Let's Refurb! - Cheap Faulty Japanese GameBoy Pockets!

[@BradYeti97]

Watching your videos scratches an itch I never knew I had.

[@TheRetroFuture]

Awh thats a cool comment! Genuinly a fresh one, never seen this!

[@hyruleponcho3885]

same

[@lottieplaysnintendo]

BradYeti97 me too!

[@clust3rpepis]

The Retro Future I don’t know if that’s supposed to be sarcastic or not

[@genericfirstnamegenericlas6490]

Did you add a clear coat to the paint? That really helps protect the paint from scratches and dings.

[@WalkEmDownDan]

"Without any further ado, let's go ahead and take them apart." *plays 20 second intro*

[@JohnDoe-nl2xe]

😒😒😒😒

[@FlopDangle]

The choice of music in your videos is just perfect dog

[@drzoidberg71]

how in the world do people get these badly burned in screens?

[@zer0b0t]

Probably left over in a car face up

[@shadowking141ghost]

probably left beside window

[@OneWingedBadass]

Sad to say, just keeping them in storage can get them to that level. I have no idea how.

[@andrianito]

Where did you buy your front polarizer?

[@volcna6620]

Bro I frickin love you’re videos If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have bought myself a gameboy

[@TheRetroFuture]

Awesome man!

[@batter8178]

Me to keep up the great work

[@MMaRsu]

I'm a new subscriber looking to get into Gameboy modding and perhaps even refurb them. I really liked this video! Thanks for uploading and putting in such effort to restore these beauty's!

[@WS6xxStarscreamxx]

That painted one came out beautiful!

[@Nixie-Nix]

New intro is looking great! I genuinely thought the UV burnt shell was the gold edition lol Awesome video as always! Quick update. Your screws came out black because the rust ate away at the outer coating of your screws. If you put your screws into the cleaner with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol that would have contributed. Any corrosive liquid makes good work of weak metals such as screws; I prefer sanding away at the worst of the rust on screws, though it can be risky. If you're not careful you can strip the screw. Would love to see you try your hand at doing decals on your painted GB shells!

[@TheRetroFuture]

Thank you for all of the info! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@jesuspineappleee]

One of my New Year's resolutions was to learn to repair/refurbish my old consoles, and this KZbin channel is exactly what i was looking for. Greetings from Mexico 😁😁

[@TheIzzyNobreShow]

I looooove that DMG-style Game Boy pocket. Bummer it only came out in Japan. At least I got mine :D

[@chamoo232]

There are some after market kits that have the shell and buttons but the colors are a bit off. I got a silver after market shell for mine but if I ever find another Pocket I will order the DMG style kit.

[@TheRetroFuture]

You got a backlit green one right? Think I saw it in one of your videos. I love them too!!

[@TheBamnus]

I don’t even have a gameboy!!

[@tetenc555]

Izzy Nobre olha tem mais de um br aqui então

[@46spikey]

yes! I was looking for one, I just bought it yesterday. super happy :D

[@timixl00]

The power of some guy making videos about fixing stuff and reviewing stuff, i decited to get walkman because i saw how good looking they were in your video(i have seen them before but it made me realise that it would be cool to have one)

[@ZerodJailbreak]

Where did you get the polarizer from?

[@BakuretsuTen]

I use handheldlegend.com

[@nestorcovarrubias4925]

Love these vids! Have notifications turned on to recieve all notifications for your channel

[@TheRetroFuture]

Thank you!

[@angahchelsea7146]

Me neither..

[@MadridG]

Your videos are really awesome, I'm curious about refurbishing old things and here in Brazil we have no enough content about it. Thank you very much!

[@majora748]

God i love these videos, they're so relaxing

[@rosewoodproductions5029]

Hello, question. What spray paint did you use to paint the blue one and what did you use to seal it? Thanks.

[@snake-v9t]

I appreciate your enthusiasm for Game Boys. Great youtube channel to watch while I play Pokemon Yellow on my Game Boy light!

[@mrblank245]

I just bought my first broken gameboy and I am trying to attempt to refurb. All inspired by your videos, thanks man!

[@nintendocollector5560]

Which type of gameboy? Did you get it to work?

[@AlexanderWilliamsDesigns]

Almost at 100k my guy!

