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The 7800 Mod Mess Mixup Fixup - pt. 6


Nathan Strum

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Get comfy! These next two entries are going to be a bit on the long side.

 

There's some saying in some profession or something somewhere where they say something like, "the first rule of whatever is to do no harm". Or something.

 

This poor 7800 has been through enough grief without incurring any more damage. But as they say, "You can't break any eggs without making an omelette". Or something.

 

As I was cleaning up the case of the 7800, I decided to try to polish some of the marks and scratches out of the aluminum, using Flitz (which is a non-abrasive metal polish I've used before).

01-stripe_before.jpg

 

Unfortunately, I inadvertently removed a little bit of the red ink from the rainbow stripe in the process:
02-stripe_after.jpg

Now, this wasn't meant to be a "bring it back to like-new condition" restoration, but it was still a bit of a bummer. Fortunately, John was cool about the whole thing, saying he liked the "vintage, faded" look. If I had an airbrush, I'd take a shot at repainting it. But the metal is all scratched and dented anyway, so it's never going to look "factory fresh" unless you go to some pretty expensive lengths. :roll: Not gonna happen.

 

Anyway, there are a lot of other issues with the case besides the aluminum plate - namely a bunch of holes drilled into the case that I won't be reusing. John really didn't like the location of the previous mod's three RCA jacks, plus there was a gaping hole for the HDMI port (formerly where the RF out was), the now-unused channel switch hole, and more holes where a previous mod had apparently been.
03-holes_before_left.jpg

 

Oh, and a hole for the "HDMI on/off" switch. So... yeah - the case was far-from new. But again, this isn't a restoration. It's a repair. And while I'm intent on fully undoing the horrible mod that was done, the scars are a part of the history of the console. So I'll replace/repair/patch what I can, but the goal is to get the console properly functioning.
04-holes_before_right.jpg

 

But these are pretty bad. So we're going to do at least something about them.
05-rca_holes_outside.jpg

 

Besides the holes, two of the screw posts in the top of the case are in bad shape. One is completely broken:
06-broken_post.jpg

 

The other has a massive spiral crack running around it:
06a-cracked-post.jpg

 

So it's time to bust out my favorite plastic-repair kit: J-B Weld and paste wax. Johnson doesn't make their paste wax anymore (for some reason), so I had to find a lemony substitute (my old can got lost in a recent move):
07-weld_and_wax.jpg

 

For the half-missing post, I made a mold out of painter's tape:
08-tape_mold.jpg

 

Filled it with epoxy:
09-post_filled.jpg

 

And screwed the wax-coated screw into it:

12-filled_post_w_screw.jpg

 

For the other post, I filled it with epoxy and troweled some epoxy into the crack from the outside:
10-post_patched.jpg

 

And drove in the other waxy screw (neatness doesn't count as much as strength):
11-patched_post_w_screw.jpg

 

For the other holes, I cleaned up outside where they were drilled, and covered them with painter's tape:
13-rca_holes_taped.jpg
14-switch_hole_taped.jpg

 

And filled them up with epoxy from the inside:
15-filled_rca.jpg
16-filled_switch_hole.jpg

 

After they dried, and the tape was removed, I had some nice, solid patches:
17-switch_hole_finished.jpg
18-rca_holes_finished.jpg

 

I did the ones on the back in a separate pass, since they're at a 90° angle to the first ones:
19-other_hole_taped_inside.jpg
20-other_hold_taped_outside.jpg

 

For the big former-HDMI hole, I needed to do something a little different. I approximately shaped the tape into a rectangle with a notch in the top:
21-big_hole_taped_inside.jpg
23-big_hold_taped_outside.jpg

 

This is so I could fit a Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 connector through it. I'll get more into that in the next installment.
24-molex.jpg

 

After letting the epoxy cure 24 hours, it was time to see if I could back the screws out. I used a very snug-fitting screwdriver tip, and applied a lot of downward pressure while slowly turning the screw. After a few very nervous moments, the screw finally broke free and backed out, leaving threads behind:
28-cracked_post_unscrewed.jpg

 

The broken post worked as well. I'd later go back and add more epoxy to the outside to further strengthen it:
29-broken_post_unscrewed.jpg

 

The other holes needed a little clean-up, some shaping and filing, but were solid:
30-big_hole_glued_inside.jpg

 

