Donkey Kong Restoration

[vwalbridge]

I've always wanted a real DK cab and I've been looking on Craigslist for quite a while now. About a month ago one popped up so I snagged it. The dude selling it wanted to gut it and part it out on CL. Or turn it into a 60 in 1. I was like "hell no" you're not! So I had to save it and keep it intact. So I've been sitting on this cab for about a month now. It just stares at me every time I go into the garage. I've been on the fence for quite some time trying to decide if this "bag of hurt" is going to be worth it. But DK cabs don't show up that often in my area so I'm going to go for it. For me, the journey is the reward. And this is going to be a heck of a journey on this one. It seems like DK cabs are a "right of passage" now anyway!

Let's get some items out of the way right now:

1. This will be my first real arcade
2. This will be my first arcade restoration
3. I paid $450 for it.
4. I have no excuses to not do this right. There have been a thousand DK restores before me and there are plenty of resources for me to pull from

People I would already like to thank:

34k - Andrew gave me some pre-purchase advice and is also willing to help me down the road. Really nice guy and a great resource.
Wyo - He has helped me he just didn't know it until he reads this. His Zelda cab thread has been great.
Malenko - His advice about buying a used DK cab was priceless. He gave me some really good advice as to avoid buying a lemon.
DeLuSioNal29 - He also gave me some really valuable tips about bartering and talking the guy down. Really good advice about the specific nuances of a DK cab
ChanceKJ - His Ultimate DK project and his "So, You want to build a Classic Nintendo Cab?" sticky have been VERY helpful.
Yotsuya - His Janky Kong project has taught me that even the worst looking cab deserves a restore. I'm also pre-thanking Yots. I have no doubts he will contribute to this thread in his own way
John from John's arcade - His passion and enthusiasm about arcades is inspiring. Also, his YouTube channel is a wealth of knowledge
BYOAC - This forum is the best resource of all because it brings all of the above together.


Here is the punch list...at least from my extremely limited knowledge thus far:

THE GOOD:
-My wife encouraged me to get it
-It plays.... despite all the problems listed below.
-No to little monitor burn-in
-Serial tag intact (Doesn't seem to be any kind of popeye convert)
-It seems to be totally original as far as I can tell.
-No side art. So no torn artwork to remove!
-Marquee appears in good shape
-bezel is in decent shape
-coin door is in decent shape
-con mechs work and are in decent shape
-original power supply (this could be a bad thing?)
-still has coin box but missing the drawer
-main boards are surprisingly clean
-it has wheels
-all appropriate marquee retainers and brackets appear to be present
-It smells like dryer sheets
-no water damage or rat poop inside.

THE BAD:
-Control panel overlay is chipped and graphics are shot.
-t-molding is totally crap.
-random nails and screws holding the whole cab together. Little worried about "racking"
-side panels are particle board, all the rest is plywood. seems odd to me.
-the whole inside pretty much needs a deep cleaning
-Marquee back-light does not come on
-the square bottom base is rickety and needs to be rebuilt.
-Power cord is frayed around where it enters the cab
-There is some random black paint sprayed under the speaker
-It had a lock bar that has been removed and holes will need to be plugged

THE UGLY:
-Needs bondo everywhere. Literally everywhere. Corners are blown out and the entire top right edge is missing? WTF happened there? LOL
-Back edges look like a dinosaur chewed on them.
-Coin box drawer is missing
-Back door is missing. Some janky board in it's place.
-Sound does not work. I'm a little worried about this one.
-Monitor has the waving flag effect from left to right. Cap kit is best case here.
-Joystick is completely blown out. Doesn't return to center. It pretty much sags wherever gravity takes it.
-P1 and P2 buttons are sticky.  Gross.
-Jump button is so loose it might fall inside

I bought a real GEM didn't I?  No restore is any good with out plenty of pictures.

[yotsuya]

I'm glad Janky Kong inspired you. I'm still working on it, too, even though it hasn't make the DK Project Roll Call.

I wonder what's going on with the top of that cab on the right side. Looks like a crazy cut, like someone went crazy with a router. Still, it's got great bones to work with.

[Brian12]

Thats going to be a fun one to work on...good luck! Im sure 99% of these other guys can answer repair question better than me, but if you need any help I will try my best being mine is my first game restore(more of a clean up I guess) ever these past 2 weeks...read everything I could from the forums you posted also...still there were a few things that was not explained or not as easy as they made it out to be for a first timer...lol

-Brian

[Cobolisdead]

Well, you have your work ahead of you! Good luck on the restore!

[vwalbridge]

I'm glad Janky Kong inspired you. I'm still working on it, too, even though it hasn't make the DK Project Roll Call.

I wonder what's going on with the top of that cab on the right side. Looks like a crazy cut, like someone went crazy with a router. Still, it's got great bones to work with.

Yea, I have no idea what happened up there. Some bone head really made it hard for me to fix that. It makes me feel better that you think I have a good foundation to work with at least.

