Nintendo Transformer Block Patina Restoration

Phetishboy

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Nintendo transformer blocks. How was the original finish done? Was it an electroplating? Anodizing? Yellowed varnish/clearcoat? I am restoring one and as I remove the rust, so too goes the finish. *sadface*

Well, I guess even pissing on it would make it look better than it did when I started:

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Anyone ever see these sweet mounting brackets before? These are a first for me:

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Aw man, I don't think I've ever seen a Nintendo cab without rodent excrement in it. One of my biggest peeves.

Are those old pictures or are you restoring another Nintendo cab?

I've never seen those mounting brackets or that type of PS before. Is that for Popeye?
 
Aw man, I don't think I've ever seen a Nintendo cab without rodent excrement in it. One of my biggest peeves.

Are those old pictures or are you restoring another Nintendo cab?

I've never seen those mounting brackets or that type of PS before. Is that for Popeye?

It's a dedicated Vs. cabinet, which is almost the same cab as my R-Type was. I don't remember these brackets in that one, but maybe I just forgot. This thing has been Simple Greened and thoroughly hosed out in the driveway 3X. It's now cleaner than a boy scout's wiener.
 
It's a dedicated Vs. cabinet, which is almost the same cab as my R-Type was. I don't remember these brackets in that one, but maybe I just forgot. This thing has been Simple Greened and thoroughly hosed out in the driveway 3X. It's now cleaner than a boy scout's wiener.

Nice.

I'm guessing maybe this PS and mounting hardware is unique to the dedicated Vs. cab? Hopefully, someone else with the same cab can chime in.

What game are you going to put in there or are you periodically going to swap out boards and marquees?
 
Nice.

I'm guessing maybe this PS and mounting hardware is unique to the dedicated Vs. cab? Hopefully, someone else with the same cab can chime in.

What game are you going to put in there or are you periodically going to swap out boards and marquees?


Yep, my dedicated gray Vs. cab had this same hardware/setup.
 
The original is probably zinc & yellow dichromate -- the same plating as grade 8 hex bolts. At least that would be my guess.
 
That's a fine guess. What can I do in my gayrage to approximate it?

That's what it is, yellow zinc. You can buy a spray that looks like oem. Look online at a auto restoration site/supplier. I just send my parts across the street from work, they do oem plating for the big three. Black,clear and yellow zinc. It's free too!!
 
Looks just like an Atari transformer block, I would say just go with gold paint as the most cost effective, easiest to do in the gayrage.
 
That's what it is, yellow zinc. You can buy a spray that looks like oem. Look online at a auto restoration site/supplier. I just send my parts across the street from work, they do oem plating for the big three. Black,clear and yellow zinc. It's free too!!

Nice. Would they have it in the stockroom of a large NAPA?
 
If it washed off with simple green I would say that is wasn't electroplated. A lot of times parts have a film of grease to prevent rust, and maybe that is what you are seeing?

I didn't say it was coming off with Simple Green. I said as I remove the rust, so too goes the finish. I am using metal polish and steel wool to remove the rust. The simple green was for the entire cabinet, I sprayed it and hosed it inside and out.
 
I didn't say it was coming off with Simple Green. I said as I remove the rust, so too goes the finish. I am using metal polish and steel wool to remove the rust. The simple green was for the entire cabinet, I sprayed it and hosed it inside and out.

Then it is chromate conversion coating, and it looks like it isn't something that shops do regularly since it isn't the kind of coating that is done for its looks. It seems really utilitarian, and done in huge batches. If I were doing it I would go with anodizing in a gold color. You can find local places that anodize parts.
 
Transformer block and mounting plates like that were also used in the Dual monitor cabs like Punch-Out and Playchoice.
 
Well here's where I am so far:

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Now to disassemble the rest of it and start treating each individual part. Here's what I used:

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It just sounds toxic. Hey, I even saved the transformer sticker:

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