Hot Glue Filled Super Nintendo!

[@brettito]

I've seen people use hot glue for strain relief for their work. For example Ben Heck does this for his controller mods. I'm still learnding so I wanted to know: Is it there such thing for an internal component to be secured against strain relief? That's what I believe was going through this previous modder's mind when he got hot glue happy.

[@Voultar]

Absolutely not. There's nothing wrong with using hot-glue to keep a wire run nice and tight. The problem is when you rely on hot-glue to maintain poorly wetted solder joints. Never use hot-glue to compensate for poor soldering.

[@GLAAAAAR]

It was pretty common to use hot glue on PS2 modchips for the DVD controller pins. 8 or 9 adjacent pins, before the days of awesome custom flex cables. But modders just put a dab on the center of the controller to hold things in place, not over the legs and solder joints.

[@Δημήτρης-θ7θ]

​@@Voultar From what I hear, some people hot-glue joints so that the exposed solder joints on loose cables don't accidentally contact other things inside the device, not to protect the joints. For example, The 8-bit Guy did it in his "Modding a consumer TV to use RGB input" video (10:52 mark) as part of a temporary hack. Hot glue on joints isn't always bad IMO. Also, what are the downsides of lead-free solder? The sale of leaded solder has been banned here in Europe, that's why am I asking. And what are the best (least bad) lead-free solder options?

[@matts.8342]

@@Δημήτρης-θ7θ From my experience, it doesn't flow as well and takes more heat to melt. Trying to replace DC jacks on laptop motherboards (with multiple layers in the PCB, at least 4 layers) can be very difficult due to the lead free solder. Adding some leaded solder to the joints makes it much easier. Those boards soak up a lot of heat, and mixing in the leaded solder helps lower the overall melting point of the joint to a point that it can be managed without wrecking the board with too much heat. Also, those laptops with the nvidia and ati graphics chips that would randomly die ($2000+ macbook pros suffered from this, for an example), the xbox 360 red ring of death, and the PS3 yellow light of death were caused by cracked solder joints because the lead free solder under the BGA chips wasn't done correctly.

[@Δημήτρης-θ7θ]

@@matts.8342 Can't you just use a higher temperature when working with lead-free solder? The problems you mentioned above were caused by wrong temperature settings intended for leaded solder. Sale of lead-free solder is banned here in Europe, and I don't want to risk importing it, so I want to see if I am solving the "issue" (=usage of lead-free solder) with a higher temperature setting.

[@mact.26]

7:45 "... this is the result of you blowing into your cartridges. Your breath is acidic." Fun fact, salt is required to corrode metals, and the average persons breath is neutral or slightly basic! Salts always exist as basic. So, while you're correct - breath destroyed the contacts, it's the correct mechanism, but in reverse as you said! Your videos and skills are fun to watch, even if I don't do mods myself.

[@DrKeez]

This might be Peter North's finest work yet.

[@Penfold8]

Nah. This is nothing compared to Drakkon's sauce.

[@GreatHammurabi]

Now there's a culturally relevant name I haven't heard in a while!

[@PLEYOR]

Haha

[@spragzpc1]

I looked up Peter north to get the joke ..lol umm yea 🤦🏽‍♂️🤣

[@retrotony4119]

Never thought that blowing into the game system did that level of oxidation. Makes sense. Wow.

[@ScottReviews]

FWIW you’ve been very clear on being critical to people who sell hot glue specials vs the hobbyist at home trying stuff out. Never hurts to reiterate. I’m glad you’re doing more of these videos. All of your videos are very clear for someone trying out soldering and learning. Thank you for all you do Lord Voultar!

[@philexile2954]

Just to note: the rust/corrosion on that board isn't only limited to the cartridge slot - this is most obvious on the power switch. I wouldn't be surprised if most of this was caused by a humid climate or basement. It may not only be due to blown-in spit. Great video!

[@Voultar]

That's a very good point! Another reason why climate control is so important for electronics!

[@mattelder1971]

@@Voultar Unfortunately some of us live in parts of the world where no matter how good your climate control is, you just aren't going to get humidity in your house under control during some parts of the year.

