Commodore 64 Repair and Restoration (Box Included!)

[@Ed-Irvin]

this channel is criminally underrated. also, I absolutely am a "box guy", so this particular video was an extra delight

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

[@speedsterh]

I'd say: don't judge a channel by the number of subscribers, of course. Yeah, this channel is just awesome (and makes me soooo want to have a C64 again, even though that's not reasonable)

[@williammckeever4790]

Great repair video. Really appreciate the overlay of the pins you were testing, that is truly useful information to anyone wanting to repair their 64! Nice job on restoring the box as well. I hate to throw out an original box, but in this case I may have just tossed it. You showed with a little effort it can be worth while to give it a try. Looking forward to your next video.

[@stefanweilhartner4415]

Here in Austria we have "Cif", which is a kitchen cleaner. it can also be used for cleaning stains on the stove. i think that could work as well. it is like a cream that also has some abrasives in it that probably does a similar job like sodiumbicarbonate.

[@chutipascal]

I love the finger heat probe. Back in the day it was my second measurement equipment after the multimeter.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Super useful tool! 😃

[@MC-1173]

I too am not much of a box collector, but if you can fix it I agree. Nice job Noel.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! Yeah, it felt wrong to just throw it away, so I had to try at least.

[@TheXJ12]

The slowly penetrating humidity of the night is efficient at softening the cardboard. You can then iron it flat and it should remain flat. Using only rubber bands and wooden sticks, I resurrected a distorted Robbe Progo packing box back in shape by simply alternating humid nights and dry days. But it wasn't torn nor discolored...

[@Andyperator]

Event that I am more into Amiga (still love C64) your video is really great. Right pace of cutting and giving the right information on time. Really appreciated!

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks!

[@PantherUK]

Loving the C64 content, excellent stuff... The box repair was also interesting... Thanks...

[@RaamahRaamah]

Melamine foam (magic eraser) might help with those stubborn stains, it's mildly abrasive but I would assume no more than baking soda.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Good point. I have one of those for particularly tough spots. They're actually quite a bit more abrasive than baking soda so you definitely need to be careful. For example, if you use them in the rough part of the C64 case, you'll definitely leave a "bald" spot. They'd be perfect for the smooth sections though.

[@speedsterh]

That sounds like a good idea !

[@pb7379-j2k]

Your videos are very good. Excellent productions! The insets showing the scope and the pinout are amazingly useful!

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! Glad you liked them.

[@gavinjones1246]

Thanks for that Noel that was really cool !! Very well setup hope I can get my room set up somewhere as good !! And the repair video is by far the best I've seen with the pins shown and scope showing on-screen u nailed it :)

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! Really appreciate the comment.

[@carnright]

Fun restoration to watch, and I am glad to see you helped the box too :-) I have seen the same glue worked into the edges as well to strengthen them :-)

[@carloscarca]

Great Restoration Noel, Thanks for sharing!!

[@Kerveros1904]

Imagine someones loads the video to watch a computer restoration, and accidentally goes directly to 20:25. "learn how to correctly iron your shirts"

[@NoelsRetroLab]

:-)

[@MHMajid-yi8iu]

Nice!👍 Thanks ...I still remember that box proudly carried home on the bus while crowd looking.. woo hoo that's in 1986 or something.

[@EdwinSteiner]

I think the black marks may be from the power cable that is disintegrating. Take care separate it from other plastics in storage. Benzine (petroleum ether) can work well for cleaning old paper (and it evaporates without a trace) but I think it only works well on fatty stains.

[@mark12358]

Nice repair and a pretty good retro channel indeed. Keep up that work! Cheers, M

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@antonyrodriguez5621]

Restorations are always welcome!

[@ct6502-c7w]

Hi Noel, I just found your channel recently and I've been watching a lot of your videos over the past few days. I love seeing your work and enthusiasm! Also I hope you don't take offense to this, but your accent is so cool! You have a great voice for narration.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thank you! :-) Glad you're enjoying the videos!

