Tips
1. Want to remove the lockout chip from a SNES/SFC console, after I practiced a bit on some old boards I decided on this solution which doesn't need any fancy desoldering equipment, and it's really very quick. Although the chip will be useless once you have removed it by the way!
First of all find some wire that is quite a tight fit under the legs of the chip and slide it through. This will protect the circuit board from any damage in a minute. One the SNES lockout chip, I used some stripped Kynar wire.
Grab your craft knife, or in my case scalpel (I get these and the blades from art and craft shops) and use it to cut the legs one at a time. With one hand holding the chip (stops it moving once you've a few legs), carefully push the blade through the leg at the point of where is leaves the chip. The blade should then hit the wire you put through the legs and hopefully won't hit the circuit board.
Now with the chip removed you're left with the legs still soldered to the pads, it only takes a minute or so to remove the legs now. Hold your soldering iron on the pad (1) and drag it towards the leg (2), it'll push the leg off the pad, work your way along the row of pads (3). The legs will probably stay stuck to your soldering iron tip, after you have a couple on there wipe your tip off on a sponge.
That's it, finished, you should now have some nicely prepared pads ready to solder onto. They'll probably have yellow gunk around them, that's just the flux from the solder, it's there to help the solder stick better.
2. Removing the PAL SNES or JPN SFC power LED
Not really that difficult, but a bit fiddly. Start by desoldering the legs of the existing LED, then cut the legs as close to the circuit board as possible.
Then push what's left of the legs through the circuit board. Then just pull the LED out, probably with the help of a screwdriver!
Not so bad after all! Now then, an American SNES is different completely...
3. Removing the USA SNES power LED
A bit more difficult than a PAL SNES or a SFC. Start by unclipping and separating the front of the controller port unit, (you'll have to unwrap the ribbon cable).
Desolder the legs of the existing LED, then cut the legs as close to the circuit board as possible. Also desolder the first 2 or 3 of the contacts for the nearby controller port, this is so that you can bend the board and the LED will fall out for you. You may be able to do it without the extra desoldering, but you'll have to bend the board a lot more and it could snap!
If you're fitting a dual colour LED, bend the legs at a right angle from where they leave the LED and test fit it. I haven't shown it, but the middle leg on the LEDs I use is the cathode (negative) leg, so you can cut this short and fit it through the hole that the old LED used for the cathode.
And then solder the legs for red/green etc when you've done the mod. DON'T FORGET TO RESOLDER THE OTHER PINS YOU DESOLDERED EARLIER!
4. Making holes for Switches, sockets etc.
I covered this in one of the MD guides. I simply bought an an extra slide switch and pulled it apart leaving you with a perfect Template...
Hold the switch template inside the casing, and use something sharp to mark where the 2 screw holes need to be drilled (do this twice obviously)
Drill out the screw holes, then attach the switch template, and drill and file out the rectangular hole where the switch will poke out
I also did something similar for a VGA socket. I had an old PC Graphics Card that I could use, so I took the blanking plate off and now have an ideal template to use.
I just had to hold it against the area I wanted to make the hole. Mark the two screw holes, drill them out, then screw the template into place, drill, cut and file the main hole. Really easy :-)
5. Where did that screw come from?
Many consoles use different size screws depending on what that screw is holding in place. Like the Saturn and Mega Drive use longer screws either side of the Cartridge Port. When I'm taking apart a console I try and get into the habit of laying the screws out so that they in order. If necessary, take a photo to remind yourself. Anyway, a photo can explain it a lot better than me waffling on.
