Field Notes From the Restoration Bench in Aswan
Long-form write-ups on vintage console restoration, hardware modding, and the quirks we uncover along the way.
Browse ArchiveRecent Articles From the Bench
Teardown notes, mod logs, and repair diaries from our latest sessions
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01
Reviving a Waterlogged Famicom AV Unit
A humid-climate teardown documenting corrosion damage, board cleaning, and the tricky decision of when a shell is beyond saving.
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02
Adding S-Video Out to a PC Engine CoreGrafx
Step-by-step notes on a clean composite-to-S-Video modification, including trace routing choices and the shielding tricks that kept noise down.
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03
The Quiet Death of Tantalum Capacitors
Why certain late-80s boards fail predictably, and how documenting failure patterns helps the next collector spot trouble before it spreads.
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04
Recapping a Sega CD Model 1: What We Learned
A recap log covering power supply quirks, laser lens degradation, and the small surprises that turned a routine job into a research note.
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05
Sourcing Region-Free BIOS Chips the Right Way
A look at legitimate chip-swap documentation practices for hardware historians, focused on legal sourcing and honest labeling of modified units.
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06
Notes on a Mystery PAL Prototype Motherboard
An unlabeled board turned up in a trade lot. We document the hunt to identify its origin using PCB stamps, solder dates, and community input.
Curious How That Last Repair Turned Out?
New teardown logs and mod write-ups go up regularly from the Aswan workbench.
What Makes These Write-Ups Different
Notes from collectors who actually open the shells
Every article comes from an actual bench session, not secondhand research, so the details reflect real hardware behavior.
We pay close attention to PAL, NTSC, and regional variants that often get skipped in broader restoration coverage.
New logs and mod diaries are posted on a steady schedule, so readers always have fresh material from the bench.
Reader tips, trade leads, and shared board photos regularly shape our follow-up articles and correction notes.
Reader Questions
Common questions about how the blog operates and what we cover
Do you accept guest posts or shared restoration logs?
Yes, we occasionally feature reader-submitted teardown logs and mod diaries, provided they include clear photos and honest notes on what worked and what didn't.
How often do you publish new articles?
We aim for a new write-up every one to two weeks, depending on how long a given restoration or mod project takes to document properly.
Do you cover consoles from outside the classic Nintendo/Sega lineup?
Yes. Alongside the familiar names, we regularly cover PC Engine, MSX, Amstrad, and other regional systems that don't always get the same attention elsewhere.
Can I request a topic or ask about a specific board revision?
Absolutely. We keep a running list of reader requests and try to prioritize boards or mods that multiple people have asked about.
Do you sell restored consoles or modding kits through the blog?
No, this site is purely editorial. We document our own projects and research for readers interested in the process, not a storefront for hardware sales.