[@runcmd8851]

great video and loved the repair on the box as well, extra bonus. I would love to try this method on some Amiga game boxes i have that need restoration.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! Good luck with those Amiga game boxes.

[@AlenMarkov]

Dedication! (Never saw somebody putting so much effort in such a box =) As usual absolutely relaxing to watch - love this, thanks Noel!

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thank you!

[@dlfrsilver]

best thing would have been to replace the box wrapper damaged by a new one. when mould attack the paper/cardbox, it's unhealthy then :/

[@michaelstoliker971]

Maybe this will be the next retro thing...packaging reproductions for people that have to have the boxes.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

That's *already* a thing. Seriously, visit some of the retro forums and you'll see people sharing scans of boxes and making reproductions.

[@peteclln5175]

Did you test if the SID plays music okay? I've heard that with the SID it can report okay with test programs but fail or behave strangely when used normally. Another great video BTW. Keep doing what you do ;)

[@NoelsRetroLab]

I did test it with the Dead Test Cartridge (although mysteriously my capture card didn't record the audio). It was also fine in a few games I tested, but I didn't really push it. I assumed if it sounded fine it would be OK. Do you recommend a particular test suite for the SID?

[@peteclln5175]

The reason I thought you might have had a problem was that I didn't recall hearing anything when you tested river raid (now I know this was your capture cards fault). If it sounded fine to you during normal testing then all is okay. I haven't had a c64 since I was 12 years old so I'm not the best placed to make any recommendations on test software or hardware. In many videos I've watched however, I've noticed a trend where the SID chip can pass perfectly fine using test utilities only to be found to produce poping sounds and distortion on one or more channels when used normally. Well done on your acquisition of a fully functioning Commodore 64 (with box) and best of luck ;)

[@missionpassed4584]

It reminds of when I decided the great idea of storing all my old now classic toys from the 80s in my attic once i had grown out of them, also they were pretty much all boxed, years later I decided to get them back out and to my horror the boxes were not only effected by damp air but a horrible smelly layer of dust from the insulation, i just threw all the boxes away, now with regrets as the price of the toys with box despite being a bit worn or battered shocks me.

[@peteregan9750]

The best way for box is to remove the join area, steam in a double bucket with 10% vingear and boling water till box becomes moist, then lay flat on absobent paper / Poly propenlene- Acrylic fabic (as dose not abosob water) / box / fabic / abpsobent paper then heavy flat panele over the top till it dries - this gives you a rigid flat strucyure (vineger treats mould) ----

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Oh wow! It sounds like you have a lot of experience with box restorations! What do you mean by steaming it in a double bucket? I'm writing that down for future reference. I'll definitely try it! Thanks!

[@peteregan9750]

@@NoelsRetroLab this is a quick conservation pdf showing how to flatten papper for conservation - www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj1h8Wd143uAhVR4zgGHTwrBk0QFjADegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nps.gov%2Fmuseum%2Fpublications%2Fconserveogram%2F13-02.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0ZZt8GjNRC3h7kD5g2BpJ2

[@Miidolf]

Interesting Noel that you didn't just remove the SID chip before the initial board testing.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Well, that would have made too much sense :-) No, seriously, removing the SID would have been 100% correct. I don't know why I didn't. If the PLA wouldn't have worked, I would have backtracked to that for sure.

[@Cypher007vUK]

Just wondering about getting a scope. Notice you’ve got a hantek. Been told to buy a Rigol 1054z. I’m not doing repairs commercially more a hobby and £350 seems a lot of money for something I might use occasionally. I’ve seen some hanteks as low as £150 on bang good.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

When I researched them a few years ago I also saw those recommendations. Personally I'm super happy with the Hantek. It has a good resolutions screen and it's pretty high frequency. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

[@DavideNastri]

Great work and thumbs up for the box restoration

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thank you! I have another box restoration coming up relatively soon 😃 (A Dragon 64 one).