[@DurradonXylles]

Just got there this morning! :D

[@caelointheclouds]

Elliot, your paint job is incredible!! Excellent work my friend!! You totally gave life to them!! Cheers!

[@stefanoalejandro1545]

how do you sprypaint the shell without painting over the button markings?

[@nickambrose50]

ALMOST 100k !!! CONGRATULATIONS 🎉

[@RavenWillliams]

While binging your videos I just fixed a PS4 controller with stick drift, R2 trigger, battery and analogue problems. All is now working perfectly

[@TheRetroFuture]

Nice work!

[@RavenWillliams]

@@TheRetroFuture no way you replied! I want to start small with PS4 controllers get an understanding and eventually build my way up.

[@multistuff9831]

For me repairing electronics is terrifying but watching you sets me at ease.

[@edwardnolan3668]

Recent subscriber here, and love watching these refurb videos. Out of curiosity, +The Retro Future, do you resell these to recoup the amount you've spent or do you have a massive collection of awesome handhelds??

[@SuperLegolover23]

Your videos are great as always! Ive been inspired to go on a hunt for my GBC Atomic Purple lately, and want to (if need be) clean it up!

[@SparksNZeros]

i'd love to see a video of you putting the corrosion damaged spare boards you have into the ultrasonic with the corrosion removing liquid in order to see what results you get. Also with any shells that have flaked or damaged paint you can use methylated spirits to easily soak off all the old paint, dirt, grease etc that might contaminate the new paint.

[@TheRetroFuture]

That could certainly be interesting! Nothing to lose if its an old board with lots of corrosion! My guess is the traces that are super corroded will just disintegrate off. Could patch the breaks but so much work!

[@SparksNZeros]

@@TheRetroFuture a lot of the time the corrosion won't be that deep and even when it is it tends to just be little spots that you can use desoldering braid flux and a pre tinned iron to sweep over the gaps and bridge them without having to sit and patch each section.

[@Meechree]

That spray paint job came out looking like a stock Ice Blue GB Pocket! Great job (as always)! Still wondering where that POV camera is hidden, though...

[@danielletheprotogen]

The reason why the screws are black is the silver is a protective layer and the corrosion ate it away before you cleaned it

[@boat]

Grats on 100k. Great content dude!

[@lightdialga9110]

The reason for the black screws is because the corrosion or rust has eaten away the silvery shine that they had, so removing the corrosion removes the shine from the screws.

[@DreamDaddie]

thank you for showing us that screwdriver set, I bought it and I love it! Thank you

[@metalheadmalta]

As a retro gaming addict, I love your videos... generally finish up bingeing on Tetris DX on my Green GBC... perhaps sometime I'll backlight that screen...

[@eh5280]

Hi Elliot, do you use any adhesive to apply the new polarizing film?

[@TheRetroFuture]

It is already adhesive!

[@hobo_fire]

Love the custom shell you did! It reminds me of the ice blue one, which is a favorite of mine. :)

[@Ludanc0]

Where do you get your polarizers? I got a GB pocket laying around that needs one.

[@prezroll]

Hey Elliot, good video as usual! Where do you get self-adhesing polarizers, if I may ask? :)

[@pachisanchez7460]

In ebay: ebay.us/UOm8PL

[@JasonBelcik]

Love your content man. I think the next step for you is fixing more modern handhelds like the PS Vita or more 3ds(s).

[@justinmyles180]

I know nothing about this so forgive me if this sounds silly, is there anyway to possibly remove those very minor scratches you can see in the reflections? Or is this something impossible? You have done a wonderful job on this.

[@skaterplusboardz]

such a nice hobby to have, and i admire how well you've established your channel.

[@gotetheraccoon]

Nice video! I'd like to ask what console would you recommend for a first refurb?

[@Wilbertchople]

TOMOTFUN I definitely wouldn’t recommend anything with a disc drive. They are a mess to work on with all of the ribbon cables. I’d say something like an nes or snes wouldn’t be too hard. Don’t try a ds unless it’s a 2ds, due to the clamshell design.

[@Wilbertchople]

TOMOTFUN Also, gameboys are relatively easy to work on.

[@guarapo66]

do you know were i can find polarized filters for GBC and the first model GBA ?

[@PropperProp-her]

Do you ever have problems spraypainting the plastic? With a lot of plastics I find I have to sand the plastic to get it to stick and/or dry completely.

