Easy FIX? | Boots SRR 15 BOOMBOX!

I bought this Boots Stereo Radio Cassette Player on from off eBay for £12.18 (for some reason)
It's obviously "untested". So, let's see how easy it's gonna be to fix it!
Hope you enjoy!
Steve
PS. I'm not an expert in repairs at all. I do this for fun, and it may not be the best or safest way to go about repairing broken stuff. I'm pretty good at melting plastic though. Please don't copy me - I'm an idiot.
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[@StezStixFix]

Stupid "untested" Boots SRR 15 thing with a pink handle... thing.

[@SPEXWISE]

heat does work on the handle but a safer bet is red dye. I used to use dylon fabric dye in hot water on my RC car wheels, it works a treat.

[@samuraidriver4x4]

Stupid singing haters are going to love it tho😆

[@jonogrimmer6013]

Noticed the boots logo so you know it’s quality!

[@Leeum123]

It‘s doing nothing. Who could have thought of that?

[@AnanusBananus]

Use The toothpaste like a polishing compound. Not with a earstick

[@presidentskroob522]

I just want to tell someone (because my wife honestly couldn't care less!) I fixed a pcb the other day using the knowledge gained from your channel! It gave me such a buzz (thankfully not the electrical kind), I'm inspired to fix more stuff. Keep up the good work!

[@ThumpertTheFascistCottontail]

noice 👍

[@NotSoNano]

Wives just don’t get it. Nice one mate 💪

[@HD-wf3bp]

Niceee! Same here! I had a Wii remote that would only Power/connect sometimes and the led's barely worked. So I scrubber the controller with alcohol because there were green spots fused with the board all over. I also resoldered the little battery cables on the spot were I thought the cursor battery was. So after that I had the cursor back when it would connect only after a few min it went off and wouldn't come on again. So after that I found that the fuse was gone on the board and green stuff had fused the fuse spot togheter. Me cleaning it must have weakened the connection even more but it bridged the fuse and that's why it would work sometimes. So the pads are gone but I put a blob of solder on it and bam it's working again! Had nobody to share my Wii Story with so hopefully you Aren't bored with my story xD Anyways really nice we both got to use our new skills!

[@paulmorgan8520]

Well done mate, we all care 🥰

[@P3PPING]

Oh man, I feel this. This channels had me on an Amazon shopping spree fixing old electronics from my younger days I promised myself I'd fix one day.

[@nickjeffrey8050]

Blowtorch will indeed work. I saw the video online and doubted it.. took the chance and was actually mind blown lol

[@jasonm07]

Oh my, I hadn't thought about Stakka Bo in nearly 30 years.

[@RaveTracks]

Great record!

[@jasonm07]

@@GoGoErrek well I'll be damned. I did not know he had such a successful career as a director.

[@BrunakoPAO]

Sharpie paint job ! You killed me Steve 😁😁😁

[@Snobollskrieg]

Thanks to this channel, I actually got the guts to open up my Pioneer 6 disc CD changer that had decided to not work all of a sudden. I don't have the proper tools at all, but I managed to find the error and correct it, and now it works perfectly again! Without Steve that CD-player would've ended up in the landfill. Thanks Steve!

[@jeffm5056]

Stacka Bo throwback for the win! I didn't think anyone remembered who they were. Great fix, Steve!

[@simonscott1121]

As soon as you opened it I was like "the black wire looks like it's off", then you started removing stuff and I was like "nooooooo check that wire first!" :D

[@YesMir]

nice, I saw someone retrobright a blue n64 that had gone green, peroxide plus uv lights, and looked very good afterwards

[@harleysofttailtx]

I have to tell you... your editing skills are top notch. I love the deadpan humour and the editing you do. You had me laughing from start to finish. well done.