[@hyumahoshi]

Hi, great video, I also like to repair c64 and retroconsole. I would like to learn much more about IC signals and how they must be to consider an IC "normal". There are guides or tutorial to study the c64 signals with oscilloscope? thanks!

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! Glad you liked it. I think the best thing you can do is watch other C64 repair videos where they explain things, and you'll get an idea quickly. Also, if you have a working C64, you can examine it yourself with the help from the circuit diagram and that's super helpful. That's pretty much how I learned.

[@hyumahoshi]

@@NoelsRetroLab thank you so much! Next thing to buy will be a Rigol DS1054z!

[@NoelsRetroLab]

@@hyumahoshi Good luck. That's an awesome machine!

[@matthiasmartin1975]

Aww, i expected you to re-do the product photography and reconstruct the graphics in Inkscape and then to print it all out on a large format printer and glue the "artwork" onto a fresh piece of cardboard. How much fun would that be?

[@Sudz28]

Interesting video, and I have to say I've never seen a C64 power supply unit that looked like that before - I'm guessing this is a European version of it? Also, can you tell me what brand/model of de-soldering iron you're using there?

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! That's the most common C64 power supply I've seen around here (yes, all European models). Is the more common one in the US the brick one? Those are also available here, but are less common in my experience. The desoldering iron I'm using is just labeled ZD-915 (I suspect it's a Chinese clone). If you search that name you'll get lots of info. At least it works really well and there are plenty of replacement pieces available.

[@Sudz28]

@@NoelsRetroLab Yes, mine (and every C64 I've ever owned) has had a big ugly black 'brick' for a power supply. I much more like the aesthetic design of that beige power supply yours has. Thanks for the video, I've been meaning to smarten myself up with circuitry and soldering so this is giving me motivation. I just need to buy a few things I guess... to include that multi-meter you're using. Mahalo from "The Aloha State", Hawaii!

[@neilo3476]

Great video thank you! Just putting this out to your good self and all of the other commenters... What is your opinion on putting adhesive sellophane over the box once you have restored it as much as you can?

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! I don't know much about restoring boxes and I've never used cellophane. I guess it would change it a lot from the original texture, but it would probably protect it quite a bit. I might look instead of some kind of spray that seals it in a bit without being as noticeable. Let me know if you try some of those things and how they work.

[@juanjosesaenz3566]

Esta vez ha sido sencillo, pero igualmente una buena reparación.

[@patrickdeunhouwer5926]

Nice repair, I would have put a heatsink on the Vic and Sid they can become pretty hot.

[@peter486]

save it!!!! give it life.. its apart of our childhood.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

I'm trying! 😃

[@Doug_in_NC]

I noticed that the C64 in the box doesn’t match the picture on the box (theCommodore logo on the top right of the bread bin is different). Does this indicate that the computer doesn’t match the packaging, or did Commodore not bother to update the packaging when they changed the computers?

[@krnivoro1972]

Nice restoration videos!!! Why your cleaning products are in spanish? Where are you from?

[@awilliams1701]

I think the MOS branded clock timer chip is actual pretty reliable unlike the generic TTL MOS chips.

[@yereverluvinuncleber]

Ont the box use a mould removal spray on a cloth. Instead of tape to repair splits, use cardboard of similar type and PVA to support and bind.

[@SocrateTheCat]

Hello, Very great video. Can you tell me where i can find the psu tester ? Thanks for answer. Regards.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! I bought that PSU tester/saver off Ebay as a kit and I assembled it myself. Just search for Commodore 64 power saver and you'll get lots of results.