[@KarpfenNOTKrapfen]

Hey man! Id use some fine Scotch Brite for sanding down the shells. With that stuff you can really get into the corners and everything.

[@altoidyoda]

Can you share what kind and color of paint you used? I thought the can said white, but the color looks really close to the original GameBoy.

[@bgttgb100]

well i cant speak with certainty.. but black oxide on steel don't usually oxidize further because its so tough? so it might be a deliberate anti oxidation layer?

[@Jadisons]

Your channel always chills me out. Love your stuff!

[@TheRetroFuture]

I am glad!

[@Sayajiin2]

Great video! I wish we saw how you changed the polarizer on the grey gameboy. I got a bunch of polarizer from AliExpress but they are definitely to big for my GB pockets, I wonder how trim them to the screen size

[@twizzlytwist]

Just Measure and cut

[@angahchelsea7146]

Your video is always satisfying, keep up a good work elliot..

[@JohnnyJohnJon83]

This might be a silly question but do you use in your ultrasonic cleaner, water or some kind of solution ?

[@ApeSkit01]

The screws turn black because their galvanised coating is removed from the rust remover solution. You would need to add new zinc plating to make them like new.

[@paulb4uk]

Superb restore as always mate liking the paint jobs .

[@theslushygoldfish]

I’m loving your videos man, I’ve been binge watching like crazy, and there’s one thing I need to know...that time piece..what is it?

[@TheRetroFuture]

Hey! Thank you. Its a Casio Edifice!

[@theslushygoldfish]

Thanks man!

[@jdeluna777]

Looks just like the limited ice blue edition! What paint did you use for it?

[@iced_coffeelvr1069]

Congratulations on reaching 100k!

[@notdanielmelo6359]

*Game Child™ joins the chat*

[@terranhag]

Where do you get these devices from? Ebay? Or another site? I've not ever had luck finding any that I could use as a project to fix, you've inspired me to want to learn handheld repairs!

[@TheRetroFuture]

Ebay! Have a look at the newly listed filter!

[@MegaTerryNutkins]

I usually pick these up locally off Facebook in much better condition for £10-£15, sometimes in bundles with games. Doesn't seem to be too economical buying from Japan unless you're after the DMG style shell. They sell on eBay UK for about £25 all in.

[@richardcastro-parker3704]

how have consoles you have retrobrighted held up? I have heard it can weaken the plastic and that they can actually brown faster than they originally did.

[@finnlake1874]

I got a $30 gameboy pocket off ebay refurbished with a new screen and it works great

[@aprofondir]

That was a very sweet video. I am amazed that there are people our age who care about repairing stuff! Most just throw stuff away.

[@TheRetroFuture]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@daniellikahong]

You should always wear mask if you do these many Gameboy repairs Elliot, the very small particles will eventually stick to your lungs your whole life. Other than that, nice video! GOGO for 100K youtube plaque! I followed you when you had only 2K back then ;)

[@TheRetroFuture]

Ah awesome! Yeah I wont be doing any more painting for a long time! Definitely should have been wearing a mask.

[@CutlassCraft]

these videos will never get old :)

[@MMaRsu]

Cool that you used Solar Strike to test it, I actually just bought that

[@JasonMiciano]

hey, opinion on high pitched whine noise on a game boy color speaker/headphones? I'm having trouble finding a solution for this, besides replacing the entire board.

[@zrdattck6963]

Could I possibly buy one, I want a gameboy pocket but I can’t find a working one for a decent price?

[@GilderonGaming]

You can also sand down the shells with ScotchBrite pads prior to painting.

[@TheRetroFuture]

Ah interesting!

[@GilderonGaming]

The Retro Future Yeah, it removes the slightly shiny original finish of the shell and helps the new coats of primer/paint stick better and look smoother.

[@donovanknight9304]

Out of curiosity what do you do with the mother boards that don't work? I ask cause I imagine you use components from them just curious.

[@1Raphael]

ware to find light gray lens in glass I've look everywhere.... I can only find it in the dark gray and that doesn't help for the Japanese version light grey original Gameboy please help thanks again always really like videos

[@chamoo232]

I was wondering if it would be possible to put the electronic part of the gameboy in the sonic cleaner if you filled it with alcohol or the rust cleaner. It would clean everything all at once including the hard to reach power/volume/contrast switches. I think it would be worth trying with a board that is already too far gone since maybe being completely submerged could break something.