[@WeeblokesBlogspot]

I pulled out my Gameboy color from the back of the cupboard the other day. When I put the batteries in I automatically said "Nice!". I blame you for that! Keep up the good work. 😀

[@harrysmbdgs]

4:45 Brought back some traumatic memories 😂

[@cgvoxakis]

"The perfect amount of toothpaste" literally made me LOL!

[@ellisgarbutt1925]

Those batts are like nope I ain't staying in that radio ah wollies takes me back when I was a kid

[@garryhayes6192]

Hi. I have used T cut regularly on red plastic parts on vehicles. Red is renowned for going pink by sunlight. There is also a compound for cleaning plastic headlights when they haze over, it works on most scratches as shown on your video, most car accessories shop’s sell it. I hope this helps. Another great video. Cheers.

[@anis37109]

I really cracked up when you said: The perfect amount of toothpaste! It's always fun to hear content creators mention other content creators. Keep up the great videos!

[@wryyyy]

Plastics can be polished with a compound called "Polywatch", its meant for wristwatch plexiglasses, but works on most plastics. Just keep in mind it contains some acetone for softening the surface of the plastic, so if the plastic has any printing on it, the acetone might be too harsh for it.

[@psylencecy]

LOL that reference to Tronicsfix killed me @7:00. Dude, you are a legend!

[@shakes7333]

Heat gun on the red plastic. Heat it just enough that the color comes back. Use it when detailing vehicles on various exterior trim to bring back color.

[@colinboneham7387]

Nice quick fix steve. No one can complain about quick fixes

[@anon_y_mousse]

I love seeing these fixes even when it's a simple one. I loved when the batteries popped back out.

[@simonlunt353]

Nice little job Steve I have been watching you for sometime now and enjoy the way you do your jobs thanks keep them coming 😊

[@exaltedsawgunner]

It is quite nice to see an easy fix for a change! Most of them can be complicated, which is cool too. 😎

[@pootnannies]

i miss the vids that were multipart and needed a lot of fault finding. i know it's more frustrating for you but it was more of an adventure for me watching and i learned a lot. these short videos are great too. keep it up Steve!

[@chrisj2848]

Everyone has time for the occasional quickie! 😉👍

[@carlconstantdeflon2373]

Oooo a new StezStix video! Keep em coming pal! :)

[@sebastiankrosinger2101]

"The perfect amount of toothpaste" and Stakka Bo. You made my day! 🤣 Thank you for your awesome videos!

[@MxCraven]

Behind every faded and cracked plastic is fresh plastic, said a wise motorbike YT channel once. Look up "Fortnine Restoration in a can" and skip to the plastic bit. They use a simple buffing wheel to just get rid of the top layer and get the original plastic back. Using excess heat can lead to cracking (although it will work, temporarily)

[@HavingFunRepairs]

Nice quick repair, enjoyed it!

[@GordonHudson]

The toothpaste thing refered to the old style more abrasive toothpaste. I tried it once and it made the plastic cloudy. I would be tempted to try a small amount of that chrome cleaning tube stuff, but just on the scratches.

[@Jungleju1ce]

Great work again Steve your ability to create amazing content is outstanding thanks for inspiring us all :)

[@mrsmw2020]

My grandad had this exact one. Thanks for the memories!!

[@erickpo4044]

love the synthwaves you put there

[@secros]

You had my thumbs up at "Ahhh, the perfect amount of toothpaste."

[@djmyth84]

Aaaah, the Stakka Bo

[@spykethefox]

Thanks for the awesome and wholesome content! It brightens my day when I get the notification a new video is out on your channel. Have a good one and say hi to Dave for me!

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice easy fix Steve. Strangely enough I just had one myself too!