[@SocrateTheCat]

@@NoelsRetroLab Thx for answer. 👍

[@DD-jk3nf]

Loving your channel, subbed :) With the baking soda you are essentially sanding. Grab some high grit (2000 and above) wet sand paper (used commonly for cars). That will take the gunk that's embedded in the surface of the plastic out and will sort those marks where you can see another plastic (black on the side of your C64) has ground against it. With a bit practice you can get some of the worst condition cases back to split new condition. :)

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! The tricky part is that the C64 has a rough texture on the case. And the baking sode seems to leave that alone but get in there to remove the dirt. Will that wet sandpaper have a similar effect? I don't want it removing the texture.

[@DD-jk3nf]

That's a point, it may remove that texture with the higher grit, you can use wet sandpaper to end up with a glass finish, the higher the grit number the more polished the finish would be. It would be worth experimenting with the finish it gives. I have a few systems that are way beyond saving I can do some tests on. I'll let you know the results :)

[@speedsterh]

For gluing carboard, I recommend using wood glue. Also, judging from the various objects and brands that we see on the camera, you seem to be living in Spain, and you are american, right ? You're there for work, I suppose ? Nice vid, but there was not enough things to repair, in my opinion :)

[@NoelsRetroLab]

I'm living in Spain and I'm originally from Spain, but I spent a long time in the US. As for repairs, yeah this one was a bit light on that. Try some of the other videos for more hard-core repairs.

[@jdoutdoorsnature6460]

I'd give up my playststion anyday just to own a Commodore again.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Do it! They're not that expensive, and if you have a TV with composite video or s-video in, you're all set.

[@little_fluffy_clouds]

@@NoelsRetroLabindeed, and there are superb modern day options with HDMI support such as THEC64 and MiSTer FPGA. No excuse not to have a C64 nowadays.

[@markrush4486]

magic erasers are really good at getting stains off plastic

[@danmarie6907]

I love the box repair part

[@jsangilg]

Fantastic video, thanks. Why not rf shield cardboard in final assembly?. Regards from Spain.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

I'm not a fan of RF shields on C64s. They don't seem to sever much of a purpose anymore and they keep the board hotter than it should be.

[@narimantasglinskis7562]

could you tell me the name of the music of desoldering schene from 8:30?

[@wolfcanine100]

Magic eraser works amazingly on my c64

[@gile849]

+1 c64 back in life :) Nice man

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thank you!!

[@awilliams1701]

I still can't believe with how filthy and disgusting my C64 was that the box is in really good condition. I mean it's not as pristine as the C64 is, but it's in decent shape. A little warn, but no major tares. If my box looked like that I would have chucked it immediately. lol

[@GoWstingray]

There seemed to be signs of soldering 4:10 to me loads of flux on the back.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Do you mean in some big solder points clumped together? That's the shield of the RF modulator and I always see them that way with lots of flux. Maybe that part was soldered by hand at the factory? The ICs all looked fine as far as I could see.

[@KOHLERChristophe]

Nice video. Thanks.

[@LogicWheels]

@Noel, If you have difficulties removing stains on a casing like the ones here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/noG9eXefmdeLqbM try using a simple pencil eraser. It does not polish the case and the results can be surprising. Also for cleaning golden contacts on the logicboard this is working very good.

[@pimyxiny]

I recently bought a Commodore 64 and it didn't boot up, the light goes on, but nothing else happens. Do you have any advice for this besides the PA chip. (I don't have a good Commodore 64 to compare signals)

[@NoelsRetroLab]

I recommend you start checking voltages (probably OK because of light, but you never know). Then pull out the SID. Then leave it on and check for chips getting hot. After that you're going to need a test cartridge or start looking with the oscilloscope to see what's going on. Also, do you know if you get a video signal with a black screen vs no video signal at all? (the TV often tells you if there's signal or not).

[@basicforge]

Someday you will make a "Restoration and Repair of The C64 Maxi Barn Find" video. ;)

[@EC5ABG]

Muy buen trabajo, grandes los Commodore 64, tuve uno y ojalá lo conservara😥👍, saludos.

