Edge connector repair...

RetroHacker

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
4,313
Reaction score
109
Location
Schenectady, New York
OK, so, I'm torn on this one. I've got a board set (Star Wars) with some really bad edge connectors. Not burnt, but corroded and badly abused. It looks like someone took sandpaper to them at some point. Over half of them are down to the bare copper and corroded.

Now, there's the ugly, expensive, but functional/reliable repair to simply solder a female connector onto the edge pads, and then use a fingerboard as the new edge. I've done this on really burned up boards, but this one is still structurally sound, and the substrate is all still there.

Or, there's the copper tape method, but that's going to be even more time consuming, and I would have to do pretty much every pin.

I usually would never try to tin the connectors with solder, but it looks like that might be my best bet here. The problem is how to get an even plating with a soldering iron. Usually, people tin the fingers on Pac boards and that just wrecks the hell out of the edge connector on the wiring harness.

I'm thinking that I might be able to tin them with solder, then wipe off the excess with a wet sponge, then try sanding it smooth... but I'm not so sure I want to go down that route. If it's not perfect, then it'll damage any new connectors I install in the wiring harness.

Any suggestions?

-Ian
 
I've done this in the past: put solder on them all. Then get a dry paper (small bit of crumpled newspaper has worked for me). Hit a pad with the soldering iron, and when it's molten, wipe off the excess. Of course, wipe away from the board.

If you use something wet (like a sponge) it cools it instantly and gives poor results. And be careful not to light the paper on fire. Do it quickly.
 
I'd just solder on the connector and fingerboard. Restoring one or two contacts is ok, but when they are all trashed I think it's just not worth the hassle to try to fix the existing edge.
 
I see this a lot on older Gottlieb pinballs. Here's what I do......sand them clean. If they're not clean, fresh solder will not stick to them and you'll never be able to re-tin them. I usually start with 320 grit and work up to more aggressive grit as needed. I've had to go so far as 100 grit with bad battery corrosion. Next, pool some fresh solder on them to re-tin. I've got a desoldering station, so....I suck the excess solder off with it. Done! If you don't have a desoldering station (and what I sometimes do on very minor jobs)....I use a damp rag. Pool fresh solder onto the finger....and immediately wipe off with the rag. You're left with a nice smooth (and tinned) finger.

Edward
 
Clean, re-tin then remove the excess. I use my desoldering station to remove the excess. You can make that edge look almost new again but it takes a little time.
 
Back
Top Bottom