[@codyisrude]

@@Voultar i have bad game console ocd if the outer case looks gross i clean the whole damn console so basically any used consoles i buy get hot water and soap treatment for the plastics and IPA motherboard cleaned

[@mogkiller1]

I tried putting silica packets in the plastic bins I store my games in. Would this help mitigate humidity or am i just wasting my time?

[@TheDarkestPhoenix]

Yeah, I was about to say, I live in South GA and this kind of corrosion is common, even in my own electronics. And I can't afford to keep my entire house free of the a lot of the time 70-100% humidity.

[@flekkzo]

Someone needs a “Mods gone wild” hat.

[@cadburybunny]

Love the end bit ... I can SEE the intent and the beauty of what was attempted even if it looks like a hot snot mess.

[@mjc0961]

This came at the perfect time for me. I spent a lot of time this afternoon installing a Triple Bypass in a Genesis 3, and was having a rotten time with stranded wire. I would tin it, and then put it to a pad, and all the strands would go all over the place as if I hadn't tinned it at all. I got them all "good enough" eventually, and the mod is working beautifully (love that restored stereo sound!), but I was still a little salty about the wire. The speech at the end about failures and practicing is exactly what I needed to hear. I just need to keep practicing wires until I can do them as effortlessly as in this video (the sheaths weren't even shrinking/melting away and exposing more wire, that's amazing!). Perhaps next weekend I'll just cut myself off some wire and spend all day tinning and soldering it to random crap on some junk board.

[@mjl4423474]

The soldering iron you recommended for me was a game changer and has helped me do better repairs on my stuff. But keep trying, is a wise statement indeed!

[@outshiner665]

I like how you took the high road by not setting the peter north special on fire after dumping IPA on it.

[@coldmethod]

Thanks to you I learned and made some mods/repairs to my consoles. This weekend i f***ed up big time with one of them and i was preety much depressed but after seeing this video i feel a little more relieved. Thank you. I'll keep doing my best.

[@mattsparks3546]

The only time I've used hot glue for console repair (not modding because I haven't gotten to soldering work yet) is when I had to glue part of the plastic case back together after some clips got damaged, and even that made me feel dirty inside

[@jaysonl]

For broken plastic bits, there's a technique the cool kids are using that involves super glue and baking soda. I'm not 100% clear on the details, but I hear it's a game changer.

[@mattsparks3546]

@@jaysonl my super glue had glued itself shut... that meant I was forced to use the "special sauce"

[@jaysonl]

@@mattsparks3546 Hah! I tend to buy super glue in the "5 pack of tiny tubes" format for exactly that reason. By the time I need to use it again, it's a crapshoot as to whether or not the whole tube's gone bad, so I might as well pay a little more and have 5 guaranteed uses.

[@mattsparks3546]

@@jaysonl there you go, I didn't even know they came in packs like that, as every store I've seen only sells the one pack

[@antpalmer]

Dude you're about the most upfront and frank modder I've ever seen. You do great work and I definitely appreciate the tips with all this stuff.

[@samuraijaydee]

Thanks for your message about hot glue. When I started doing console mods I used it a bit, as that what I saw other modders doing. I wasn't even coming from a place of bad soldering, I just didn't know better haha. I've modded most of my consoles now. Just wanted to say thank you for your modding tutorials. Your work is very appreciated.

[@eiv-gaming]

Omg Voultar being super positive. Glad to see it. Can we get more prerecorded stuff? Not a fan of the live streams.

[@doc_sav]

I am thinking about just casting the entire board into a block of resin after I mod it, just to keep everything tight. I always get excited seeing a Voultar designed board. They are this really amazing mix of function, grace, and American exceptionalism all rolled into one. Awesome.

[@Flokker]

After this video, I'll never look at a modded LED light in the same way ever again.

[@Mike-di1og]

Former hot-glue user (for non-mod stuff) here. I did my first ever actual console mod over quarantine. Managed to fully install a GCDual mod myself, the right way, first try. And it’s all thanks to the soldering tips from Voultar. Once the 8 Megabitz are back in stock I’m looking forward to grabbing a few of those and some Super Stackers for some of my Japanese SNES carts for my next project

[@danielmarsh1302]

You make it look easy, which is the hallmark of a master. I can relate to your feelings with these bad sellers. You have pride in your work, and it's frustrating to see other "professionals" in your craft that don't have any pride in their work. It makes everyone look bad and the customers suffer.