[@kurtreber9813]

Hi, Im in the States and ive bought 2 C64 PSU, on 2 separate occasions, from 2 different European countries (because apparently nobody sells C64 PSU here in the States). Both PSU, after I received them and hooked them up, show AC voltage of 13.5! 9 or 10v should be the max for C64, and both PSU say they are rated at 9v, but both were showing 13.5 when I measured them! Am I missing something? Measuring the wrong thing?

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Hi Kurt! Are you buying an original PSU or a replacement (modern) one? European PSUs will expect 220V from the mains (and have different plug shapes) so I'm surprised they work in the US. As far as the AC voltage, I think that's fine even at 13V. If they're original PSUs, I suspect the voltage will drop when there's an actual load, and besides, the AC voltage goes through a voltage regulator and a Zener diode on another end, so I think 13V AC should be just fine.

[@kurtreber9813]

@@NoelsRetroLab Thanks for the reply. It's odd to me that both say they are rated at 9v but deliver over 13. They are modern replacements, not originals. I guess I could turn the unit on with the 2nd PSU and see if that starts some smoking too.

[@kurtreber9813]

With the C64 open and both the keyboard and LED disconnected, I turned it on with the 2nd PSU and nothing smoked, so I will try connecting it all back up and turning on again, hoping the LED will also light up as before. Could be the 1st replacement PSU itself was bad.

[@kurtreber9813]

It's alive! I have some troublesome keys, especially spacebar, but was able to send it into an infinite loop of "HELLO WORLD"!

[@ΓιώργοςΠαρασκευάκης-ν7ε]

how did u remove the keys? do they need any special tool?

[@NoelsRetroLab]

I used a key puller. Anything that just lets you pull straight up will work (not sideways!). If you look at it it's just a couple of wires that hook under the keys. I bet you could make a home-made version of that in 5 minutes 😃

[@ΓιώργοςΠαρασκευάκης-ν7ε]

@@NoelsRetroLab i will try .....ty

[@defrandiego]

Hola Noel y saludos desde Argentina , yo tengo una Commodore 64 versión Argentina , se llama Drean Commodore 64 , tiene un motherboard Made un USA modificado para vídeo PAL , funciona perfectamente la mía y está como nueva .

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Pues mira, no conocía la versión esa Dream. Y además no parece un clónico si no un Commodore de verdad. Curioso. Me pregunto por qué le habrán dado ese nombre en Argentina. Un saludo!

[@ChronicKPOP]

4.87 / 5 volts... seems too low but what do I know

[@wolfcanine100]

Once you use a magic eraser on scuffs you never go back. Lol

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

Also replace them there film caps with TDKs.

[@Hounddoggy33]

Looks like my original C64. Is it Canadian?

[@NoelsRetroLab]

No, it says made in England. It may have more to do with the time period when they were manufactured than anything else. There's actually an amazing variety of "breadbin" C64s out there!

Ficou muito bom mesmo

[@macdaniel6029]

15:31 All screws damaged the bottom case because they were too long :(

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Yikes, I think you're right! I hate it when that happens! 😖

[@KeriSqueak]

Kinda funny being bored because your new computer /does/ work :'D Also the C64 playlist is in reverse order :-\ (edit edit: are they all backward? Grr.)

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Ah, good point about being reverse order. I thought latest first would make more sense, but it doesn't as soon as there's continuity between videos. I'll fix it. Thanks for bringing it up!

[@mancavehobbies6213]

Awesome subbed you

[@IDPhotoMan]

Yeah, that box is just.... yuck.

[@TimToolman]

You can really wet the box with lighter fluid safely to help clean it, see this video for a good example of box repair: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4PGm3qgbdWChac

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Yes! That's the one that I watched that made me think of it. I suspect that lighter fluid is different from the refined gasoline/solvent I was trying to use though (and I didn't have any other kind of lighter fluid in hand). I'll see if I can try it next time I run into a box like this one.

[@EviesRevue]

I have a PLAn for that...

[@bradleyreese5156]

no