[@zer0b0t]

It may work initially but when using water and chemicals with metal parts there's a big chance the metal will rust in a short time. Alcohol will dissolve the paint and if left too long it will dissolve plastic.

[@j-fourschutt3175]

The black color is Iron(II) oxide and is easily removed with some scrubbing. Heck maybe even the regular cleaning solution in the ultrasonic cleaner can do it. But what most people would do at this stage is dump it in a a polisher drum. Or just hit the head only with a wire brush on a Dremel. As for the boards and displays, I'd like to remind you that you can use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean/fix them. Might be wise to invest in a second one that fits the cases and boards and that had temperature control and degassing

[@TheRetroFuture]

Ah very interesting! Thank you.

[@TheRollsen]

Need the disassembly song That was really relaxing

[@bldeagle10]

Probably has been answered by now but the screws turned black because the red iron oxide (rust) was converted to black iron oxide.

[@Deeennis_]

Which screwdriver tip did you use?

[@strawbz_3661]

Do you sell ny of the gameboys that you refurbish? Love your videos btw!

[@Overclockinfo]

Hi Elliot, here in Brazil, those assistance tecnician use a ultrassonic "bathtub" to clean corrosion on smartphones boards, i think they use that with isopropanol or some other contact cleaner. Maybe shoul'd work with the Gameboys.

[@ryanm993]

Where did you get the ultra sonic?

[@Lukedub]

I like how a gameboy can survive a nuclear bomb but not a few kids.

[@satanos6]

why don't you take the battery cover off and put it next to the rest of the shell while spraypainting?

[@BaderAlSeiari]

hi, is the gameshell software video coming close because mine just arrived and i don't want to do things on my own so i want to do it with your video

[@jonasrsted6785]

How many different screws are in a Gameboy?

[@FML-pr1yl]

10:00 the liquid converted all the rust to oxidation

[@briand7381]

For primer you should look into tamiya primer. Very thin and it’s for plastic

[@florida-boy]

Bought a Yashica Electro 35 because of you! Love your videos!

[@TheRetroFuture]

Amazing! Do you like it?

[@florida-boy]

@@TheRetroFuture Yeah! Still have to find a way to develop color film at home though.

[@jaronnamir8868]

How do the screens get so burnt like that?

[@willihyde]

Have you ever thought of making your own custom stickers for the back of the Gameboys?

[@rafaelnorgepereira288]

I love this kind of video a lot, I'm watching them all.

[@AmberLB93]

did that browned one get flushed down the toilet or something

[@big_boy_chris]

Does anyone know what type of spray paint he uses to get that shine + sparkle?

[@capnhands5432]

Does that bit set have a gamebit?

[@MJL1912]

Adore the refurb videos! Keep it up!

[@TheRetroFuture]

Thanks!

[@questionmark6674]

I really want a somewhat cheap working gameboy but idk where to get one :,(

[@capdsl19]

Where do you buy

[@raikoh05]

Ooh I like the blue paint job that's nice

[@fernandopaiva3010]

What's that green liquid he used to clean the case?

[@TheRetroFuture]

Just some soap!

[@trayner]

Will Elliot retro bright the 100k subscriber play button?

[@GeoffDaCow]

Next video...turn yourself into a gameboy

[@cestusfr]

I'm still waiting for that episode where you actually repair something instead of the usual slap and swap parts routine! i know it will come one day! i believe in you.

[@TheRetroFuture]

Im waiting too dude!

[@chamoo232]

You should check a channel called my mate vince. It's very similar to Elliot's channel but the guy tries to fix a whole variety of old stuff. Lately he has been working on old Walkman. He is not an expert but he really try to go deep into finding the problems and fixing them even if in the end he doesn't manage to.

[@cestusfr]

@@chamoo232 thanks for the channel advice!

[@chamoo232]

@@cestusfr No problem. I watched so many Gameboy refurbishing videos that My mate Vince's channel started popping in my suggestions a few months ago. I clicked on a PS4 repair video and seeing him mess around with it and finally notice that a tiny chip is missing and finally getting it to work at the end was just so fascinating. It's when the video ended that I noticed it was an hour long and I sat through the entire thing.