Thats going to be a fun one to work on...good luck! Im sure 99% of these other guys can answer repair question better than me, but if you need any help I will try my best being mine is my first game restore(more of a clean up I guess) ever these past 2 weeks...read everything I could from the forums you posted also...still there were a few things that was not explained or not as easy as they made it out to be for a first timer...lol

-Brian

Thanks! Watching your DK restore recently got the blood flowing.

Well, you have your work ahead of you! Good luck on the restore!

Thanks. I've been watching your DK Jr restore some good stuff there.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Good luck with it!  Can't wait to see what happens.  I myself need to start working on my Nintendo .vs restore.  It's the year of the Nintendo cabs... LOL.

D

[ChanceKJ]

<Insert generic comment about how i also think this is a cool thread and am willing to help here>

[ChanceKJ]

Restoration added to the Nintendo Cab Stickey!
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,144583.0.html

[vwalbridge]

<Insert generic comment about how i also think this is a cool thread and am willing to help here>

Thanks Chance! You've already been very helpful with your existing threads. Feel a lot better about going into this after seeing your work. 

Restoration added to the Nintendo Cab Stickey!
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,144583.0.html

I'd really better not screw this up now. 

[vwalbridge]

Ok, so I'm starting to lay out my budget for this restoration and I hoping you guys can help me out. In the screenshot below I have all the major items listed that I think this cab is going to need. I know that I'm missing some items but I'm not worried about the odds and ends. Just the major stuff.  I really want to know how much this thing cost me in the end so I will try to be diligent in documenting my running total on the first post. Please have a look at tell me if this makes sense. Specifically the highlighted rows and if you think the vendors are the right choice for their respective part.

[ChanceKJ]

Grab the T-Moulding from Mike's Arcade, or as a backup from T-Moulding.com or chompingquarters.com MAKE SURE YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED BY DOING YOUR HOMEWORK AND MEASURING THE CAB FIRST!

I rolled my own wiring harness so I'm not sure where you could get one other then making one yourself. Maybe KLOV you could find an old one?   Not sure.

Buy SimpleGreen IN BULK! trust me, i kick myself when i go to Walmart and they don't have it when I'm out.

[ChanceKJ]

Also, get yourself a set of these:
https://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=740FACEKIT
Mike was nice enough to offer these on his site when i requested them. It will go a LONG way in making the cab shine when your done.


The power cord will be some 14AWG 3 circuit you'll find on the bulk rack, which will need them to cut for you. 2-3 meters should do. Then find a plug you like.  I used 16/3 and found 16AWG was just too thick. but i made it work. 14 will fit with the stock nintendo cable stress relief you'll find attached to the little metal plate holding the plug in.

[vwalbridge]

Thanks Chance! Really appreciate all these tips. Valuable indeed.

Someone cut my DK harness in half and put it back together with wire nuts. It appears that even repo harnesses are hard to find. Some originals are going for over $100 on eBay.  I probably just roll my own when I get to that spot.

As for the t-molding, I need the offset style t-molding and chomping quarters stopped making it. It doesn't appear to be easy to find. I REALLY wish that I had the plywood version of DK. I'm literally considering filling the slot with bondo and re-cutting it down the center. Little worried that could be a bad idea though.

[ChanceKJ]

Have you asked on KLOV?

[ChanceKJ]

Oh. If your gonna roll your own send me a pm.

[Brian12]

I got my Tmolding from MikesArcade and it worked perfectly...also I had enough for the whole game with about 4 ft extra...$12

[ChanceKJ]

I got my Tmolding from MikesArcade and it worked perfectly...also I had enough for the whole game with about 4 ft extra...$12

Yes, but do you have a wooden sided cab? or a particle board sided cab?

His is Particle board, Nintendo used a wacky "offset" t-moulding for some of the american made particle board cabs.



You'll find some are offset and some aren't when it comes to particle board. It is a lot of work to fill in the slot and then recut down the centre... but if you can't get your hands on the moulding, might be worth it.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Chance. Thanks for the mech link.  My coin slots were painted over with black paint.

[vwalbridge]

Have you asked on KLOV?

I'm joining KLOV right meow. 

Oh. If your gonna roll your own send me a pm.

   I've seen your wire work. I don't know why you aren't selling your own harnesses already!   

[vwalbridge]

Chance. Thanks for the mech link.  My coin slots were painted over with black paint.

Mine have some black over spray on them as well. What the heck were people doing to these poor machines?

[ChanceKJ]

Chance. Thanks for the mech link.  My coin slots were painted over with black paint.

  no problem. Just make sure you have 740's.

[ChanceKJ]

Chance. Thanks for the mech link.  My coin slots were painted over with black paint.

Mine have some black over spray on them as well. What the heck were people doing to these poor machines?

I really have zero idea. Mine were vinyl wrapped. 

[vwalbridge]

Removed the black paper "curtain" I guess you call it. I anyone cares, it's held on by glue and 4 staples. Pried it off with a screw driver.




I'm saving both the back an front CRT paper so that I can duplicate them later. If anyone wants it, I can post the measurements.