[@RetroTechUSA]

Cool Video Voultar and glad to see you back regularly on YT. I think the worst part of this mod was the cutting of the PCB. You could see live copper on there! That's freaking ridiculous.

[@danmackintosh6325]

Welcome back! And I think you've always been very clear that your hot glue/crappy work critiques have been firmly directed toward the "pro" modders.

[@ngamer007]

Hey Lord Voultar. Metals expert here chiming in. Blowing into cartridges is bad practice and I agree may be a contributing factor to the copper pin corrosion, but I disagree it's the primary mode for the galvanized shields and other components. If you look at the other galvanized metal parts not in direct contact with the cartridge pin assembly (e.g. 16:08) you'll notice that they all show mild to moderate levels of surface corrosion. This is a consequence of either an acidic liquid (soda, orange juice) being spilled into the system many years ago, or the system living in an extremely humid corrosive environment (Florida seaside apartment, a room next to a pool, etc). Once galvanization is compromised, corrosion accelerates indefinitely. Edit: I love your videos, and your mods are awesome. I'm extremely happy with the results of your RGB mod chips in my N64 and SNES Jr.

[@yourfavouritenerd]

A year or two ago I fixed up a pair of vintage speakers and as part of that I put in new drivers and filters. I had never soldered before and it was a pretty neat learning experience I must say.

[@JRussellRetroGaming]

I can understand if people want to do this bad mods for free for family and friends. Just not for a customer service. I'm glad i always watch your soldering videos as that has not only helped me improved when I first started watching you but since then I have not had any failed mods done since. :) Great video as always Voultar for showing best ways to how it's done.

[@TheUniversalid]

I modded my SNES Jr because of your videos. I only use hot glue to place a mod board when soldering or 2 sided tape doesn't work. I have your RGB mod as well as the spdif and dejitter mod. The audio and video output of this thing is amazing! Thank you for providing us with all the tools and knowledge to mod our SNES's.

[@quibquatch3975]

Annnnnnnd this is why I hire you to do the wonderful work you have done in the past and for other consoles in the future for me. I couldn't even install a battery to my Gamecube, I rage quitted pretty much right away when I accidentally burned the plastic on the console with my soldering iron. This kind of delicate and precise one shot only or you destroy something, and the necessary attention to detail makes me wanna pull my hair out. Great job!

[@short_yeti2058]

This was a great video. I've seen a few of yours now and it's clear to me why the community respects you so much. Keep up the great work!

[@campaug]

Jesus Christ soldering is a skill. It’s so detailed and intricate. I couldn’t replicate that. Ever.

[@jong2359]

Normal soldering is not that bad, a little practice and getting your feet wet, and you can be decent. Soldering Jesus Christ is quite a bit more difficult, you are right.

[@danielson9579]

Excellent Voultar on a rainy Sunday evening 😎👍

[@djm9937]

Thanks Voultar, love your work!

[@Boney010]

As someone that just started console modding, I appreciate your advice. You cant grow without making mistakes. So far, I've modded a GBC and N64. Messed up a couple of times, but was able to fix my mistakes.

[@jasonpistorio3651]

Please don't apologize dude, you've singlehandedly made me better at soldering. I want to live up to your elitist modding. Fantastic stuff man keep it up I love all the videos

[@AmpliFreQuency]

I've started out soldering with the OG Xbox and an Xecuter chip in 2005, and done some soldering on other consoles over the years. I've gotten quite good at it, and fixed up some old work, but have yet to take on the final two bosses: a fat PlayStation 2 and a modchip.

[@alphaking88]

I really enjoy watching you doing soldering and mod job in a such clean and fantastic way. Keep going and looking forward for more of your future videos.

[@briannorthFW]

Loving these videos you’ve been doing lately, I love the concept of fixing these!

[@Larry]

I think a lot of people are just scared of burning themselves using soldering irons. I remember QVC a few years ago selling an iron that was like a pen and would never get hot util it was in direct contact with solder and would instantly go cold as soon as it lost contact. But it was a bit of a pain to use.