[@tjmarx]

Toothpaste and baking soda are abrasives, they work on light marring. To restore the tape deck you'll need a few pieces of different grit sandpaper and some water. A cut and polish can be used after to make it perfect. Videos on restoring car headlights will explain the process to you, they're made from the same plastic. The discolouration can be fixed in two ways. The cheap, temporary way is to heat the plastic in the right way. The impurities melt into the lower layers of plastic, exposing plastic from below which hasn't been UV faded. Usually only lasts for 6-12 months before reappearing. The proper way to do it is to use a commercially available plastic colour restorer. It's essentially a plastics dye and UV coating that you rub on and it restores the colour. This lasts for 5+ years and you've got the bottle to redo it after that time.

[@Greg_Watchorn]

The simple ones are sometimes the best Steve😀😀

[@Yourmomgoestocolledge]

Love the channel dude. Keep it up!

[@gravedigga71]

here we go again! About the pink grip:You can try gently hot air on it. Works good on car bumpers when the get grey. Maybe 200°celsius.

[@rogernichols8150]

Nice job so enjoy your videos please keep them coming and here to help get your videos out to everyone to enjoy 😊😊😊😊😊

[@CTCTraining1]

Well done Steve, if you have some T-cut in the garage it might be worth a try on the handle. If you have another go at the case scratches be careful of damaging the graphics. Keep up the great work 👍😀

[@zoidzilla1976]

Had one of these as a kid. Must have been around 85/86. I remember Boots had a load of branded electronics at that point

[@CanWeFixThat]

Hi Steve, I used Retrobrighting in the past and it works very well. I am pretty sure, that I used it for some colored parts too with good results. Normally I use Creme Developer with 12% for this kind of job. Putting some gloves on, get some Creme Developer on a brush and give it a paint! 😀After this I wrap the part in cling film, put it in a box with aluminium foil wrapped on the walls and put a big UV lamp on top (Or outside in the sun). Every now and then the part is rotated and massaged in a little to prevent uneven results from the developer. After some while you should see a good looking part! Love your videos! Greetings from Germany, Cheers Markus

[@jivillain]

Great to see you midweek

[@Allerick178]

Nice work Steve. Love the boombox.

[@mr667]

Heating discolored plastic definitely works, did this on my garden chairs. Just go low on heat and with some distance, than work you way from there.

[@pixelpuppy]

tooth paste/baking soda is used as an abrasive to remove minor scratches (same as scratch removal polishing paste) for big scratches like that, you'd need more abrasive stuff, but that would remove the design that's painted on. As for the handle, best to prime it and paint it (airbrush or spray paint) with some durable paint (like lacquer).

[@SamzAsylum]

I've never used it myself but I've read vinyl dye does pretty well at coloring plastic.

[@Fastwunz]

I actually had a Boots Walkman when I was younger - it was brilliant

[@VideoGameRestoration]

You could use a desk top power supply! Rather than putting it all back together you could test it! Loved the tronics reference 😂

[@jay_tesst]

If you want to restore it to a less pinkish handle, you could try passing your heat gun over it a couple of times. The heat reactivates the pigments, and you should have a red handle again. Just be careful with the amount of heat.

[@wryyyy]

I wonder if its really anything to do with the pigments, but just the plastic degrading and becoming "porous", so it reflects light in a different way and making it look lighter.

[@crazybeebob]

Some colours are more susceptible to sunlight. Red especially to infrared from the sun. The plastic from the handle is different than the body. Probably because of the regulations concerning structural integrity of electrical equipment. See CE. If you would heat the plastic from a certain distance the surface would melt and mix with the non degraded plastic below. Since this is probably the cheapest part. Test your gun distance on a plastic yoghurt cup. If it shrinks or becomes flexible, you are too close or too hot or too static on the same zone. This easier to do on a bigger mass because heat can spread easier like the seats in a football stadium. And with advice comes the usual disclaimer.

[@timsim83]

Red sharpie?

[@shinigami146]

@@timsim83 hahaha!

[@matthewpower3062]

Came here to suggest the same

[@Fifury161]

Polywatch works a treat for acrylic and the flame over clouded plastic also works!