I also noticed that my lower bezel mount might have been put on backwards. Isn't the "lip" supposed to be on the outside?


On mine, you can see it was on the back side.


Here is the jankey CRT discharge tool I made. I told my wife and kids I loved them before I used it.


This monitor is pretty dirty. Not nearly as dirty as some I've seen but still needs a bath.


Took it outside, and got it ready for a Simple Green spray down.


I was really surprised how well this stuff works. No scrubbing necessary. The dirt and grime practically falls off.


Once I was done hosing all the simple green licorice smell off, I used my air compressor with the regulator set to minimum to spray off excess pooled water.




I then propped it up next to a fan for a few hours. Then I let it completely air dry for 48 hours.


The bezel paper was glued down something fierce. I had to used goo gone and a razor to get it all off.




The process was easy thanks to all the videos on YouTube and it took about 1/2 a bottle of Simple Green.


As is tradition, here are some before and after shots. I was careful to preserve all the warning stickers.








After plugging the monitor back into the cab to test and make sure I didn't break anything during the wash...the cab now buzzes like a mo fo. Maybe I just bumped some pots? The cab never had any game sound before and buzzed a little but now it buzzes pretty loud. I still need a cap kit so I'm not getting to anxious just yet. However, I did then notice my ground plug missing on the power cord! 


I also got another nice surprise behind the marquee. No light fixture and the side of a box of smokes. Neat. This project is the build that keeps on givin'.

[yotsuya]

The bezel retainer is on backwards.

Do me.a favor, measure those cardboard pieces, will you?

[vwalbridge]

The bezel retainer is on backwards.

Do me.a favor, measure those cardboard pieces, will you?

Thanks yotsuya. Absolutely, I'll have the measurements up tonight.

[ChanceKJ]

First this:
http://m.homedepot.com/p/GE-Slim-Line-14-in-Fluorescent-Light-Fixture-10168/202024436
GE makes a shorter 8" version as well.

Second, the bezel:
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=353072

The only problem I'm having is recreating the internal radius of the corners. I've got a mint (but dusty) horizontal cardboard bezel I pulled from my Mario Bros.  when I get some time I plan to make CAD patterns for both of these and the little mullet back peice.

[yotsuya]

First this:
http://m.homedepot.com/p/GE-Slim-Line-14-in-Fluorescent-Light-Fixture-10168/202024436
GE makes a shorter 8" version as well.

Second, the bezel:
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=353072

The only problem I'm having is recreating the internal radius of the corners. I've got a mint (but dusty) horizontal cardboard bezel I pulled from my Mario Bros.  when I get some time I plan to make CAD patterns for both of these and the little mullet back peice.

Yes, that would be awesome.

[yotsuya]

Oh, and you Canadians know all about mullets, don't you. :-)

[EvilNuff]

The bezel retainer is on backwards.

Do me.a favor, measure those cardboard pieces, will you?

Do you mean the lower metal bracket under the bezel?  Mine had the "lip" pointed backwards as well.  That was what the bezel rested on.

[ChanceKJ]

.

[vwalbridge]

First this:
http://m.homedepot.com/p/GE-Slim-Line-14-in-Fluorescent-Light-Fixture-10168/202024436
GE makes a shorter 8" version as well.

Isn't this a 120v light? Don't I need to get the special 100v fixture, starter and bulb for a DK?

EDIT: Never mind, I used a website called "Google" to find out that a 120v florescent fixture will work in a 100v DK cab.

[vwalbridge]

Do me.a favor, measure those cardboard pieces, will you?

As requested...in jankey Sketchup form.

CRT Mullet (Little notch at the top is 3.0 cm wide...sorry hard to read) and the dotted line is where the 90 degree fold occurs)


CRT Bezel

[yotsuya]

You're my favorite Canadian!

[yotsuya]

After Opt2Not.

[yotsuya]

And before Rick.

[vwalbridge]

LOL! What about Chance?!

Inches below. 

[yotsuya]

LOL! What about Chance?!

Inches below. 

You're my favorite Coloradoian.

[DeLuSioNal29]

This needs to be added to the "So you want to build a Nintendo cab" sticky.

D

[ChanceKJ]

This needs to be added to the "So you want to build a Nintendo cab" sticky.

D

AS YOU WISH!

...POOF!

[johnrt]

So if you want a horizontal bezel you just turn the hole for the monitor 90 degrees I guess?

[vwalbridge]

So if you want a horizontal bezel you just turn the hole for the monitor 90 degrees I guess?

Good question. Chance, you're up!

[ChanceKJ]

No the hole for the display is off centre on that one.

[DeLuSioNal29]

So what are the measurements for horizontal then? I would help but my bezel was missing.

[vwalbridge]

I think Chance was planning on uploading the dimensions for the horizontal CRT version. I believe his bezel and mullet were intact on his Mario Bros arcade he just picked up.

[ChanceKJ]

I think Chance was planning on uploading the dimensions for the horizontal CRT version. I believe his bezel and mullet were intact on his Mario Bros arcade he just picked up.

