0
(As many of you know, the Atari 5200 Joysticks were pretty horrible; non-self-centering analog joysticks were a mixed blessing in that they were useful for some games, but many more became less-than-playable. On top of that, they malfunctioned frequently and as they age they become even more unresponsive. Like other gamers, I wanted to take an almost useless controller and turn it into something more useful: a paddle controller.)
While I was in the controller, I remembered another forum visitor mentioning how he used a simple eraser to clean the connections on game carts. I had followed with a post of my own on how electric erasers are useful in a lot of ways, and if erasers are useful to clean a cartridge then surely an electric eraser is, too. Today, I think I proved that mild hypothesis.
I opened this nearly 20 year old controller and found, not surprisingly, that the sensors were all dull grey with mild oxidation. Mild, sure, but it was sufficient enough to make the controller non-functional. After toying with the insides, I remembered the eraser post and pulled out my electric eraser. Within literally minutes, the sensors on the 5200 keypad were stripped of their dull grey and returned to a fairly shiny, 95% cleaner version of their former selves.
Next, I grabbed a TurboGrafx16 card, and gave it a quick erasing. In about fifteen seconds, the connections gleamed like new.
THEN.... a Frogger cartridge! It had the stripey look that you see on most games, from the connecting pins. After some erasing, it still looked stripey (they're going to stay) but they were not as dark and had a more metallic tone to them.
Then, an NES game. I was unable to open up the cartridge, so I did not clean the connects (See NOTES below). Instead, I focused on a permanent marker initialing (hate these!) on the back. I had previously tried some rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizer (...) to do something to the mark and had little success. With the electric eraser, I attached an Ink eraser to the end and, after some work, removed MOST of the marking.
For this particular cartridge, it was well-marked with a permanent marker of some sort, and it did not come out entirely. The marking was so strong, in fact, that I would not recommend a total erasure attempt on such a marking if it is not coming off well at the start. It'd be better to just replace the back of the cartridge entirely and save yourself from spending the time on an incomplete erasure.
For a marking on the front, though, the erasure is highly advisable since it is the labeled side and will only leave a faint ghost of the marking in a worst-case scenario. If the marking is on the Label itself, there's a great chance it will come off entirely. I took a black Sharpie and made a small mark on the label of the cartridge, let it set for a few minutes, and... eh... I just rubbed it off with my thumb. Disregard. The eraser will probably handle any marking on a label, just be careful not to over-erase and remove the graphic.
CAUTION: do not use the eraser on metallic games (Legend of Zelda, Adventure of Link, a handful of unlicensed games, the Game Genie). The metallic coat will very likely be damaged by the eraser.
In all, it would be fairly effective against certain markers, maybe even erasing them entirely with significant work depending on how strongly written the marking is.
It will handle minor markings, scuffs and the like with great success.
The eraser will strip oxidation from sensors, connections, and other fun electronic parts.
It can clean up game labels effectively and with ease. (See NOTES)
Usage will save time, require less effort, facilitate more precise movements, and ultimately be more effective than manually erasing.
These electric erasers are available at most art supplies stores and are inexpensive and extremely useful.
(I got mine, a low-powered battery-operated Helix from Michael's)
Additional NOTES and CAUTIONS:
It iadvisable to erase in the direction of the pin/connection/circuit when possible. The eraser is not likely to cause any damage, but if it were to happen then it would likely happen when erasing 'against the grain' of the item. Pins in particular could be bent when erasing 'against the grain' due to the eraser's spinning or occillation. On top of all these 'Better Safe Than Sorry' precautions, erasing 'against the grain' will cause more wear to the eraser itself, making more frequent replacement of the eraser necessary.
Always do test runs on an expendable cartridge or system to make sure an erasure will not adversely affect the quality of a valued item.
Always do test runs on an expendable cartridge or system to familiarize yourself with the construction and functioning of the device, how to manipulate the eraser, and get a feel for what it can do.
When cleaning game labels, be careful not to over-erase and remove the graphic. As advised before, try a test cartridge to see if erasure is viable.
When cleaning cartridges' connections, it is advisable to open them up when feasible so you can erase with the pin, rather than awkwardly pushing the erasing head into the cartridge and erasing 'against the grain.'