Well... except for a few voids. :ponder: Guess I need to trowel it in there a little more enthusiastically next time...
32-big_hole_glued_outside.jpg

34-other_hole_sort_of_finished.jpg

 

After a little carving and filing, I ended up with the hole that I needed for the Molex connector to fit through:
33-big_hole_finished.jpg

 

I'm not mounting the connector here - I just need it to be able to fit it through:
35-holex.jpg

 

The posts got filed down and cleaned up a bit, and held the screws nicely:
37-broken_post_finished.jpg
38-cracked_post_finished.jpg

 

I test-fit the case back together to make sure they held, which they did:
39-screw_works.jpg

 

I'm not going to over-tighten them though. I suppose someday I should test just how much stress one of these can handle before it breaks:
40-screw_works_2.jpg

 

After getting the case patched-up and cleaned-up, I tackled cleaning the cartridge slot. I've described this before for the 2600, but here's a 7800-specific version.

 

First, I found some cardboard about the same thickness as a typical 7800 cartridge circuit board. Then I measured the cartridge slot, and started cutting the cardboard with an X-Acto knife to fit:
41-carve_board.jpg
42-carved_board.jpg

 

I trimmed it until it fit while still contacting all of the contacts in the slot:
43-test_fit.jpg

 

Then I gave it a good soaking with some contact cleaner:
44-product_placement.jpg
47-saturated.jpg

 

Then I just worked it up and down in the slot multiple times:
48-cleaning.jpg

 

Yep... those were pretty dirty contacts:
49-side_a_after_cleaning.jpg

 

On both sides:
50-flip_side.jpg

I can re-use it over and over, just by trimming off the worn/dirty part.

 

I also went through and used contact cleaner on all of the console's switches. Surprisingly, they were all in good shape, so I didn't need to worry about replacing any.

 

So now the console is modded, fixed, patched, and cleaned! What's left? Reassembly! Coming real soon!

 

Published 1/29/23 at 12:22:AM

  • Like 5

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Quote

But the metal is all scratched and dented anyway, so it's never going to look "factory fresh" unless you go to some pretty expensive lengths. :roll: Not gonna happen.

 

On the 7800 console I had, the metal strip was all scratched and dented too, and even partly detached and bent on one side. I replaced with a piece of "woodgrain effect" adhesive vinyl I had on hand. The bottom half of the case was all cracked (with missing parts too), so keeping the originality of that particular console wasn't really a concern.

post-10599-0-38706000-1319042562_thumb.jpg

 

What about a custom laminated sticker with an "Artie the Atari" strip? :D

 

 

Looking forward to seeing the final reassembly. You really gave dignity back to that poor console.:thumbsup:

 

 

  • Like 2
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That epoxy stuff seems like it can forgive a multitude of sins, great job! 🙏 :D   It's very interesting to read the play-by-play how you have saved this 7800 from years of abuse (not by me!) and I can't wait to hook it up when it gets back home. 😊

 

Thanks so much Nathan! 

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8 hours ago, alex_79 said:

 

On the 7800 console I had, the metal strip was all scratched and dented too, and even partly detached and bent on one side. I replaced with a piece of "woodgrain effect" adhesive vinyl I had on hand. The bottom half of the case was all cracked (with missing parts too), so keeping the originality of that particular console wasn't really a concern.

post-10599-0-38706000-1319042562_thumb.jpg

That's a pretty cool idea. :thumbsup: I'd considered going over the rainbow stripe with some iridescent pinstripe tape, but I figured that would've been more in keeping with the obnoxious rainbow LED that had been removed. The "slightly beat-up stock" look will do. :) 

8 hours ago, alex_79 said:

What about a custom laminated sticker with an "Artie the Atari" strip? :D

Coming soon to a Patreon page near you!

 

(No... it's not. ;) But I should probably get back to the strip someday.)

8 hours ago, alex_79 said:

Looking forward to seeing the final reassembly. You really gave dignity back to that poor console.:thumbsup:

Thanks! I think that's a really nice way of putting it.

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5 hours ago, johnnywc said:

That epoxy stuff seems like it can forgive a multitude of sins, great job! 🙏 :D   It's very interesting to read the play-by-play how you have saved this 7800 from years of abuse (not by me!) and I can't wait to hook it up when it gets back home. 😊

 

Thanks so much Nathan! 

Glad you're enjoying it. I hope it's of help to others as well!

 

The final chapter is coming up just about... now!

  • Like 1
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