This is correct.

I'll try and have it done later today, if not over the weekend. I'm gonna pull out my drafting tools and measure the radius of the corners too

[DeLuSioNal29]

Now we just need someone with a widebody cab to measure.  :-)

[vwalbridge]

Now we just need someone with a widebody cab to measure.  :-)

Agreed!

On a related note...Jakobud's site has been down for some time now. I was trying to lookup some MB widebody plans and I stumbled on a Google Sketchup Version. I wonder if anyone out there can verify it's accuracy?

Maybe my Google-fu is weak but I am having a hard time finding widebody plans.

[ChanceKJ]

.

[vwalbridge]

Chomping quarters has the pre order up for the t-moulding now.

http://www.chompingquarters.com/store.php/products/true-offset-nintendo-t-molding

Oh hell yes!  Thanks for the heads up Chance! I'm all over it.

[vwalbridge]

It's time to solder new capacitors on my monitor. Full disclosure: I've never done this before. 

But I've made it this far so no turning back. The chassis has been removed from the frame. However, while removing it, I noticed that one of the corners of the board was not resting inside the metal slot. Makes me wonder if this board was previously removed or a mistake from factory. Either way, the board was under a little stress being bent in the corner. (See red arrow)


Empty frame:


Board is on the bench:


I bought the soldering iron that looks like a Fisher price toy Hakko Digital FX888D just for this job. Got it for $70.


I'm using Ian Kellogg's cap kit.


And I'm using as a guide.


So any last minute advice for me before I re-cap this beyotch?

[yotsuya]

It's time to solder new capacitors on my monitor. Full disclosure: I've never done this before. 

You always remember your first one.

I bought the soldering iron that looks like a Fisher price toy Hakko Digital FX888D just for this job. Got it for $70.

Remind me to slap you and Slippyblade the next time I see you guys.

[Slippyblade]

Remind me to slap you and Slippyblade the next time I see you guys.

How come?  We make a poor decision?  I thought you had a good soldering kit already?

[vwalbridge]

Remind me to slap you and Slippyblade the next time I see you guys.

I'm fair game at Zapcon. Just let me have a drink or two first.

[yotsuya]

Remind me to slap you and Slippyblade the next time I see you guys.

How come?  We make a poor decision?  I thought you had a good soldering kit already?

I love you, homes, but you and VolksWagon have got to get over the Fisher-Price thing.

Oh, there's a repair party coming up January 9, if you're free. Starting the run up to ZapCon '16 already.

[vwalbridge]

I love you, homes, but you and VolksWagon have got to get over the Fisher-Price thing.

I'll redact the FP joke if it performs as well as everyone says it does. In fact, you are the reason I got it Yotsuya! 

What temp should I run it at for this job?

Oh, there's a repair party coming up January 9, if you're free. Starting the run up to ZapCon '16 already.

Me: Honey!!!!
Mrs. vwalbridge: Yea?
Me: We're moving to Arizona...pack your bags.
Mrs. vwalbridge: OK with me...It's colder that a witch's teat here anyway.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I own the same Hakko soldering station too.  It works great.

[yotsuya]

I love you, homes, but you and VolksWagon have got to get over the Fisher-Price thing.

I'll redact the FP joke if it performs as well as everyone says it does. In fact, you are the reason I got it Yotsuya! 

What temp should I run it at for this job?

Oh, there's a repair party coming up January 9, if you're free. Starting the run up to ZapCon '16 already.

Me: Honey!!!!
Mrs. vwalbridge: Yea?
Me: We're moving to Arizona...pack your bags.
Mrs. vwalbridge: OK with me...It's colder that a witch's teat here anyway.

I run mine at 750. Never had an issue with that temp.

[vwalbridge]

Thanks Yots. Appreciate it!

[vwalbridge]

So I have a good news/bad news situation with my DK restore right now.

The good news: After re-capping my monitor, the picture is beautiful. BTW...the HAKKO is awesome Yotsuya!

The bad news: I don't have any sound. (I did have some sounds mixed with background buzzing/alarm sound...but now I don't have any sound. More on that later)

While I was re-capping the monitor I confirmed this monitor had definitely been capped before. In fact, I noticed that about 25% of the caps had voltages lower than the proper value.  Oh well, all the caps are correct now.

I used this nifty flux pen. Wow, should have used one of these a long time ago. Works so much better than the gooey stuff.


It really helps you precisely apply the flux. This really helps when the solder kept trying to crawl up the legs of the cap.


The worst cap was the B+ filter cap. As you can see it was totally rotted underneath. (funny how the new cap is so much smaller than the original)


It was rotted so bad I even had to clean the pcb surface.

Before:


After:


All the caps installed. Double checked the polarity and location on each one. Now just trimming the legs:


Ian's cap kit is so well organized. Makes this job so much easier. I even re-capped the sound amplifier. Just move down the list and checked them off as I went along. I really got in a groove about 1/2 way through.