[@Rich77UK]

Best thing for colour refresh...fire works...but low heat and keep it moving. A hot air gun works too. T-cut for cars works and also brasso matting (a cotton like wadding with brasso pre-loaded) that also works well for scratch removal.

[@OldUKAds]

I used to have a similar one from Boots with two tape decks. One of my favourite gifts from my parents growing up. I guess the was very late 80s or early 90s.

[@BOYTLeRoyJenkins]

Run the flame of a hand torch over the plastic handle quickly. You will see the plastic darken back up to its original colour. It's been faded by the sun at some point. Works all the time on plastic patio furniture that sit out in the sun all summer and fade - once over with the torch and they look brand new.

[@superamario6464]

Love the background music :) very 1980's workout style. Niiiice

[@philcarter9738]

I have nothing to add other than I have the same side cutters and for some reason that makes me happy 😄

[@watchingdanny]

The heat will change the handle back to red. Just do gentle sweeps across the handle and you'll see it gradually change back to red. Don't hold it still in any one spot. Practice on some other faded plastic to build confidence in the technique. Also, for the tape deck door, PolyWatch for polishing acrylic watch crystals should leave that little door actually looking "mint". 😁

[@nbaua3454]

You can try UV light and aluminum foil for restoration of fading done to plastic body. As far as I know it works for plastic yellowing.. for scratches, a clear nail polish mixed with few drops of liquid wax does good job as clear nail polish fills those small crack and scratches.

[@orbilator]

I do love your vids man

[@george.mathieson2]

A simple fix with the battery wire unattached, good one StezStix Fix

[@ERROR-401]

To bring the handle back to Red & clear up light scratches on plastic you can use one or a combination of two types of products, rubbing compound and/or car polish (some even offer plastic specific formulas). Rubbing compound is slightly more aggressive and in this case would bring the handle back to new state but I would advise polish on the tape door as it could take off the printed on design and it's less likely to rub off with a polish. These products are very inexpensive and can be found at any auto supply store in the detailing section. I personally use Meguire's products as their compounds break down as you use them so they start more aggressive and almost turn into a polish after rubbing it in for a while. Apply with a microfiber towel or if there is no lettering you can get a foam drill attachment or a Dremel attachment and really get a better than new result.

[@rciancia]

I highly suggest you dub this boombox 'Pinky and the Brain". Well done as always... it's always usually something simple in the Pre-SMD days..... well done

[@paulb4uk]

Great work at least it was a simple fix and it looks better with the clean and grills done with the sharpie.

[@fraenkiboii]

03:29 I strip my wires exactly like you do. It's convenient and I love these small knippers. However, if you press slightly too hard, a wire that's too short anyway might become even shorter. I've been there.

[@JustMe88419]

Toothpaste works well for scratches on certain types of softer plastics because there is a very fine soft grit in most toothpaste which is what cleans your teeth. It works similarly to polish but you have to use much more than that and really use some elbow grease to work out the scratches. I have personally used that technique on game discs that were slightly scratched and if done correctly it does work well. Its not so much for cleaning as it is for polishing out scratches.

[@PyroX792]

I second this post. I've used toothpaste as the final polishing step when cleaning up clear plastic 3D resin prints. I get the best results using a microfiber cloth, the crappy little squares you get for free with glasses cleaners and such, with the toothpaste.

[@masterbrown2002]

I third it.

[@calvee1100]

I fourth! Have to use some elbow grease.

[@bbtdnb]

Keep in mind that it also depends on the Toothpaste, not everyone has the same type of abrasive material.

[@dean-543]

Got excited when you mentioned a blow torch. Real disappointing that never materialized.

[@wherami]

wonderful job

[@paulkevinkoehler9490]

Hey Steve, I use Meguiar's PlastX on my scratched Lego. I recommend that you give it a go 😎

[@Fastwunz]

This thing is magnificent.