[@Voultar]

Those are referred to as "cold solder" irons. And they're complete garbage. I think you're 100% right, though. It's the fear of the heat!

[@mjc0961]

Hello, you! (you really are everywhere!)

[@hoobaguy]

I bought one of those cold irons from radio shack when I was a kid. It arced and melted the plastic around the tip on the first use which was a racketboy mod chip on my saturn.

[@rashira9610]

Very understandable considering the several times I've burned myself. It's even worse when you have very shaky hands.

[@matts.8342]

@@hoobaguy If I remember those soldering irons correctly, it never would have worked for console modding in the first place. They were more for joining wires together rather than any sort of PCB work at all.

[@GameDave]

I’ve seen EVERYTHING.

[@jamesmetalpsi6874]

I cant believe I haven't been across your work before now. Thank you so much for taking the time to do these things. You've given me inspiration to tackle this hobby myself. I've recently picked up several non working PS2 and PS3 consoles I want to reball and mod. Loving your tips, and as someone who has barely soldered, I am excited to see more content.

[@GarmrNL]

Since I found your channel I’ve subscribed and have been binge watching! I modded some of my own consoles a few months/years back and using the knowledge I got from you I went back to those mods and redid them, but proper this time. I love your content, super relaxing with a joke here ‘n there and always a lot of good lessons to learn; keep it up man (that’s what she said)!

[@omoikumogakure4534]

you got me into console mods and gave me confidence to try . thank you . i even got the same soldering station. your methods are excelllent. keep melting those terminator juices

[@Sugurain]

I use hot glue a lot lol Nope I'm not a professional, but I've modded basically my whole collection myself. I don't use hot glue to hold my solder joints, I use it hold wiring (when it's long, or connecting something installed in the shell to the MB), or any components that would be otherwise dangling inside the console, I do that to prevent damage to vias, pads and traces, in case something accidentally yanks the wiring. Instead of RGB, I made boards that already convert RGB to Component Video, so I can use one single type of cable for my whole collection. Works wonders, and I don't need expensive RGB converters or RGB monitors. Just plug them in any Component capable TV set and have fun. That was my course of action as we never got many RGB capable TVs in America (and I mean America as the whole continent, not the USA).

[@Mchenrygames]

not only are your videos educational but also therapeutic

[@colonelhacker3661]

New fav channel right here! Love the reworked Metroid Brinstar music!

[@da1otta]

You have to respect a man who takes pride in his soldering!

[@1337GameDev]

13:27 - Wow, that's a really decent execution of a wave/line solder! nice!

[@hoobaguy]

Your drag soldering skills are insane. I like that rigol scope too.

[@ModzvilleUSA]

Back on dat grind! Das wussup! I've never seen such strange LED placement on a Snes junior

[@TSGarp]

Great instruction and dialogue. The hat was classy too

[@MarceloCarvalho-gw8ql]

OMG Voultar in his sheer, uncluttered awesomeness. Thanks for coming back, we love you.

[@plecebomc]

honestly looks like brasso was used on that cart slot as well or some kind of polish because you can see residue of some kind between the pins. Also looks like sand paper was taken to the top metal housing of the cart edge slot as well, likely because it had corrosion...

[@RuggersCustoms]

Very well done sir. This video here was exceptionally professional. I've always respected your work and everything you've done (and continue to do) for the retro community. Don't worry about those that have negative things to say about you. In our few conversations over the years, you've never been anything but nice, professional and extremely helpful. Oh I finally beat FFV. Sorry but FFVI > FFV. 😎

[@DrunkMoblin]

Those SNES purple and Grey colored wires are so perfect.

[@f03105590]

You legend. Your comments are really "big". I would never dream of modding "my childhood consoles" but I've been subscribed for a long time because your skills are amazing and I'm considering secondary consoles where I can do things like that. I did a Phillips Videopac (Magnavox Oddessy 2 to you) with the confidence I got from watching you work, and used your techniques to make it look as nice as I could. It turned out great and I thank you for your time in explaining things to us.

[@_BELMONT_]

i love your outlook towards everything you discussed here! cheers!

