We felt bad for [Mark] of Mark Fixes Stuff. Apparently, his house burned down and took virtually everything, including his retrocomputer collection. He did manage to pull out a few things from the remains including a ColecoVision cartridge that was — honestly — melted. We probably would have written it off, but [Mark] was determined to recover something.
He was fortunate that the PCB was not burned, but it was covered in soot and possibly other things. However, the case looked like a chocolate bar left on a dashboard for a few summer days in the tropics.
Cleaning the board was straightforward with alcohol and a contact cleaner that looked suspiciously like an eraser. He 3D printed a case and made a very professional-looking label using a color printer and an automated paper cutter.
The good news is that the restored cartridge worked. The bad news is he has a pile of other carts that look at least as bad. Still, we were very happy to hear he had recovered something. We hope you never have to do something similar, but if you do, here’s your inspiration.
We don’t know what caused [Mark’s] fire, but it is a good reminder that even seemingly innocuous gadgets can start a life-changing or even ending fire. In that case, it was a commercial thermostat, but since most of us solder, burn things, and heat up exotic chemicals, it pays to review your safety plans.
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