[@andreaskrause]

15 years ago i had a huge retro ghettoblaster from ebay for 35 Euros and i attached a aux input to the tape-deck so i was able to run all modern devices on this awesome sounding old machine (powered by Battery).Guess it was short time before bluetooth speaker were a thing. maybe you should try to attach kind of a bluetooth module and make this a modern bluetooth speaker. or find a old broken ghettoblaster with great sound and mod it. would love to see this.

[@laptoprepairglasgow]

so amazing !!! i had that tape. bought it in 1992 i believe.

[@Popeyes66]

My God Steve. Your hands are fast !

[@Ed.Underscore.Underscore]

Stez post video, I watch video. Cheers from KY!

[@shaputer]

Great Video !☺

[@ewout95ful]

Nice work ! You can use you’re heatgun to make it red again!

[@jcon6734]

Careful trying to polish the scratches out of the tape door. You'll polish the paint right off of it.

[@hugegamer5988]

Unbooming The boomed box. Love it.

[@o.s.racing]

When the headband on my Oppo headphones deteriorated I wrapped it in black leather cycle handlebar grip tape. Gives it a better look than original in my opinion and is slightly more comfortable. I reckon it would make the boombox look a bit more premium, although the tape will probably cost more than than the boombox itself

[@yutub561]

Easy fixes are always nice. Just has a similar fix on my heat gun Cotton swap is too abrasive for polishing compound. Use a microfiber with the slurry and you may have better results. Plastic polish is still better as slurry will almost always leave a haze without a polish

[@stevenfromleicester2529]

Try a bit of TCut on the plastic we used to use it for removing scratches on acrylics when I worked in the point of sales trade.

[@GameRaveTV]

That was the perfect amount of reference to another repairman. =)

[@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co]

Retrobrighting definitely works on coloured plastics that have yellowed, but your handle hasn't gone orange.

[@jodu626]

lovin the tunes. A Dr Disrespect feel to it. awesome

[@lauratiso]

Stez, you can use Brasso to get rid of the scratches on the plastic. Just be careful to not erase the serigraphy.

[@stevenevers826]

Great restoration, try red T-cut polish compound, I use it and other colours when restoration on plastic toys!!

[@markspence3295]

Try duraglit metal polish. It’s like that wadding stuff impregnated with polish. A bit of vigorous rubbing should sort it.😊

[@bumblesquatt]

Apply some light heat to the handle and it will remove the oxidized plastic, then use a small amount of polish and it will shine again

[@KiddLankaster]

The perfect amount of tooth paste. Your friend Tronifx love it. :D

[@tomaswolsink7620]

Fixed an old huawei smartphone today, gives a thrill :)!

[@KraftyLive]

lol "The perfect amount of toothpaste!" 🤣

[@ivoidwarrantiesuk]

Try using smooth peanut butter on the failed red. I used it to restore the black plastic finish on an old ps3 slim and my old car bumpers!

[@rjvthebest2000]

I love the TronicsFix reference.

[@ahmetmetinuzun]

Stakka Bo! That took me back to 1994'ish. Probably listened to that song a couple of thousand times back then.

[@andrewking7580]

Classic! My sister had this one and I had the white and blue version. Must've been 1990ish.

[@andrewdaley5480]

This went under many brand names very early 90s. I had one in white different brand name. 🇬🇧👍

[@andrewking7580]

@@andrewdaley5480 mine was the boots one. Sure it had the boots logo on one of the corners.

[@Timewarp84]

🎶Boom Boom Boom i want that pink boom box in my room let's stay together for now and forever 🎶 nice fix

[@frederikmoeller88]

Blowtorch yes Electric heatgun yes Car clearcoat treatment: cutting compund + buffing, then wax and buffing. You need to get rid og the first "nanometer" of oxidized plastic. You could sand it with 2000+ grid and then move into compound and buffing. Maybe vitawrap the rest :D

[@markpirateuk]

Try using automotive rubbing compound, such as T-cut, it is excellent at removing scratches from plastic, also may make the handle less pink!