[@The_Mister_E]

Let's just count our lucky stars he didn't whip out the epoxy tar...

[@ultraokletsgo]

Your criticisms are absolutely fair and valid. I think its important for newcomers to understand that yes, work with what you've got, but always aim to improve and up your game. And that's where your insights come into play with best practices and goals for modders.

[@dirtydon8661]

Love watching you work.

[@16bitHi5]

I feel i need to say something with your hot glue reflection. I've been watching your videos for some time and with this but i think it was helpful for me personally to see the right way to do things. Its taught me to clean up my mods i do for myslef and just put my best foot forward. So when i see a hot glue mess on some mods i've purchased it does make me think about how there could be a better way and try to clean it up.

[@blaudrachen]

Thank you for your comments at the end. I have always enjoyed your work and aspired for my personal mods to be more like yours and learned so much from you. Because of you and your lack of filter I am a much better personal modder now.

[@LuiRodriguez]

What a breath of fresh air... Keep the vids coming Lord Voultar.

[@SherringtonBun]

I'm a beginner solderer. I suck. Watching your new videos make me want to be better at it. You are entertaining.

[@SnoopKatt]

Great video! I learned a lot of good tips here. And 100% agree with the points you made - nothing wrong with making mistakes but money shouldn't change hands until you can do the work correctly. Goes with any trade/profession

[@Darkrift666]

What is this Christmas in July? Two videos in the same month!? I'm diggin' it keep up the awesome work V.

[@graschbaten]

HotGlue is King!!! :D Thanks another cool trick with IPA

[@BorderlineOCD]

You always enlighten, lord. And so eloquently dressed, as usual. The one and only solder porn channel worth the kings ransom.

[@BasementBrothers]

Another modder I enjoy watching!!

[@themcc1879]

Pro Modders Gone Wild! These guys have no limits. Cold joints, weak joints, cutting pcbs and everyone's favorite hot glue! More hot glue than your grannies last arts and crafts meet. Is that a clear case? Nope. Hot glue! Just send a wad of cash and your pristine systems to.... Seriously, this was a nest resto-mod. It definitely came away better than when it arrived.

[@BBfanfun]

"holy HOT GLUE, VOULTAR !" is my favorite sidekick expression. "Peter North Special Sauce" is a close second, tho

[@davidabreum.rangel7017]

love the super metroid theme on the background

[@gagagaga71]

The dream is to be confident enough to take something apart and just throw the hardware in a pile and just know where they go because you’ve worked on that particle type of device enouh

[@pokey4200]

Your right, i think this hot glue technique came from people watching some of the early KZbin mod videos... Pretty sure there is videos floating around of the same mod you just removed. Anyway nice upgrade you did there, thanks for the video. 😁

[@Maverick7r]

Awesome video man!! I really hope to get as fluid and are clean as you are with your soldering and wire runs. I've learned a lot from your videos. As far as hot glue, I only use it in place for strain relief but not to keep the solder joints in place and then only used in small amounts... but that's just me. As I said, love your videos and this is another great one man!!

[@supadupashat]

Showed up for the mods, stayed for the heart to heart dad talk.

[@elsongaringo3833]

I love watching your mods.

[@OnyxAnimosity]

I only use hot glue when I am routing wire. It's only a drop to keep things away from the button wells.

[@haloslayer255]

Very nice mod Voultar!

[@leebools]

Great vid. You've managed to keep me entertained while the rest of the UK is obsessed with some crappy football match

[@spiderdirt]

Peter North is at it again !!! Brilliant video as always. Keep up the great work, educational and so damn funny. Big fan

[@Tvv1SteR]

3:00 A Peter North's special sauce. :D

[@revengenerd1]

Im a beginner and even I know no hot glue, that being said on a previous PC I owned I always had issues due to clearance that the motherboard connectors kept coming out and one of hard drive connectors so hot glued them in but even then it was just enough and no more, I got a new case and sorted the issue. I have a used modded console that is very well done but had a issue so went to look inside and one of the wires is so thin it kept coming out so put a hair sized blob of glue a mm up the cable to stop it flexing.

[@zombiecrusher1100]

Haha! I love your attitude. And your skills.

