the pieces and sets about restoring it.
Hobbyist or repairer
Launch Day Nintendo Restoration - Part 1!
Launch day NES restoration begins here with a breakdown, cleaning, parts pulled from a donor console, reassembly and a test, all in part one.
Hobbyist or repairer
Perfect restoration of a 1977 Commodore PET 2001, Part 1
Case, built-in monitor and microelectronics all get attention as the maker restores a 1977 Commodore PET 2001, one of the earliest home microcomputers, in part 1 of a series.
Hobbyist or repairer
Can the Sun Help This Amiga 500?
Can sunlight or liquid hydrogen peroxide bring back a yellowed Amiga 500 case? The video tries both, then swaps the internal floppy drive for a Gotek with an external OLED screen.
Hobbyist or repairer
A very used up (and broken) Sony Trinitron from 1976
Sony's 1976 KV-9200, a small early Trinitron, is worn out and broken, and the maker says it needed some repair before it would run again.
Hobbyist or repairer
The truth about Retr0brite – busting myths with science…
Hey Birt sets the many Retr0Brite claims against research and science, aiming to separate myth from fact for anyone facing a yellowed plastic computer case.
Hobbyist or repairer
Atari 65XE restoration - summary of previous repairs and my retrobright method
An Atari 65XE finishes a run of repairs with a clean-up and a retrobright, and the video recaps the earlier parts along the way.
Sells parts or repairs
This NES Is Worth $200 - But It's Broken - Top Loader Repair + Mod
Can a NES-101 top loader that refuses to take a game be brought back? TronicsFix sets out to repair it, with an AV mod for better picture and sound planned once it works.
Hobbyist or repairer
Colecovision Console Lot - Tear-down and Repair Part 1
A lot of Colecovision consoles is torn down and repaired over a series, and this first part opens them up and makes a start on their faults.
Hobbyist or repairer
Extreme Competition Pro Joystick Repair
Jan Beta sets out to rebuild two Competition Pro joysticks smashed into pieces, gluing the case parts, fitting new micro switches and working on the electronics.
Hobbyist or repairer
BBC Micro - Part Two: Full Refurbishment
A BBC Micro is refurbished and detailed back towards factory condition in part two of a series, which also reaches the machine's Ashtray and finds problems in its power supply.
Hobbyist or repairer
I Restored This Yellowed Junk Nintendo 64 - Retro N64 Console Restoration
No picture, a case yellowed from clear blue and white to green and yellow, and signs of liquid damage greet the maker on this Nintendo 64.
Publication or museum
Atari 800XL Restoration - Trash to Treasure Part 2
Part two of an Atari 800XL restoration moves to the outside of the machine, a full cosmetic job that brings out gloves and peroxide.
Hobbyist or repairer
Rejuvenating a Macintosh CRT with equipment from 1969
Can a tired, dim picture tube be brought back? Adrian tries rejuvenation on the CRT from a Macintosh Classic II, in part 4.5 of the Macintosh Repairathon series.
Hobbyist or repairer
ZX-81 architecture overview and repair, mod and upgrade plan
The Sinclair ZX-81 gets an architecture overview and a tour of its board, then a repair, and the maker talks through plans for extensive modifications and upgrades.
Hobbyist or repairer
Commodore 64 Case Repair and Full Keyboard Service ⌨
A brittle Commodore 64 case that no longer holds screws is fixed with a case saver kit, before the keyboard is stripped, cleaned and serviced.
Hobbyist or repairer
Sony PlayStation 2 Restoration
After years of early 2000s dust, a fat PlayStation 2 is stripped down. Its DVD drive is cleaned, lubricated and fixed, case parts get a bath and a controller is cleaned.
Hobbyist or repairer
Amiga 500 Restoration and Retrobrighting
Noel restores a Commodore Amiga 500, cleaning the case and keys, retrobrighting with hydrogen peroxide, and removing rust from the RF shields before painting them with zinc spray.
Hobbyist or repairer
Restoring the Original Xbox - Retro Console Restoration & Repair
The original Xbox in this restoration has a stuck disc drive and a clock that loses the date when unplugged, plus years of dust to clear out.
Hobbyist or repairer
Restoring the original PlayStation (PS1) - Vintage Console restoration & repair
A PlayStation 1 that started having issues and was then stored in a shed collecting dirt and dust is cleaned up and repaired by Odd Tinkering.
Hobbyist or repairer
Getting my non-working IBM PS2 P70 back into shape.
An IBM PS/2 P70 386 luggable that does nothing at all gets a teardown and some fixes from the maker, who says more work is still to come.
Hobbyist or repairer
Part 2: Apple Monitor IIc - Retrobrite and Tune Up
Restoring an Apple IIc monitor reaches its second part. The case is retrobrited, then the monochrome monitor gets a full tune up and alignment.
Hobbyist or repairer
Mac84: Original Apple iMac G3 20th Birthday Restoration
Mac84 restores an original 1998 Bondi Blue iMac G3 to factory condition for its twentieth birthday, with a look back at the machine, a few games and a speed test.
Publication or museum
Trash 80 to Treasure | TRS-80 Restoration | Ep3.
Episode three of RMC's Trash 80 to Treasure series carries on the TRS-80 restoration, picking up the work from the earlier parts of the series.
Hobbyist or repairer
0x0029.1 - HP86 New 3D Printed Key Stems: Disassembly and Design
New 3D printed key stems are designed for an HP 86 keyboard. The maker strips the machine down and explains the stem design, with files and board photos linked.
Hobbyist or repairer
Fixing eBay Junk - Dreamcast Restoration - Part 1 - Smoke Damaged Sega Dreamcast
Smoke damage and stains cover the Dreamcast in part 1 of this restoration, which the maker warns runs long because of the amount of work involved.
Hobbyist or repairer
IBM PCjr Repair and Restoration
The 8-Bit Guy restores an IBM PCjr to its original condition and also repairs a monitor that was damaged while being shipped, with a guest channel linked.
Publication or museum
New Retrobrite Technique for Indoors | Sous Vide and other methods to reverse yellow plastic
RMC tries ways of retrobriting yellowed plastic indoors, without sunshine, including a sous vide heater and a 1000 watt full-spectrum grow light, among other methods.
Hobbyist or repairer
Laser XT Restoration
Can two broken Laser XT compact computers make one working machine? The 8-Bit Guy tries to combine them, alongside a complete restoration of the result.
Hobbyist or repairer
Adventures in Retrobrite - New techniques for restoring yellowed plastic!
Several newer ways of whitening old, yellowed plastic are tried by The 8-Bit Guy, each aimed at bringing back the original colour.
Sells parts or repairs
Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP Restoration
A Game Boy Advance SP in poor shape gets a replacement battery, a new case and a fresh top screen protector, while the motherboard is cleaned of dust and liquid damage.
Sells parts or repairs
Dirty and Dead PC Engine!! - Repair & Restoration
A PC Engine that does not work is probed with a meter until the break in the board turns up, and the video then restores the plastic housing.
Hobbyist or repairer
Sinclair ZX 48k 128k Spectrum Repair: How to fix a 48k/128k Spectrum Keyboard Membrane Replacement
A Spectrum Plus with dead keys gets a new keyboard membrane. The video opens the case, lifts out the metal shield and the old three-layer membrane, and finds a damaged ribbon cable.
Sells parts or repairs
How to Repair Nintendo NES System
Retro Video Game Repair swaps the 72 pin cartridge connector in an NES system for a new one, the part sold in the channel's NES repair kit.