The original power cord on my fugly DK didn't even have the ground prong so I had to replace the entire cord before testing this monitor. Luckily Chance just did this on his Mario Bros restore so I just copied his work. Thanks Chance!

Got a 9ft. 14 gauge power cord from Home Depot. (with pre-stripped ends):


I also got the molex connections that Chance recommended from Molex.com. (PRO TIP: Molex.com offers free samples, so I actually got these totally free...yes, they even shipped it for free)




Connected them to the ends of the cord. I don't have a proper molex crimper but I made it work:


For now I just have the power cord running outside its normal hole because I still have to bondo and paint the cab later. Don't worry, I tested to make sure the molex fits through the hole after the fact.


I also noticed the fantastic job the previous owner did soldering the speaker. I have since fixed that.


So I fired up the machine, made a TON of adjustments to every single POT and now I have a very good picture:



BUT....

In my efforts to figure out my constant hum and "wah-wah" alarm sound, I un-plugged the PCB and plugged it back in. Now no more sounds at all. I think something is broken on the PCB itself. I have a logic probe arriving tonight to help me narrow it down. (Full disclosure: I've never used a logic probe before) Yikes.

So I'm stumbling through this restoration. Learning a ton as I go and trying not to crowbar anything else. Please feel free to point and laugh at me about how to unplugged/re-plugged a PCB while an arcade is powered on. Learned that the hard way. 

[Malenko]

that is some grade A recap work on that monitor. The GIF of the old video is laughably terrible, and the new looks amazing. Very happy to see you plugging away at this still

[vwalbridge]

that is some grade A recap work on that monitor. The GIF of the old video is laughably terrible, and the new looks amazing. Very happy to see you plugging away at this still

Thanks Malenko! I'd never capped a monitor before so it was very satisfying to see it fire up and look so much better. This CRT has very minimal burn in so the picture looks almost brand new.

I'm also chipping away at this audio problem and hope to have that isolated to the DAC-08 chip or the audio amp soon.

[harveybirdman]

dammit dude...

*goes to phone to look at pics...


Very nice job on the cap kit, on the one I did for Bullet Reign I lifted a solder pad.... So you got the skillz, good luck with your probing.

[vwalbridge]

dammit dude...

*goes to phone to look at pics...

Awww man, I'm sorry. I really need to knock it off.

I PROMISE my posts from here on out will not link to photobucket. 

[vwalbridge]

Very nice job on the cap kit, on the one I did for Bullet Reign I lifted a solder pad.... So you got the skillz,

Oh I hear ya!  You don't know how close I came to doing that!

good luck with your probing.

Thanks dude!  And probably the only time a man is happy to be wished luck with a "probing". 

[vwalbridge]

I had to remove and disassemble my PCB to replace some transistors on it so I figured that I would clean it while I had it out. It was not that dirty to begin with but I figured I might as well do it it.

From a distance the board didn't seem dirty but up close it had a decent layer of dust.


I asked around to try and figure out the best way to clean a PCB and got a different answer each time. So I decided to combine the techniques of all the suggestions I got. I started by removing all the socketed chips. No sense in having those put in harms way during the cleaning process.


I then removed the main board. Using needle nose pliers to release the plastic clips.


Main board removed


Also removed the 2nd PCB and what's left is the metal bracket plate thing


Here is a dust bunny


The top edge of the meta bracket was obviously rusting


I decided to use Simple Green, a toothbrush and a paint brush


Took the parts outside and sprayed all the parts with Simple Green




Then used the paint brush to work out all the grime. I found the paint brush to be much more effective than wasting time with the toothbrush.


I let the agitated bubbles sit on the boards for a minute


Then softly hosed it off


I also did the back side as well.


The weather was nice that day so I stopped to admire how the sun looks shining through a PCB


That metal plate thing needed some attention. So I scrubbed it down with CLR and some steel wool.


The rust eventually gave in


Then I let them dry for a few minutes in the Sun. Don't worry, remember I removed the eproms and left them inside so the UV rays would not damage them.


Took them back inside and let them dry for 3 days.


Here is the before and after on that metal plate thing.

[harveybirdman]

Sweet.

[johnrt]

Man, this is a kick ass restore! 

[vwalbridge]

Thanks harverybirdman and johnrt.

I'm really stumbling through this restoration. I VASTLY underestimated the work it was going to take to "do it right"

Every time you post pictures of your DK johnrt, I cry a little. It's so clean.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Nice work. Simple green does wonders!  I love using it to clean PCBs. 

[vwalbridge]

I started to refurbish my joystick last weekend. I took the entire stick apart down to every screw. I determined that I was missing a spring plate and the 4-way restrictor plate was totally worn out. The spring seemed a bid soft too. So I purchased a new one of each from Mike’s Arcade.



Here is the ball top. Not too bad actually just dulled out mostly and a few minor pits here and there.



Here is the old restrictor plate next to the reproduction restrictor plate from Mike’s Arcade. You can see how badly the interior edges have worn.