[@kakalv9152]

16:35 I applaud you saying this. the newbie hobbyist is no issue. Those who charge a pretty buck are fair game for criticism.

[@Haidarmusica]

Hello Voultar, SNESRGB Kit is out of stock atm when will you restock, thank you! I really want one

[@Mr.Welbig]

Two new videos in one week? Christmas comin early boys!!

[@LordHonkInc]

I just recently finished my first larger soldering project (a custom, handwired keyboard) and while it's not the prettiest girl at the dance I still think a lot of the tips you give in these videos helped me a lot; heck, I don't think I'd've been comfortable enough to even attempt it were it not for them. So while I understand that some people might've taken your previous criticism personally, for me at least it actually motivated me to do better. Like, I don't mean to brag, but so far all of my solder joints have held up perfectly fine without a single squirt of special sauce :D (Actually, I _really_ don't mean to brag. I definitely got lucky that everything worked out, but I still think at least part of my success is owed to your great videos.)

[@LelandHasGames]

I never would have done mods correctly if it wasn't for you. Thank you, Voultar.

[@Alphax45]

When running the RGB wires you should use Red, Green, and Blue wires :)

[@gutter_onion7855]

My jaw literally dropped when I saw the purposeful gouge that was made on the mainboard for the LED mod. I have NO IDEA why ANYONE would think that is OK. Everything else I chalked up to "amateur modding". I understand hot glue, bad solder joints, bad placement, etc. But cutting the board and exposing the copper foil layer is just insane. Even IF you were to isolate it, it's still a terrible move, even for a moderately experienced modder. (EDIT): Nice video, Subscribed!

[@TheBackyardHappens]

Magnificent work as always.

[@CheeperVHS]

Voultar you're like an electronics archeologist, I'd love to see you get an old Xbox with one of those early like 10 million wire mod chips and explain how one of those work or somethin

[@Roshenbo]

Glad to see the master at work again! All hail, Lord Voultar! 👍😎💯

[@InvokeSoul]

Im wondering how much time this snes jr its going to last with those oxicide pins in the cart socket

[@pizzawolf1328]

I'm glad you're still alive, V. Welcome back!

[@SiliconPower74]

Voultar: WTF is this? Professional: What? is just a big via Voultar: YOU DRILLED THE FREAKING BOARD!

[@RTDragonCommando]

I never used hot glue when I did console repairs for a local shop, though I never did mods, just repairs. But I have done some pretty janky things to get consoles working again, outside paid repairs. A friend's mother decided a butter knife was the way to go about unjamming the disk drawer on their PS2, she shattered one of the tracks on the drawer. I fixed it with super glue and tooth picks for reinforcement, plus filled a gap with paper soaked in super glue. I expected it to just last until he got a replacement, dude ended up running that for a few years, and then the PS3 came out. I would have never done that on a customer's console, but given how well it worked I might have gotten away with it if they never bothered to look haha.

[@jamesburke2759]

besides the mess is it not good to use hot glue? ive used it before on my own mods like this. a soldering iron gets it out fine.

[@rorystfu]

Petition for Voultar to get on point with some merch/swag for us plebs to purchase so we can all get laid. Voultar's Mod Shop "Hot Glue Technician" work shirts would be pretty dope.

[@robf228]

I'm getting ready to try this mod myself. My soldering skills are mediocre, but hopefully I have learned enough from your videos to get it right. I don't understand why you did the s-video mod, or what the difference is versus rgb mod. One of your videos only did the rgb. I am planning to use an s-video connection and then attach to a retro-tink mini. Do I need the s-video mod, too.

[@kizunadragon9]

you'll be fine, go slow and don't rush yourself. as they say measure twice, cut once. You can do it

[@LelandHasGames]

The only time I ever use hot glue is to anchor components or conductors so that they aren't being pinched or crushed or moved. I never put hot glue on solder joints to "ensure" that my connections won't come undone. I have confidence in my ability and, I just practice good methods.

[@Jackpkmn]

So if i am confident in my soldering i can use 10 sticks of hot glue in my mod?

[@MarSAttK]

Voultar changing hats during the video... Who caught this?