I did this some days ago but with an European cream color PSU. It had way longer stems into the epoxy and removing that tap was tricky , a lot of prying. I replaced the frame in your video with some gentle hitting on a concrete floor to make the epoxy block move a bit. Then I drilled some holes in the sides , where the cables used to be, and it worked nicely as support for some screwdrivers to lift it out of the case.
Interesting to see what was inside one of these. I bought a C64 and the brick was working fine for the few times I turned it on about 10 years ago. I'm afraid I may have fried the board when I tried it out last year - video chip was shot regardless. Either way, I need to get a new one of these. Looks like a good project.
After you've gotten the bottom off, try tapping the top and sides of the case with a rawhide mallet, This pretty much loosens the epoxy right up without having to slam the thing around. At least it works for me.
See my earlier comment about this. I've tried that, and maybe one out of 10 actually falls out once it's started to move. Every other one sticks the whole way. This method gets the block out largely in one piece in less than a minute. Remember that for this project, we're not saving the insides, so the slamming isn't doing any harm.
@@ricklonghi909 not reasonably, no. Also, that Transformer is designed for the analog regulator. So it wouldn't work with the switch and regulator that I use. What I mean is, it wouldn't physically fit. You can still use the 9 volt AC side but it would be difficult to fit both inside the case.
Well, thank Adrian for me! I am a big fan of his fun and interesting repair videos. Anyway, there are some different theories about this, but Bil Herd said that he thought it was for fire protection. Can't start on fire with no oxygen! Definitely a PITA to repair though!
I can't disagree with that! Apparently it was only the US ones that were completely epoxy-filled. Many of the UK ones are not, and are actually repairable.
did you also get this method to work on the beige bricks (same form factor, not the old style ones)? Mine was so brittle, I completely destroyed the bottom plate even trying to open it..
Yes, I've had no problem with the beige bricks. That's not to say that they sometimes don't crack and/or fall apart. I would say that 1 in 5 breaks in some way, sometimes repairable, sometimes not. One of the things I don't think I mentioned in the video is that you want to make sure the block comes out evenly, or that can also break the case.
What were they thinking to drown the components in epoxy? Guess it was a cheap way to assemble it without securing anything to the case with mounts and screws.
It also kept curious kids from getting to the line voltage. If anyone got electrocuted by the power supply it was because they went digging into the epoxy. The warning label clearly said not to do that. It was more of a legal CYOA than anything else.
It's not really a bad manufacturing process to use epoxy - it keeps everything secure which is especially a concern with a beefy transformer in the mix. They still use epoxy like that in a number of situations in electronics manufacturing. If something went wrong when these were current nobody would try to fix it - they would just exchange it for a new one. Obviously they didn't plan for these to be in use 35 years later.
I'm having a hell of a time sourcing the nylon blocks here in Canada. Only USA suppliers want stupid $$$ to ship to Canada (!?!) would you consider selling the blocks? I need enough for 1 PSU.
Yeah, I don't disagree. I wanted to ship one of my built power supplies to Canada a few weeks ago, and the best rate I could get was $38.50! Yeah, we can do that, but it's probably still going to be a little expensive.
Hi James. No, the reason for the video is that these take a lot of effort to make, and I couldn't possibly meet demand, so I thought I'd show others how to do it. I DO sell a few at the Vintage Computer Festival Midwest, and if you head over to the Commodre 64/128 group on Facebook, I have sold a couple there too, and I do have one or two available, but I haven't tried nor do I want to make a business of it!
Someone asked if this method can be used with the wedge-type bricks, but I couldn't find the actual question here. Maybe it was deleted. Anyway, since I'm in the US, I've never actually seen one of those, but from the photos and videos I've seen, it wouldn't be possible with the parts I'm using. Not enough space in the case.
@@Plan-C Sorry, what I was referring to was a question about whether or not you could use MY parts on the wedge-shaped bricks, and I didn't know. I've seen enough videos and forum posts that I can see that they're actually much easier to service than the US ones.
Not all C64 power supplies can be so easily debricked. In my case I had to spray a bit of penetrating oil (liquid wrench) to encourage epoxy brick to get out.
You should be able to dislodge the inside banging it like that without the jig then.I just threw 3 original wedge shape psus out 😢 oh well. Made my own... UA-cam vid up soon 😊
You'd think that once the epoxy was dislodged, it should fall right out, but usually it doesn't. The reason for the jig is to make room for the epoxy to come out. Otherwise if you just bang the PS case directly on the floor (I don't usually do it on the counter, just did it for the video), the epoxy only comes out as far as the edge of the case and then stops.
According to Bil Herd, it was fire-proofing. Can't burn without air! As far as running hotter, folks continue to argue about that to this day. I suppose the epoxy did have a heat sinking effect, spreading the heat out to the whole case rather than just on the 7805 regulator. But did it actually keep the regulator cooler? Hard to believe
so it was just another way to be a little too cheap. Anyway interesting recycling. I don't have one to recycle though. The one I bought is just the computer without cables. I actually have a 9v 1amp AC adapter. I was shocked. I figure between that and USB I can get a PSU working. I hope I ordered the right DIN cable on amazon. It is 7 pin and I hear that's correct.