The shaft was pretty nasty. Had some grime pretty worn into it with a splash of rust on top.



I put some electrical tape on the threads to protect them.



Then secured the shaft into the end of my drill and used some steel wool to remove the loose grime.



Then used some 800 grit sandpaper to get the bulk of it off.



Finished it off with some 1000 grit paper for a nice smooth finish.



For the ball top, I did pretty much the same thing. Put some electrical tape on the shaft to protect it. Then mounted it in my drill. I spun it for a few moments on some 1000 grit wet sandpaper



Pulled off some surface grime





Then to get the ball top nice and smooth I used these three products. I finished with the PlastX



Just put some in a rag and spun it around for a while



To reproduce the plastic collar that goes under the joystick I used some vinyl tubing from my local hardware store. (Credit to Chance on this tip)





Soaked all the tiny parts in some CLR and simple green



Sprayed brake cleaner in the ball-joint to blow out the grime. A toothbrush helped.



Then soaked the main assembly in some CLR. I did it in a bag as to reduce the amount of CLR I had to use. When it was done, I buffed it with some steel wool



Used some white lithium grease for lube.



Sprayed it down inside the ball joint



Placed all the parts out on the table for assembly



Joystick feels much better now. Smooth action and easy to find corners.

[ChanceKJ]

.

[vwalbridge]

Very well done. I have another 7 or 8 of these left to do, haha.

Thanks! (And thanks for the vinyl tubing tip too) I see you are hoarding Nintendo Joysticks....smart man you are. 

[ChanceKJ]

.

[harveybirdman]

Glad to see you taking the meticulous path on restoring this machine.  When it's done it might actually be worth some of the prices I see on Craigslist for beater Nintendo cabs!

Keep up the good work and documentation.  Your pics are awesome (an now on the site for posterity  )

[vwalbridge]

Glad to see you taking the meticulous path on restoring this machine.  When it's done it might actually be worth some of the prices I see on Craigslist for beater Nintendo cabs!

Thanks harveybirdman. Yea, aren't those prices for Nintendo Cabs on Craigslist insane!? There has been some kind of surge in Nintendo cabs recently. Some guys want way too much and they sit on CL forever.

Keep up the good work and documentation.  Your pics are awesome (an now on the site for posterity  )

I love build threads that have lots of good pictures so I like to do the same. Pictures with a brief description of what was done is perfect for me. Thanks for keeping me in check and making me host the pictures here. 

[tomstewdevine]

Great restore so far.  Really cool to see you get every detail.

[Wyo]

Holy crap, subbed.  I just found this restore! looking forward to watching it progress....that cab will be quite a bit of work! Can't wait to see it looking original again.

Your level of meticulousness is on par with Chance, dig it!! 

[yotsuya]

Holy crap, subbed.  I just found this restore! looking forward to watching it progress....that cab will be quite a bit of work! Can't wait to see it looking original again.

Your level of meticulousness is on par with Chance, dig it!! 

Dude, does Chance pay you a fee or something every time you mention him? You brought him up in my thread, too.

[vwalbridge]

I needed something to take my mind off of this ongoing siren and buzz sound issue I've been working on, so I rebuilt my control panel this weekend.

I laid out all the parts and pieces for assembly. I bought a repo control panel from Hailrazer on KLOV a couple months back. My original CP was fairly chewed up. I also bought new buttons and CPO from mike's arcade. His CPOs are absolutly stunning. The buttons are "meh". Good enough for now but the colors are not really that close and they are barley long enough to catch the nut on the other side. My old buttons were missing springs and were just too far gone to use.


OLD:


NEW:

[Malenko]

night and day, looks fantastic.

[vwalbridge]

night and day, looks fantastic.

Thanks Malenko. I want to try and use as much of the original parts of the cab as I can...but after 35 years of gaming abuse it was time for a new CP, CPO, and buttons.

[harveybirdman]

gettin a little less Fugly every day 

[chopperthedog]

Nintendo buttons are super easy to restore with some wet sanding and polishing (my after pic above). Don't throw the old ones out. Nice progress so far.



good day.

[vwalbridge]

OMG. Those buttons are beautiful...


...how much you want for them? 

Yea...I need to restore the ones I have now.

[vwalbridge]

Well if you thought washing a monitor was controversial...how about this?

I'm trying to track down this annoying speaker hum and siren sound on my fugly DK...so I figured what the heck...I'll cap the power supply. I took it out of the machine and cracked it open. (BTW...Nintendo must have hired a gorilla in their power supply factory because I stripped 2 screws trying to get this beyoch open.


It was filthy so I washed it in simple green of course! (gasp!!!) Used a paint brush to get in the tough spots. Then rinsed it off with a spray bottle with water.


Here is the aftermath of snot that came off the 2 power supply boards


I propped them up in front of my space heater for about 10 minutes. And then let them sit for a few days.


Of course I used another one of Ian Kellogg's shaweet cap kits.


Soldering these caps was was a real PITA. Really huge globs of solder followed by very small tacks of solder. Some spots were dangerously close.
For the record...I'd rather cap 10 CRTs than cap a Nintendo power supply again.