@@awilliams1701 Good luck! I'm not a huge fan of using USB chargers, because I don't think they output very clean power, but I don't imagine it will cause any damage. Give it a try! If it DOES fail, you'll know, because you'll see garbage in the video. Keep us posted!
I dunno - maybe it's because I'm into retro computing, but it seems there's still a big enough market for the Commodore brand to have someone with some really marketing savvy to bring the name and the fun of these old 8 bit computers back from the dead. I know some have tried, but seems to me they're doing it wrong. No one wants an Android phone with a Commodore logo on it.
No. You saw that stupid thing too, huh? What an insult! I dunno, what could end up happening is that you'd end up with what happened to Atari, the name is just whored out and and slapped on some piece of crap to make a few bucks. That hasn't happened as much with Commodore, until that stupid phone.
There are a number of projects to revive the C64, the latest being TheC64-Mini, then you have the DTV C64 in a joystick, etc. And lets not forget the countess old units on Ebay. :) The RasberryPi has a great Amiga emulator app called the Amibian, supposedly runs twice as fast and accurately as a real Amiga.
Hi Johan...because they are so time consuming, I usually only build Re-Bricks once a year, for VCF Midwest. However, due to the demand, about two years ago I started building an all-new PS using similar components, called the Nu-Brick 64. I don't have a website, because I don't want it to be a full-time job. But you can find me as KevinO on vcfed.org forum, Frankencelery on Lemon64, or join the Commodore 64/128 group on Facebook and look me up there (that's where I spend most of my time). Thanks for asking!
The frame you used to remove the epoxy brick worked like a charm. Thank you very much!
I did this some days ago but with an European cream color PSU. It had way longer stems into the epoxy and removing that tap was tricky , a lot of prying. I replaced the frame in your video with some gentle hitting on a concrete floor to make the epoxy block move a bit. Then I drilled some holes in the sides , where the cables used to be, and it worked nicely as support for some screwdrivers to lift it out of the case.
This is excellent! Here I am thinking all this time that you can't do a thing with that power brick. Well done!
Interesting to see what was inside one of these. I bought a C64 and the brick was working fine for the few times I turned it on about 10 years ago. I'm afraid I may have fried the board when I tried it out last year - video chip was shot regardless. Either way, I need to get a new one of these. Looks like a good project.
Commodore obviously didn't like people fixing the PSU. The buggers 😁
After you've gotten the bottom off, try tapping the top and sides of the case with a rawhide mallet, This pretty much loosens the epoxy right up without having to slam the thing around. At least it works for me.
See my earlier comment about this. I've tried that, and maybe one out of 10 actually falls out once it's started to move. Every other one sticks the whole way. This method gets the block out largely in one piece in less than a minute. Remember that for this project, we're not saving the insides, so the slamming isn't doing any harm.
@@ottumland So, is it possible to get the transformer out of the epoxy to re-use it?
@@ricklonghi909 not reasonably, no. Also, that Transformer is designed for the analog regulator. So it wouldn't work with the switch and regulator that I use. What I mean is, it wouldn't physically fit. You can still use the 9 volt AC side but it would be difficult to fit both inside the case.
Why did commodore fill the brick with epoxy in the first case??
BTW Adrian's Basement sent me here.
Well, thank Adrian for me! I am a big fan of his fun and interesting repair videos. Anyway, there are some different theories about this, but Bil Herd said that he thought it was for fire protection. Can't start on fire with no oxygen! Definitely a PITA to repair though!
@@ottumlandLOL! Probably correct!
Brick is an understatement, this things were literally filled like a cast brick
I can't disagree with that! Apparently it was only the US ones that were completely epoxy-filled. Many of the UK ones are not, and are actually repairable.
This is fantastic.
Great videos... Love your fancy fixture!!
Cheers for this, got a few dead ones......
Hey THANKS for the video!! Is there an equipment list or do I make a list from the audio?
Yes, the parts list is in the comments in Part 2.
Why did they pot these in the first place?, I have always wanted to know?...
Money reason: buy a new one instead of fixing current one.
did you also get this method to work on the beige bricks (same form factor, not the old style ones)? Mine was so brittle, I completely destroyed the bottom plate even trying to open it..
Yes, I've had no problem with the beige bricks. That's not to say that they sometimes don't crack and/or fall apart. I would say that 1 in 5 breaks in some way, sometimes repairable, sometimes not. One of the things I don't think I mentioned in the video is that you want to make sure the block comes out evenly, or that can also break the case.
What were they thinking to drown the components in epoxy? Guess it was a cheap way to assemble it without securing anything to the case with mounts and screws.
padistedor I think so, but also for fire protection. Can't have a fire if there's no oxygen.
It also kept curious kids from getting to the line voltage. If anyone got electrocuted by the power supply it was because they went digging into the epoxy. The warning label clearly said not to do that. It was more of a legal CYOA than anything else.
It's not really a bad manufacturing process to use epoxy - it keeps everything secure which is especially a concern with a beefy transformer in the mix. They still use epoxy like that in a number of situations in electronics manufacturing. If something went wrong when these were current nobody would try to fix it - they would just exchange it for a new one. Obviously they didn't plan for these to be in use 35 years later.
Oh and it weighed a ton... lol
I'm having a hell of a time sourcing the nylon blocks here in Canada. Only USA suppliers want stupid $$$ to ship to Canada (!?!) would you consider selling the blocks? I need enough for 1 PSU.
Yeah, I don't disagree. I wanted to ship one of my built power supplies to Canada a few weeks ago, and the best rate I could get was $38.50! Yeah, we can do that, but it's probably still going to be a little expensive.
Where can I get one from, no link to your website or shop?
Hi James. No, the reason for the video is that these take a lot of effort to make, and I couldn't possibly meet demand, so I thought I'd show others how to do it. I DO sell a few at the Vintage Computer Festival Midwest, and if you head over to the Commodre 64/128 group on Facebook, I have sold a couple there too, and I do have one or two available, but I haven't tried nor do I want to make a business of it!
Someone asked if this method can be used with the wedge-type bricks, but I couldn't find the actual question here. Maybe it was deleted. Anyway, since I'm in the US, I've never actually seen one of those, but from the photos and videos I've seen, it wouldn't be possible with the parts I'm using. Not enough space in the case.
Hi, you can easily service the wedge shaped bricks. I did a vid on it a few years ago. Good luck.
@@Plan-C Sorry, what I was referring to was a question about whether or not you could use MY parts on the wedge-shaped bricks, and I didn't know. I've seen enough videos and forum posts that I can see that they're actually much easier to service than the US ones.
Not all C64 power supplies can be so easily debricked. In my case I had to spray a bit of penetrating oil (liquid wrench) to encourage epoxy brick to get out.
You should be able to dislodge the inside banging it like that without the jig then.I just threw 3 original wedge shape psus out 😢 oh well. Made my own... UA-cam vid up soon 😊
You'd think that once the epoxy was dislodged, it should fall right out, but usually it doesn't. The reason for the jig is to make room for the epoxy to come out. Otherwise if you just bang the PS case directly on the floor (I don't usually do it on the counter, just did it for the video), the epoxy only comes out as far as the edge of the case and then stops.
Cheers buddy
Hey what about drilling into the center of the epoxy and using a wall anchor to pull it out?
thanks ,very nice video .very good idea.it will help me a lot ..comodore,amiga lover in istanbul turkey..
I've always wondered why they did that in the first place. Won't it run hotter with epoxy? Won't it weigh more?
According to Bil Herd, it was fire-proofing. Can't burn without air! As far as running hotter, folks continue to argue about that to this day. I suppose the epoxy did have a heat sinking effect, spreading the heat out to the whole case rather than just on the 7805 regulator. But did it actually keep the regulator cooler? Hard to believe
My wife said it would make a good murder weapon while looking fixedly at me.
so it was just another way to be a little too cheap. Anyway interesting recycling. I don't have one to recycle though. The one I bought is just the computer without cables. I actually have a 9v 1amp AC adapter. I was shocked. I figure between that and USB I can get a PSU working. I hope I ordered the right DIN cable on amazon. It is 7 pin and I hear that's correct.
@@awilliams1701 Good luck! I'm not a huge fan of using USB chargers, because I don't think they output very clean power, but I don't imagine it will cause any damage. Give it a try! If it DOES fail, you'll know, because you'll see garbage in the video. Keep us posted!
Good vid bud
I dunno - maybe it's because I'm into retro computing, but it seems there's still a big enough market for the Commodore brand to have someone with some really marketing savvy to bring the name and the fun of these old 8 bit computers back from the dead. I know some have tried, but seems to me they're doing it wrong. No one wants an Android phone with a Commodore logo on it.
No. You saw that stupid thing too, huh? What an insult! I dunno, what could end up happening is that you'd end up with what happened to Atari, the name is just whored out and and slapped on some piece of crap to make a few bucks. That hasn't happened as much with Commodore, until that stupid phone.
There are a number of projects to revive the C64, the latest being TheC64-Mini, then you have the DTV C64 in a joystick, etc. And lets not forget the countess old units on Ebay. :)
The RasberryPi has a great Amiga emulator app called the Amibian, supposedly runs twice as fast and accurately as a real Amiga.
Hi Ottumland, can I buy one of your power bricks online somewhere?
Hi Johan...because they are so time consuming, I usually only build Re-Bricks once a year, for VCF Midwest. However, due to the demand, about two years ago I started building an all-new PS using similar components, called the Nu-Brick 64. I don't have a website, because I don't want it to be a full-time job. But you can find me as KevinO on vcfed.org forum, Frankencelery on Lemon64, or join the Commodore 64/128 group on Facebook and look me up there (that's where I spend most of my time). Thanks for asking!
@@ottumland Thanks! I'll look you up on FB :)
@@TGFungus Yeah, if you join the Commodore 64/128 group, just search for Nu-Brick and you'll find a bunch of posts. Thanks!
Thanks!!
+1 just for the shirt
Holy fuck! It was just slimed in that shit? I never knew.
That's why they failed. They overheated in all that crap.