All said and done, I think it was 27 caps inside that monster. Sheesh!


And for those of you that like before and after pics..




I then threw it back into the DK and fired it up. (Not gonna lie...I closed my eyes and flipped the switch with a wooded broom handle. lol)  BUT, no sparks, smoke or fire. YAY!

Next step was to check all the voltages coming off the PS. So I used my crappy Harbor Freight mulitmeter and got 5.1v, 12v, and 24v where appropriate.

Now that the voltages checked out, I threw in the 2-stack DK PCB and fired it up.

The Good news: The game still works and plays fine.

The Bad news: Still have that hum and siren noise. (However, I am giving up on the "hum." I'm told that I need to stop wasting my time as all Nintendo cabs do this....guess I never noticed it)

So I'm back to tracking down the "siren" noise. I'm going to look at the transistors on the PCB again.

[yotsuya]

I looked at one of Ian's kits for the monitor I just picked up. He wanted $18 for a kit Bob Roberts had listed for $10.

[yotsuya]

Oh, and play a few Donkey Kongs at ZapCon. Maybe we'll see that what you think is weird is pretty normal for your cabinet.

[Malenko]

wheres the 30 minute video that has *maybe* 35 seconds of something interesting going on?

[vwalbridge]

I looked at one of Ian's kits for the monitor I just picked up. He wanted $18 for a kit Bob Roberts had listed for $10.

Don't quote me on this but here is what I have heard are positives from Ian's kits:

1. They are all labeled and organized for an easy-to-understand install. (Sometimes a PCB cap map is even included for convenience)
2. He uses caps that are rated to last longer. I heard as much as 2x longer?
3. He sometimes includes caps that you don't normally see in other kits.
4. He is readily available to help you if you have any questions.

I've never ordered from Bob Roberts so I don't have anything to compare first hand. And the 4 "features" above are just things I've pieced together from various threads on 3 different forums. (and personal experience)

I've kinda got 2 left hands when it comes to this stuff so having them all organized and labeled is a big plus for me.

[vwalbridge]

wheres the 30 minute video that has *maybe* 35 seconds of something interesting going on?

I could strap a Go Pro to my head while I work and upload that for everyone to see.

But I'm afraid it would be more like 3 hours of my cursing and saying WTF? to myself over and over. Followed by 30 seconds of me saying "At least I didn't make it worse"

[yotsuya]

Good to know. I'll eventually probably order something from Ian.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Use code: johnsarcade and you will get a discount.

[yotsuya]

Use code: johnsarcade and you will get a discount.

Already ordered from Bob, but good to know.

[vwalbridge]

OK, so I've made some progress. The "hum" sound that my DK speaker was making was driving me absolutely bat----steaming pile of meadow muffin--- crazy so I had to fix it. However, I learned this "hum" sound is actually totally normal for Nintendo cabs. Why? Well, it's actually a design flaw. Nintendo thought it would be a good idea to have the audio amp draw its power from the monitor chassis. Thus, the audio amp picks up interference from the monitor and outputs it through the speaker in the form of a "hum" sound.

So how do you fix that? I purchased a $16 12v-amp from Amazon.


This little amp will now draw 12v directly from the unused 7p power headers on the power supply. Pulling clean, non-noisy power. Here you can see it from the back of the cab. Jankey-ly hooked up but working nontheless. NO MORE HUM! YES!


And a view of it from the coin door. I'll decide later where to permanently mount it. Anyone interested in eliminating the "hum" sound in their cab, I think this is a perfectly good solution.


Now I just have one issue left...That annoying "siren" sound that repeats in the background. It's definitely coming from the PCB. Grrrr. 

[yotsuya]

OK, so I've made some progress. The "hum" sound that my DK speaker was making was driving me absolutely bat----steaming pile of meadow muffin--- crazy so I had to fix it. However, I learned this "hum" sound is actually totally normal for Nintendo cabs. Why? Well, it's actually a design flaw. Nintendo thought it would be a good idea to have the audio amp draw its power from the monitor chassis. Thus, the audio amp picks up interference from the monitor and outputs it through the speaker in the form of a "hum" sound.

So how do you fix that? I purchased a $16 12v-amp from Amazon.


This little amp will now draw 12v directly from the unused 7p power headers on the power supply. Pulling clean, non-noisy power. Here you can see it from the back of the cab. Jankey-ly hooked up but working nontheless. NO MORE HUM! YES!


And a view of it from the coin door. I'll decide later where to permanently mount it. Anyone interested in eliminating the "hum" sound in their cab, I think this is a perfectly good solution.


Now I just have one issue left...That annoying "siren" sound that repeats in the background. It's definitely coming from the PCB. Grrrr. 

Colorado Kush time!!!

[harveybirdman]

Congrats on fixing the hum!  Hopefully we will find some people at ZapCon that can teach us the Arcade Fu of board troubleshooting, I'm thinking of bringing a couple that need work.

Let's just call this vwallbridge 1 Fugly Kong 5 for now.

[vwalbridge]

I hope chopperthedog sees this and is happy with me. Decided to try and restore the original buttons on my DK. People are asking stupid prices for these buttons now. So restoring mine was definitely worth it. I used the common method you can find on anywhere online. Wet sanding and plastic polish. Many of you have probably already seen this many times so I apologize. But anyone who hasn't...the results are amazing. Credit to Tigue on YouTube for this technique.

Had to clean the grime out of each button first. Pretty surprised how greasy each button was.


I wrapped tape around the shaft of the plunger to protect it from the teeth of drill chuck. I used wet sand paper. Started with 800 grit and moved to 1000 grit. Spun it in my electric drill for about 10 seconds each. Must keep the paper wet and cold and don't spin it very long or it will chew in too deep. If the button is really discolored, you might have to dig a little deeper.


For the collar of the button, I used a bolt and washer on each side. I also put tape on the bot to keep it from chewing up the threads.




When I was done, the bucket of water was nice and cloudy from the plastic shavings. I just wanted to remove the first mirco-layer to reveal smooth original-colored plastic.


Next step gives the gloss look. I used PlasX. This stuff is just amazing. Put a few drops on a micro-fiber cloth and spun it in the drill until it is smooth. I think the real trick here is to use a micro-fiber cloth. I found that a cotton shirt, for example, heats up to quick and starts to melt the plastic. A micro-fiber cloth stayed nice and cool.


I had many other buttons from my Mario Bros, VS, and Space Duel to do as well. It was a button party. But only I was invited. 


I like before and after shots...so here are some:

Orange button:


Blue Button:


A family photo:


I can now look at myself in the mirror knowing that I am using legit Nintendo buttons on my DK.

[chopperthedog]

Nice!!! Since you had em', might as well love em'. The panel looks, sounds and feels right with them.



good day.

[vwalbridge]

Nice!!! Since you had em', might as well love em'. The panel looks, sounds and feels right with them.



good day.

Thanks man!  It's very satisfying restoring original parts. And your picture above definitely made me want to do it.

[Malenko]

They look great!

[P.H.U.]

So how do you fix that? I purchased a $16 12v-amp from Amazon.

Totally blown away by your work. Just a fan. Link to the amp please?

EDIT:  Nevermind. Found it by doing a picture search.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Those buttons look amazing. I may bring mine to Zapcon so you can restore them, heh heh.

D

[vwalbridge]

Thanks for the compliments guys. I was blown away how well the technique worked. If you have any original buttons that need restoration, it can be done pretty easily!

Side note...collectors are now asking $25 to $30 for original blue nintendo buttons and $35 to $40 for orange buttons.   

[harveybirdman]

Dude you rock!

It's for lines like this that I love following your threads...

It was a button party. But only I was invited. 

[vwalbridge]

Dude you rock!

It's for lines like this that I love following your threads...

It was a button party. But only I was invited. 

Glad you noticed that.     

The weather in Denver is about to start getting warm again so I'm anxious to get in the garage and make some structural progress on the restoration. Bondo? Party of one?

[vwalbridge]

In an effort to keep the machine as original as possible, I will be fixing up the marquee and bezel.

The person who owned this cab before me randomly sprayed it black in different places and ended up getting black over-spray everywhere. So I used a magic eraser to get it off. Below is a sample spot before and after. The magic eraser is just good enough to remove the paint...but not so bad that it rubbed off the decal.


Purchased a drill buffing pad from Amazon and went with PlastX again for the scratches.


Dripped on some PlastX and used the drill to work it all around. I was careful not to get any on the edges of the decal but PlastX is pretty mild anyway.


I went ahead and also did the inside of the bezel as well. I think the trick is to not let the drill spin fast, otherwise the PlastX will dry out. And it's not very effective when dry.


Here is the before and after of the bezel:


My marquee also needed attention, so I used Goo Gone for the sticky stuff and PlastX again for the polish.


Same process as before, used the drill to work it around.


I got some really good results on the marquee. Looks almost brand new.

[Malenko]

hawt.

[harveybirdman]

 

[DeLuSioNal29]

Nice!

[n3wt0n]

This restore is coming along nicely. The thread is a great source of information as well. Thanks for taking the time to update it.

[JimmyU]

It's on. It's on like...I forget the rest, but you get the idea.

[harveybirdman]

It's on. It's on like...I forget the rest, but you get the idea.

Michelle Kwan?
Red Dawn?
Grey Poupon?



oh you mean on like Donkey Kong....

[vwalbridge]

It's on. It's on like...I forget the rest, but you get the idea.

Michelle Kwan?
Red Dawn?
Grey Poupon?



oh you mean on like Donkey Kong....

[Malenko]

I'd take Michelle Kwan over Donkey Kong anyday

[DeLuSioNal29]

Or Michelle Kwan remixed.

[reptileink]

Really satisfying to see how great those buttons turned out, and I didn't even do them!

Loving this thread!